Mauritius

Mauritius Background

Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence 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 and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Mauritius Information

• Population: 1,220,481 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian
• Location:: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
• Religions:: Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%
• Ethnic Groups:: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
• Land Boundaries:: 0 km
• Area: total: 2,040 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues water: 10 sq km land: 2,030 sq km
• Coast Line: 177 km
• 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
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 49.26% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 47.78% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
• Natural Resources: arable land, fish
• Highways: total: 1,926 km paved: 1,868 km (including 44 km of expressways) unpaved: 58 km (2000)
• Railways:
• Ports & Harbours: Port Louis
• Airports: 5 (2003 est.)