"text":"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 one of Africa's highest per capita incomes."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar"
},
"Geographic coordinates":{
"text":"20 17 S, 57 33 E"
},
"Map references":{
"text":"Africa"
},
"Area":{
"total":{
"text":"2,040 sq km"
},
"land":{
"text":"2,030 sq km"
},
"water":{
"text":"10 sq km"
},
"note":{
"text":"includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues"
}
},
"Area - comparative":{
"text":"almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC"
},
"Land boundaries":{
"text":"0 km"
},
"Coastline":{
"text":"177 km"
},
"Maritime claims":{
"text":"measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines",
"territorial sea":{
"text":"12 nm"
},
"exclusive economic zone":{
"text":"200 nm"
},
"continental shelf":{
"text":"200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin"
}
},
"Climate":{
"text":"tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)"
},
"Terrain":{
"text":"small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau"
"text":"cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards"
},
"Environment - current issues":{
"text":"water pollution, degradation of coral reefs"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former 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"
"text":"Creole 86.5%, Bhojpuri 5.3%, French 4.1%, two languages 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes English, the official language, which is spoken by less than 1% of the population), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)"
},
"Religions":{
"text":"Hindu 48.5%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, Muslim 17.3%, other Christian 6.4%, other 0.6%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)"
"text":"13.29 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Death rate":{
"text":"6.91 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Net migration rate":{
"text":"0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Urbanization":{
"urban population":{
"text":"39.7% of total population (2015)"
},
"rate of urbanization":{
"text":"-0.08% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)"
}
},
"Major urban areas - population":{
"text":"PORT LOUIS (capital) 135,000 (2014)"
},
"Sex ratio":{
"at birth":{
"text":"1.05 male(s)/female"
},
"0-14 years":{
"text":"1.04 male(s)/female"
},
"15-24 years":{
"text":"1.02 male(s)/female"
},
"25-54 years":{
"text":"1 male(s)/female"
},
"55-64 years":{
"text":"0.9 male(s)/female"
},
"65 years and over":{
"text":"0.68 male(s)/female"
},
"total population":{
"text":"0.97 male(s)/female (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Infant mortality rate":{
"total":{
"text":"10.3 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"male":{
"text":"12.24 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"female":{
"text":"8.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Life expectancy at birth":{
"total population":{
"text":"75.4 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"71.94 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"79.03 years (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Total fertility rate":{
"text":"1.76 children born/woman (2015 est.)"
},
"Health expenditures":{
"text":"4.8% of GDP (2013)"
},
"Physicians density":{
"text":"1.62 physicians/1,000 population (2013)"
},
"Hospital bed density":{
"text":"3.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)"
},
"Drinking water source":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 99.9% of population ++ rural: 99.8% of population ++ total: 99.9% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 0.1% of population ++ rural: 0.2% of population ++ total: 0.1% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Sanitation facility access":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 93.9% of population ++ rural: 92.6% of population ++ total: 93.1% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 6.1% of population ++ rural: 7.4% of population ++ total: 6.9% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"0.92% (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":{
"text":"8,300 (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - deaths":{
"text":"500 (2014 est.)"
},
"Obesity - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"18.8% (2014)"
},
"Education expenditures":{
"text":"3.7% of GDP (2013)"
},
"Literacy":{
"definition":{
"text":"age 15 and over can read and write"
},
"total population":{
"text":"90.6%"
},
"male":{
"text":"92.9%"
},
"female":{
"text":"88.5% (2015 est.)"
}
},
"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{
"total":{
"text":"16 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"15 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"16 years (2012)"
}
},
"Unemployment, youth ages 15-24":{
"total":{
"text":"23.7%"
},
"male":{
"text":"20.4%"
},
"female":{
"text":"28.4% (2012 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government":{
"Country name":{
"conventional long form":{
"text":"Republic of Mauritius"
},
"conventional short form":{
"text":"Mauritius"
},
"local long form":{
"text":"Republic of Mauritius"
},
"local short form":{
"text":"Mauritius"
},
"note":{
"text":"island named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, in 1598"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"parliamentary democracy"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Port Louis"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"20 09 S, 57 29 E"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
}
},
"Administrative divisions":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"12 March 1968 (from the UK)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Independence Day, 12 March (1968)"
},
"Constitution":{
"text":"several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968; amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)"
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
"text":"President Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (since 5 June 2015); Vice President Monique OHSAN-BELLEPEAU (since 12 November 2010)"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 December 2014)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 June 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly"
},
"election results":{
"text":"Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (independent) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (70 seats maximum; 62 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and up to 8 seats allocated to non-elected party candidates by the Electoral Commissioner's Office to ensure fair and adequate representation of each community and party in the Assembly; members serve 5-year terms)"
},
"elections":{
"text":"last held on 10 December 2014 (next to be held by 2019); note - the National Assembly was dissolved on 6 October 2014, resulting in early elections"
"text":"percent of vote by party - Alliance Lepep 49.8%, PTR-MMM 38.5%, FSM 2.1%, OPR 1.1%, other 8.5%; elected seats by party - Alliance Lepep 47, PTR-MMM 13, OPR 2; appointed seats Alliance Lepep 4, PTR-MMM 3, non-elected candidate 1"
"text":"Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 17 puisne judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 62"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal (formed by a 2008 constitutional amendment)"
}
},
"Political parties and leaders":{
"text":"Alliance Lepep (Alliance of the People) [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] (coalition including MSM, PMSD, and ML) ++ Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] ++ Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER] ++ Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL] ++ Mauritian Solidarity Front (Front Solidarite Mauricienne) or FSM [Cehi FAKEERMEEAH] ++ Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] ++ Muvman Liberator or ML [Ivan COLLENDAVELLOO] ++ PTR-MMM Coalition [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] (coalition including PTR and MMM) ++ Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR]"
},
"Political pressure groups and leaders":{
"text":"Lalit Political Party ++ Say No to Coal!",
"text":"Ambassador Sooroojdev PHOKEER (since 3 August 2015)"
},
"chancery":{
"text":"1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; administrative offices at 3201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20036"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (202) 966-0983"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"chief of mission":{
"text":"Ambassador Shari VILLAROSA (since 5 November 2012); note - also accredited to Seychelles"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[230] 202-4400"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[230] 208-9534"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green; red represents self-determination and 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 symbol(s)":{
"text":"dodo bird; national colors: red, blue, yellow, green"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Motherland\""
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1968"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has undergone a remarkable economic transformation from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a diversified, upper middle-income economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. Mauritius has achieved steady growth over the last several decades, resulting 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’ textile sector has taken advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, with Mauritian exports to the US growing by 400% from 2001-2012. Mauritius' sound economic policies and prudent banking practices helped to mitigate negative effects of the global financial crisis in 2008-09. GDP grew in the 3-4% per year range in 2010-14, and the country continues to expand its trade and investment outreach around the globe."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"5.317 million Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"370,000"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"28 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"1.7 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"124 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"small system with good service"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with current teledensity roughly 100 per 100 persons"
},
"international":{
"text":"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 (2011)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"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)"
},
"Radio broadcast stations":{
"text":"AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2001)"
},
"Television broadcast stations":{
"text":"2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)"
},
"Internet country code":{
"text":".mu"
},
"Internet users":{
"total":{
"text":"81,700"
},
"percent of population":{
"text":"6.1% (2014 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transportation":{
"Airports":{
"text":"5 (2013)"
},
"Airports - with paved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"2"
},
"over 3,047 m":{
"text":"1"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"1 (2013)"
}
},
"Airports - with unpaved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"3"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"2"
},
"under 914 m":{
"text":" ++ 1 (2013)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"2,149 km"
},
"paved":{
"text":"2,149 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2012)"
"text":"no regular military forces; Mauritius Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2011)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"343,628 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"280,596"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"283,317 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"10,193"
},
"female":{
"text":"10,104 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"0.19% of GDP (2012) ++ 0.16% of GDP (2011) ++ 0.19% of GDP (2010)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands; claims French-administered Tromelin Island"
},
"Illicit drugs":{
"text":"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"
