Mauritius

Mauritius

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republic of Mauritius Area 1,865 sq km/720 sq mi Capital Port Louis (and chief port) Language English (official), French, Creole (36%), Bhojpuri (32%), other Indian languages Religion Hindu over 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) about 30%, Muslim 17% Time difference GMT +4 Major holidays 1–2 January, 12 March, 1 May, 1 November, 25 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha, Diwali, end of Ramadan, Prophet's Birthday, Chinese Spring Festival (February)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Curepipe, Quatre Bornes, Vacoas-Phoenix Physical features mountainous, volcanic island surrounded by coral reefs; the island of Rodrigues is part of Mauritius; there are several small island dependencies Airports one international airport, one other airport with paved runway, and three unpaved airfields; total passengers carried: 1.04 million (2003 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 2,015 km/1,252 mi, of which 100% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 119 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Anerood Jugnauth from 2003 Head of government Navin Ramgoolam from 2005 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions five municipalities and four district councils Political parties Mauritius Socialist Movement (MSM), moderate socialist-republican; Mauritius Labour Party (MLP), democratic socialist, Hindu-oriented; Mauritius Social Democratic Party (PMSD), conservative, Francophile; Mauritius Militant Movement (MMM), Marxist-republican; Organization of Rodriguan People (OPR), left of centre Death penalty abolished in 1995 Armed forces no standing defence forces; 2,000-strong police mobile unit (2006 est) Defence spend (% GDP) 0.2 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.7 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.2 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Mauritian rupee GDP (US$) 6.4 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3.4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 6.6 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 12,450 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 4.9% (2006 est) Unemployment 9% (2005 est) Labour force 10% agriculture, 32.4% industry, 57.6% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 2.3 billion (2004 est) Major trading partners France, UK, South Africa, USA, India, Madagascar, China Industries textiles and clothing, footwear and other leather products, food products, diamond cutting, jewellery, electrical components, chemical products, furniture, tourism Exports raw sugar, fish, textiles and clothing, re-exports, tea, molasses, jewellery. Principal market: UK 27.7% (2005) Imports food and beverages, textile yarn and fabrics, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, food products, mineral fuels, manufactured goods. Principal source: France 12.4% (2005) Arable land 49% (2006 est) Agricultural products sugar cane, tea, tobacco, potatoes, maize; poultry farming; fishing; forest resources


POPULATION

Population 1,255,900 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.8% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 673 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 44 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 24%, 15–59 66%, 60+ 10% (2005 est) Ethnic groups five principal ethnic groups: French, black Africans, Indians, Chinese, and Mulattos (or Creoles). Indo-Mauritians predominate, constituting 68% of the population, followed by Creoles (27%), Sino-Mauritians (3%), Franco-Mauritians (2%), and Europeans (0.5%) Life expectancy 70 (men); 76 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 15 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 6 Literacy rate 88% (men); 81% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 8.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.1 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.3 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <100 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 28.8 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 57.3 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 349 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 370 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 16.2 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 14.7 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1598 Previously uninhabited, the island was discovered by the Dutch and named after Prince Morris of Nassau. 1710 Dutch colonists withdrew. 1721 Reoccupied by French East India Company, who renamed it Île de France, and established sugar cane and tobacco plantations worked by imported African slaves. 1814 Ceded to Britain by Treaty of Paris. 1835 Slavery abolished; indentured Indian and Chinese labourers imported to work sugar-cane plantations, which were later hit by competition from beet sugar. 1903 Formerly administered with Seychelles, it became a single colony. 1936 Mauritius Labour Party (MLP) founded, drawing strong support from sugar workers. 1957 Internal self-government granted. 1968 Independence achieved from Britain within Commonwealth, with Seewoosagur Ramgoolam of centrist Indian-dominated MLP as prime minister. 1971 State of emergency temporarily imposed due to industrial unrest. 1982 Anerood Jugnauth of socialist Mauritius Socialist Movement (MSM) became prime minister, pledging nonalignment, nationalization, and creation of a republic. 1992 Became republic within Commonwealth. 1995 MLP and cross-community Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) coalition won elections; Navin Ramgoolam (MLP) became prime minister. 2000 Opposition alliance won power, led by former prime minister Anerood Jugnauth. 2003 Jugnauth stepped down as prime minister and became president; Paul Bérenger became first non-Hindu premier. 2005 Social Alliance won general election; Navin Ramgoolam returned as prime minister.


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