Mauritius

Internet country code

.mu

Internet hosts

4,997 (2006)

Internet users

180,000 (2005)

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

359,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

713,300 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.377 billion expenditures: $1.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Current account balance

$-342 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$3.246 billion (2005 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, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Electricity - consumption

1.805 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

1.941 billion kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001)

Exports

$1.949 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses

Exports - partners

UK 32.3%, France 20.7%, US 11.7%, Madagascar 6.2%, Italy 5.3% (2005)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.681 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$15.73 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 5.9% industry: 29.8% services: 64.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$12,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$2.507 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

France 12.1%, South Africa 11%, India 7.2%, Finland 6.1%, China 6%, Germany 5.3%, Bahrain 5.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

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)

5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

21.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

570,000 (2005 est.)

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)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

10% (2001 est.)

Public debt

67.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.366 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

9.6% (2005 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

220 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 49.02% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 48.04% (2005)

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

name: Port Louis geographic coordinates: 20 10 S, 57 30 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius local long form: Republic of Mauritius local 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, US 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 Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5 July 2005) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held in 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, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AS 38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats - AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance Sociale or AS; 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] (the 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

Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in 1505; it 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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 313,271 (2005 est.)

Military branches

no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.2% (2005 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.9% (male 149,486/female 147,621) 15-64 years: 69.5% (male 430,288/female 431,753) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 31,939/female 49,740) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

15.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

6.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 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: 14.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.63 years male: 68.66 years female: 76.66 years (2006 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: 30.8 years male: 30 years female: 31.8 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian

Net migration rate

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

1,240,827 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

0.82% (2006 est.)

Religions

Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, other Christian 8.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.95 children born/woman (2006 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 but no right to patriation in the UK; 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

6 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine

total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,386 GRT/23,214 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 4 (India 2, Switzerland 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals

Port Louis

Roadways

total: 2,020 km paved: 2,020 km (including 75 km of expressways) (2005)