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Central Intelligence Agency
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| page last updated on June 14, 2011 |
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(CONTAINS DESCRIPTION)
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Click flag or map to enlarge 
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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.
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Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
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20 17 S, 57 33 E
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total: 2,040 sq km
country comparison to the world: 180
land:
2,030 sq km
water:
10 sq km
note:
includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
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almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
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0 km
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177 km
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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
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tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
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small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mont Piton 828 m
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arable land, fish
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arable land: 49.02%
permanent crops:
2.94%
other:
48.04% (2005)
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210 sq km (2008)
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2.2 cu km (2001)
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total: 0.61 cu km/yr (25%/14%/60%)
per capita:
488 cu m/yr (2000)
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cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
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water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
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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
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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
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1,303,717 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
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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.)
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total: 32.7 years
male:
31.9 years
female:
33.6 years (2011 est.)
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0.729% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
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13.97 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
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6.68 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
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urban population: 42% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:
0.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
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PORT LOUIS (capital) 149,000 (2009)
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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.)
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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.)
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total population: 74.48 years
country comparison to the world: 99
male:
71.01 years
female:
78.12 years (2011 est.)
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1.79 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
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1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
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8,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
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fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
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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)
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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)
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noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective:
Mauritian
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Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
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Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
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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)
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
84.4%
male:
88.4%
female:
80.5% (2000 census)
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total: 14 years
male:
13 years
female:
14 years (2008)
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3.2% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 128
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conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form:
Mauritius
local long form:
Republic of Mauritius
local short form:
Mauritius
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parliamentary democracy
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name: Port Louis
geographic coordinates:
20 09 S, 57 29 E
time difference:
UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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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
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12 March 1968 (from the UK)
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Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
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12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
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civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law
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accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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18 years of age; universal
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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
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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
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Supreme Court
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Alliance of the Future or AF [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] (governing coalition - includes MLD, MMSM, MR, MSD, PMXD); 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]; Parti Mauricien Xavier Duval or PMXD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]
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other: various labor unions
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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
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chief of mission: Ambassador Somduth SOBORUN
chancery:
1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
[1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-0983
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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
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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
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name: "Motherland"
lyrics/music:
Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
note:
adopted 1968
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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.
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$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
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$9.729 billion (2010 est.)
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4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
3% (2009 est.)
5.5% (2008 est.)
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$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
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agriculture: 4.8%
industry:
24.6%
services:
70.5% (2010 est.)
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597,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
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agriculture and fishing: 9%
construction and industry:
30%
transportation and communication:
7%
trade, restaurants, hotels:
22%
finance:
6%
other services:
25% (2007)
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7.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
7.3% (2009 est.)
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8% (2006 est.)
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
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39 (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
37 (1987 est.)
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23.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
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revenues: $2.114 billion
expenditures:
$2.583 billion (2010 est.)
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60.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
62.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
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2.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
2.5% (2009 est.)
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NA%
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19.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
21.54% (31 December 2008 est.)
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$1.889 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
$1.906 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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$9.605 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
$9.277 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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$10.23 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
$9.423 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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$4.74 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 89
$3.443 billion (31 December 2008)
$5.666 billion (31 December 2007)
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sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
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food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
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3.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
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2.321 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
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2.158 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
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23,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
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0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
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22,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
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0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
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0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
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$-949 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
$-674.6 million (2009 est.)
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$2.041 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
$1.942 billion (2009 est.)
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clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish
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UK 25.55%, France 16.89%, US 9.51%, Italy 5.68%, UAE 5.47%, Belgium 4.93%, Madagascar 4.11% (2009)
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$3.935 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
$3.499 billion (2009 est.)
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manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
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India 24.5%, France 14.02%, South Africa 8.55%, China 8.17% (2009)
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$2.36 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
$2.304 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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$5.043 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$4.474 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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$NA
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$NA
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Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar -
30.991 (2010)
31.96 (2009)
27.973 (2008)
31.798 (2007)
31.656 (2006)
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| Communications ::Mauritius |
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379,100 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 105
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1.087 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 145
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general assessment: small system with good service
domestic:
monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2009 reaching 85 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries (2009)
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the government maintains control over TV broadcasting through the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which operates 3 analog and 10 digital TV stations; MBC is a shareholder in a local company that operates 2 pay TV stations; the state retains the largest radio broadcast network with multiple stations; several private radio broadcasters have entered the market since 2001; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)
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.mu
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36,653 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 94
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290,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 132
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| Transportation ::Mauritius |
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5 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 181
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total: 2
over 3,047 m:
1
914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2010)
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total: 3
914 to 1,523 m:
2
under 914 m:
1 (2010)
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total: 2,066 km
country comparison to the world: 173
paved:
2,066 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2009)
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total: 3
country comparison to the world: 137
by type:
passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2010)
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Port Louis
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no regular military forces; Mauritius Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2009)
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males age 16-49: 343,628 (2010 est.)
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males age 16-49: 280,596
females age 16-49:
283,317 (2010 est.)
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male: 10,193
female:
10,104 (2010 est.)
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0.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
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| Transnational Issues ::Mauritius |
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Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
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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
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