@node Geography (Mauritius)
@section Geography (Mauritius)

@display

Location:
  Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of Madagascar
Map references:   Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  1,860 km2
 land area:
  1,850 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
 note:
  includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and
  Rodrigues
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  177 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 nm or the edge of continental margin
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  claims UK-administered Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of
  Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims
  French-administered Tromelin Island
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
Natural resources:
  arable land, fish
Land use:
 arable land:
  54%
 permanent crops:
  4%
 meadows and pastures:
  4%
 forest and woodland:
  31%
 other:
  7%
Irrigated land:
  170 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by
  reefs



@end display

@node People (Mauritius)
@section People (Mauritius)

@display

Population:
  1,106,516 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.95% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  19.67 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -3.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  19 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  70.24 years
 male:
  66.34 years
 female:
  74.3 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.23 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Mauritian(s)
 adjective:
  Mauritian
Ethnic divisions:
  Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Religions:
  Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim
  16.6%, other 3.1%
Languages:
  English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Literacy:
  age 13 and over can read and write (1962)
 total population:
  61%
 male:
  72%
 female:
  50%
Labor force:
  335,000
 by occupation:
  government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%,
  other 22%
 note:
  43% of population of working age (1985)



@end display

@node Government (Mauritius)
@section Government (Mauritius)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:   Republic of Mauritius
 conventional short form:
  Mauritius
Digraph:
  MP
Type:
  parliamentary democracy
Capital:
  Port Louis
Administrative divisions:
  9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados,   Carajos*, Flacq,
Grand, Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port
  Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne, Independence:
  12 March 1968 (from UK)
Constitution:
  12 March 1968
Legal system:
  based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in
  certain areas
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Political parties and leaders:
 government coalition:
  Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH
  Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Paul BERENGER; Organization of the People
  of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR; Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil
  BAICHOO
 opposition:
  Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN
  Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio MICHEL; Mauritian Social Democratic Party
  (PMSD), X. DUVAL
Other political or pressure groups:
  various labor unions
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 Legislative Assembly:
  last held on 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 1996);
  results - MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%; seats - (70 total, 62 elected) MSM/MMM
  alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2); MLP/PMSD 3
Executive branch:
  president, vice president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of
  Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992); Vice President Robin Dranooth
  GHURBURRON (since 1 July 1992)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime
  Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990)



@end display

@node Government (Mauritius 2. usage)
@section Government (Mauritius 2. usage)

@display

Member of:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING
 chancery:
  Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 244-1491 or 1492
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador vacant
 embassy:
  4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
 mailing address:
  4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
 telephone:
  [230] 208-9763 through 208-9767
 FAX:
  [230] 208-9534
Flag:
  four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green



@end display

@node Economy (Mauritius)
@section Economy (Mauritius)

@display

Overview:
  The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism.
  Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for
  40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on
  industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification,
  and tourism. Economic performance in FY91 was impressive, with 6% real
  growth and low unemployment.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion (FY91 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  6.1% (FY91 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,300 (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  7% (FY91)
Unemployment rate:
  2.4% (1991 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $557 million; expenditures $607 million, including capital
  expenditures of $111 million (FY90)
Exports:
  $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
 commodities:
  textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%
 partners:
  EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%
Imports:
  $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
 commodities:
  manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum
  products 8%, chemicals 7%
 partners:
  EC, US, South Africa, Japan
External debt:
  $869 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 7% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
  235,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel,
  chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery,
  tourism
Agriculture:
  accounts for 10% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land in sugarcane; other
  products - tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net
  food importer, especially rice and fish
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million; Western (non-US)
  countries (1970-89), $709 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $54
  million
Currency:
  1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 16.982 (January 1993), 15.563 (1992),
  15.652 (1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988)



@end display

@node Economy (Mauritius 2. usage)
@section Economy (Mauritius 2. usage)

@display

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June



@end display

@node Communications (Mauritius)
@section Communications (Mauritius)

@display

Highways:
  1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km earth
Ports:
  Port Louis
Merchant marine:
  7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 103,328 GRT/163,142 DWT; includes 3
  cargo, 1 liquefied gas, 3 bulk
Airports:  total:
  5
 usable:
  4
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  small system with good service utilizing primarily microwave radio relay;
  new microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several
  countries; over 48,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1
  Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Mauritius)
@section Defense Forces (Mauritius)

@display

Branches:
  National Police Force (including the paramilitary Special Mobile Force
  (SMF), Special Support Units (SSU), and National Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 312,056; fit for military service 159,408 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $5 million, 0.2% of GDP (FY89)



@end display