Mauritius

Mauritius

Introduction

Background

Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch – who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU – in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK 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, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 2,040 sq km
country comparison to the world: 181 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

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

177 km

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea:12 nm
exclusive economic zone:200 nm
continental shelf:200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate

tropical, modified by southeast trade winds

warm, dry winter (May to November)

hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Elevation extremes

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

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Land use

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

Irrigated land

210 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

2.2 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.61cu km/yr (25%/14%/60%)
per capita:488cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

cyclones (November to April)

almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Environment – current issues

water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment – international agreements

party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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

Geography – note

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

home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

People and Society

Nationality

noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective:Mauritian

Ethnic groups

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

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)

Religions

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

Population

1,303,717 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.8% (male 145,185/female 139,579)
15-64 years:70.7% (male 457,743/female 463,875)
65 years and over:7.5% (male 38,944/female 58,391) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 32.7 years
male:31.9 years
female:33.6 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

0.729% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

Birth rate

13.97 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146

Death rate

6.68 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

Urbanization

urban population: 42% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:0.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

PORT LOUIS (capital) 149,000 (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.67 male(s)/female
total population:0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 108

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.52 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 139 male:13.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female:9.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.48 years
country comparison to the world: 99 male:71.01 years
female:78.12 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Health expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 91

Physicians density

1.06 physicians/1,000 population (2004)
country comparison to the world: 101

Hospital bed density

3.33 beds/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 64

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 99% of population
total: 99% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 1% of population
total: 1% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 93% of population
rural: 90% of population
total: 91% of population
unimproved:
urban: 7% of population
rural: 10% of population
total: 9% of population (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

8,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102

HIV/AIDS – deaths

fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 127

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:84.4%
male:88.4%
female:80.5% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years
male:13 years
female:14 years (2008)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 21.4%
country comparison to the world: 48 male:18.1%
female:26.3% (2009)

Government

Country name

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

name: Port Louis
geographic coordinates:20 09 S, 57 29 E
time difference:UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence

12 March 1968 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Constitution

12 March 1968

amended 12 March 1992

Legal system

civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age

universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003)

Vice President Monique OHSAN-BELLEPEAU (since 13 November 2010)
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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections:president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms (eligible for a second term)

elections last held on 19 September 2008 (next to be held in 2013)

prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly
election results:Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH reelected president by unanimous vote

percent of vote by the National Assembly – NA

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (70 seats

62 members elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to various ethnic minorities

members to serve five-year terms)
elections:last held on 5 May 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
election results:percent of vote by party – NA

seats by party – AF 41, MMM 18, MR 2, MSF 1

appointed seats – to be assigned 8

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of the Future or AF [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] (governing coalition – includes MLP, MMSM, MR, MSD, PMSD)

Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]

Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER]

Mauritian Militant Socialist Movement or MMSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]

Mauritian Socialist Militant Movement or MSMM [Madan DULLOO]

Mauritian Solidarity Front of FSM [Cehl FAKEERMEEAH]

Mouvement Republicain or MR [Jayarama VALAYDEN]

Maurition Social Democratic Party or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]

Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]

Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders

other: various labor unions

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Somduth SOBORUN
chancery:1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

administrative offices – 3201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:[1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492
FAX:[1] (202) 966-0983

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Jo WILLS
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

Flag description

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

red represents the blood shed for independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island

National anthem

name: “Motherland”
lyrics/music:Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
note:adopted 1968

Economy

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. The economy rests on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, and is expanding into fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 15% of export earnings. The government’s development strategy centers on creating vertical and horizontal clusters of development in these sectors. Mauritius has attracted more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India, South Africa, and China. 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). Mauritius’ sound economic policies and prudent banking practices helped to mitigate negative effects from the global financial crisis in 2008-09. GDP grew 3.6% in 2010 and the country continues to expand its trade and investment outreach around the globe.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$18.06 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129 $17.36 billion (2009 est.)
$16.85 billion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.729 billion (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99 3% (2009 est.)
5.5% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$14,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82 $13,500 (2009 est.)
$13,200 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 4.6%
industry:24.1%
services:71.3% (2010 est.)

Labor force

597,300 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture and fishing: 9%
construction and industry:30%
transportation and communication:7%
trade, restaurants, hotels:22%
finance:6%
other services:25% (2007)

Unemployment rate

7.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86 7.3% (2009 est.)

Population below poverty line

8% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Distribution of family income – Gini index

39 (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71 37 (1987 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

24.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63

Budget

revenues: $2.028 billion
expenditures:$2.478 billion (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Public debt

57.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38 60.4% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100 2.5% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

9% (31 December 2010 est.)
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

19.25% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28 19.25% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$2.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118 $2.036 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$10.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100 $9.813 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$10.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94 $9.943 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$6.506 billion (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 81 $4.74 billion (31 December 2009)
$3.443 billion (31 December 2008)

Agriculture – products

sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses

cattle, goats

fish

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

3.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity – production

2.402 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

Electricity – consumption

2.234 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134

Electricity – exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200

Oil – consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

Oil – exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192

Oil – imports

20,750 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111

Oil – proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Natural gas – production

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Natural gas – consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204

Natural gas – exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145

Natural gas – imports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

Natural gas – proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168

Current account balance

-$824.2 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126 -$674.6 million (2009 est.)

Exports

$2.259 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128 $1.942 billion (2009 est.)

Exports – commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish

Exports – partners

UK 19%, France 16.8%, US 11%, Madagascar 8.4%, Italy 7.9%, South Africa 6%, Spain 4.9% (2010)

Imports

$4.154 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127 $3.499 billion (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

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

Imports – partners

India 20.3%, France 10.6%, China 10.3%, South Africa 9.7% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.601 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106 $2.304 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$4.695 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114 $3.717 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – at home

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad

$NA

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar -
30.991 (2010)
31.96 (2009)
27.973 (2008)
31.798 (2007)
31.656 (2006)

Transportation

Airports

5 (2010)
country comparison to the world:181

Airports – with paved runways

total: 2
over 3,047 m:1
914 to 1,523 m:1 (2010)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 3
914 to 1,523 m:2
under 914 m:1 (2010)

Roadways

total: 2,066 km
country comparison to the world: 173 paved:2,066 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2009)

Merchant marine

total: 3
country comparison to the world: 136 by type:passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Port Louis

Military

Military branches

no regular military forces

Mauritius Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2009)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 343,628 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 280,596
females age 16-49:283,317 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 10,193
female:10,104 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

0.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168

Transnational Issues

Disputes – international

Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands

claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs

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