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Communications

Airports [time series]

5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

4 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km earth

Merchant marine [time series]

9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 94,619 GRT/140,345 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 2 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk

Ports [time series]

Port Louis

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

small system with good service; new microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries; 48,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Units, National Police Force, National Coast Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$4 million, 0.2% of GDP (1988)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 302,588; 155,176 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues $477 million; expenditures $540 million, including capital expenditures of $112 million (FY89)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Mauritian rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-88), $628 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $54 million

Electricity [time series]

233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 375 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--14.295 (January 1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987), 13.466 (1986), 15.442 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$993 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%; partners--EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$670 million (December 1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July-30 June

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$2.1 billion, per capita $2,000; real growth rate 5.5% (FY89)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

Imports [time series]

$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%; partners--EC, US, South Africa, Japan

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 12.9% (FY87); accounts for 25% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

12.7% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 32% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1989 was impressive, with 5.0% real growth and low unemployment.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2.7% (1989 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

177 km Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

claims Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 54%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 31%; other 7%; includes irrigated 9%

Natural resources [time series]

arable land, fish

Note [time series]

located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

Terrain [time series]

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Area (Total area) [time series]

1,860 km2; land area: 1,850 km2; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Port Louis

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations; Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women's Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society

Constitution [time series]

12 March 1968

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chancery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-1491 or 1492; US--Ambassador Penne Percy KORTH; Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone [230] 208-9763 through 208-9767

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

12 March 1968 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Veerasamy RINGADOO (since 17 January 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990) 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), G. DUVAL 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); opposition 3

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Legislative Assembly

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

various labor unions

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

People

Birth rate [time series]

19 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

20 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

335,000; government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22%; 43% of population of working age (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

66 years male, 74 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

61% (male 72%, female 50%) age 13 and over can read and write (1962)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Mauritian(s); adjective--Mauritian

Net migration rate [time series]

- 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

35% of labor force in more than 270 unions

Population [time series]

1,081,000 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.0 children born/woman (1991)