Mauritius

Internet country code

.mu

Internet hosts

3,985 (2003)

Internet users

150,000 (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002)

Telephone system

general assessment: small system with good service domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system international: country code - 230; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Telephones - main lines in use

348,200 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

462,400 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish

Budget

revenues: $1.122 billion expenditures: $1.461 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003)

Currency

Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Currency code

MUR

Current account balance

$289 million (2003)

Debt - external

$1.75 billion (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37 (1987 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$42 million (1997)

Economy - overview

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector and responsible fiscal management, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Electricity - consumption

1.219 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

1.311 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 27.9015 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.1293 (2001), 26.2496 (2000), 25.1858 (1999)

Exports

$1.965 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses

Exports - partners

UK 31%, France 21.3%, US 17.6%, Madagascar 6.3% (2003)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $13.85 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 6.1% industry: 30.3% services: 63.6% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$2.136 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners

South Africa 12.1%, France 12%, China 8.4%, India 8.2% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

8% (2000 est.)

Industries

food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

22.9% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

560,000 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, finance 3%, other services 24% (1995)

Oil - consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

10% (2001 est.)

Public debt

31.9% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$1.598 billion (2003)

Unemployment rate

9.8% (2003 est.)

Area

total: 2,040 sq km land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

Area - comparative

almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Coastline

177 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

20 17 S, 57 33 E

Geography - note

the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs

Irrigated land

200 sq km (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 49.26% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 47.78% (2001)

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Map references

Political Map of the World

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Administrative divisions

9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

Capital

Port Louis

Constitution

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 202-4400 FAX: [230] 208-9534

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983

Executive branch

chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003

Flag description

four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

12 March 1968 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (66 seats; 62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held NA September 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Political parties and leaders

Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders

various labor unions

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Military branches

National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$11.2 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.2% (2003)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 342,482 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 172,157 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 24.8% (male 152,424; female 149,908) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 418,836; female 420,411) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 31,104; female 47,798) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

15.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

700 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 15.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.36 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.09 years male: 68.11 years female: 76.13 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.6% male: 88.6% female: 82.7% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 30.1 years male: 29.3 years female: 31.1 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian

Net migration rate

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

1,220,481 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

0.81% (2004 est.)

Religions

Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation in 2001; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs

minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry

Airports

5 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 1,926 km paved: 1,868 km (including 44 km of expressways) unpaved: 58 km (2000)

Merchant marine

total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 22,946 GRT/27,102 DWT by type: cargo 1, combination bulk 4, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: Belgium 1, India 4, Switzerland 2 (2004 est.)

Ports and harbors

Port Louis