The Republic of Mauritius, an island nation comprising St. Brandon, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands along with the main island, is located in Southern Africa in the Indian Ocean at the east of Madagascar. It is a part of Mascarene Islands. Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius. Mauritius is the 5th country in the world to issue postage stamps.
HISTORY:- The Portuguese sailors first stepped on the land in 1507. Though the Dutch explored Mauritius in the late 16th century, the first Dutch settlements were founded in 1638. But after a few decades, the Dutch left the island for climatic reasons. Mauritius came under the French control in 1715 and the island was renamed as the Île de France. France established first road and harbor infrastructure in Mauritius, and developed the island as a site of a prosperous sugar industry. During the Napoleonic Wars, in 1810, the island was conquered by the British. Under the Treaty of Paris in 1814, Mauritius was ceded to Great Britain. Abolition of slave trade in 1835 brought a turn in the economic scenario of Mauritius. Sugar production was replaced by cultivation of sugarcane. In 1965, Chagos Archipelago was separated from Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory by the United Kingdom. In 1968, Mauritius gained independence and in 1992, it became a republic within the Commonwealth.
GEOGRAPHY:- Mauritius is located at 20 17 S, 57 33 E in Southern Africa. The total area of the country is 2,040 sq km in which only 10 sq km is covered by internal waters. Apart from the island of Mauritius, the island nation includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals, and Rodrigues. The coastline is 177 km long along with the Indian Ocean. The lowest point is Indian Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is Mont Piton (828 m). Mauritius consists of small coastal plains rising to disjoined mountains, encircling the central plateau.
CLIMATE:- The climate of Mauritius is mostly tropical, which is sometimes modified by the southeast trade winds. It has warm, dry winters (May to November) and hot, wet, humid summers (November to May).
GOVERNMENT:- Mauritius has a parliamentary democracy. The constitution was adopted on 12th March 1968 and was amended on 12th March 1992. The legal system is based on the French civil law system with some traces of the English common law system. The three major branches of the government are:
Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Vice president, the Prime minister (head of government), and the Council of Ministers. The president and the vice president both are elected by the National Assembly on a 5-year term. The prime minister and the deputy prime minister are appointed by the president. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister.
Legislative branch comprises the unicameral National Assembly (70 seats).
Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court.
MLD, MMSM (Mauritian Socialist Militant Movement), MR, MSD, PMXD (Parti Mauricien Xavier Duval) are the ruling coalition in Mauritius. Other parties include Alliance Sociale, Mauritian Labor Party, Mauritian Militant Movement, Militant Socialist Movement etc. Suffrage is universal at the age of 18.
MLD, MMSM (Mauritian Socialist Militant Movement), MR, MSD, PMXD (Parti Mauricien Xavier Duval) are the ruling coalition in Mauritius. Other parties include Alliance Sociale, Mauritian Labor Party, Mauritian Militant Movement, Militant Socialist Movement etc. Suffrage is universal at the age of 18.
President Sir Anerood Jugnauth
Vice President Raouf Bundhun
Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam
Vice President Raouf Bundhun
Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- Mauritius is divided into 9 districts and 3 dependencies.
Districts: Black River, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart and Savanne.
Dependencies: Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals, and Rodrigues.
Districts: Black River, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart and Savanne.
Dependencies: Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals, and Rodrigues.
CULTURE:- Creole, Chinese, European and Indian cuisines have influenced the cuisine of Mauritius. Sega is a folklore music of the nation.
ECONOMY:- Mauritius had been transformed from a low-income, cultivation based economy to a middle-income economy to a growing economy of present day with equally developed industrial, financial, and tourism sectors. Currently sugar, tourism, textiles, apparel, and financial services are the major sectors of the economy of Mauritius while the nation is focusing on other industries like fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development.
GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $14.06 billion; per capita $ $11,200.
Real growth rate: 4.6%.
Real growth rate: 4.6%.
Inflation: 8.8%.
Unemployment: 8.8%.
Arable land: 49%.
Agriculture: Sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish.
Labor force: 552,700; construction and industry 30%, services 25%, agriculture and fishing 9%, trade, restaurants, hotels 22%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 6% (2007).
Industries: Food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism.
Natural resources: Arable land, fish.
Budget:
Revenues: $1.331 billion
Expenditures: $1.632 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)
Revenues: $1.331 billion
Expenditures: $1.632 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)
Public debt: 58.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Debt - external: $2.136 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exports: $2.475 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses.
Imports: $3.627 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals.
Major trading partners: UK, UAE, France, U.S., Madagascar, South Africa, China, India (2006).
Monetary unit: Mauritian rupee
LANGUAGE:- English is the official language of Mauritius.
Mauritian Creole 80.5%
Mauritian Bhojpuri 12.1%
French 3.4%
English less than 1%
Other including Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Chinese, Telugu 3.7%
Unspecified 0.3% (2000).
Mauritian Creole 80.5%
Mauritian Bhojpuri 12.1%
French 3.4%
English less than 1%
Other including Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Chinese, Telugu 3.7%
Unspecified 0.3% (2000).
CITIES:- The capital Port Louis is the largest city of Mauritius. Other major cities are Curepipe, Vacoas, Phoenix, Quatre Bornes, Rose-Hill and Beau-Bassin.
POPULATION:- The estimated population of Mauritius is 1,250,882 with an average growth rate of 0.8%.
Density per sq mi: 1,752
Literacy rate: 86% (2003 est.)
Density per sq mi: 1,752
Literacy rate: 86% (2003 est.)
RACE:-
Indo-Mauritian 68%
Creole 27%
Sino-Mauritian 3%
Franco-Mauritian 2%
Indo-Mauritian 68%
Creole 27%
Sino-Mauritian 3%
Franco-Mauritian 2%
RELIGION:-
Hindu 48%
Roman Catholic 23.6%
Muslim 16.6%
Other Christian 8.6%
Other 2.5%
Unspecified 0.3%
None 0.4% (2000 census)
Hindu 48%
Roman Catholic 23.6%
Muslim 16.6%
Other Christian 8.6%
Other 2.5%
Unspecified 0.3%
None 0.4% (2000 census)
HEALTH:- Mauritius is free from Malaria and polio.
Birth rate: 14.64 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: 6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 12.56 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.75 years
Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2004): 544
Death rate: 6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 12.56 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.75 years
Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2004): 544
UNICEF:- UNICEF is not active in Mauritius. In 2003, UNICEF programmes were ended in Mauritius.
TRANSPORTATION:-
Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 2,020 km; paved: 2,020 km (including 75 km of expressways) (2005). Ports and harbors: Port Louis.
Airports: 5 (2007).
Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 2,020 km; paved: 2,020 km (including 75 km of expressways) (2005). Ports and harbors: Port Louis.
Airports: 5 (2007).
- Other city information articles
1
Explore the Worldviewer.com Network Sites
Jails - bailiworld.com | Washington - malpracticeiworld.com | American idol poll - pollsiworld.com | Uncontested divorce - divorceiworld.com | Lawyer - legalservicesiworld.com | Washington - civicorganizationsiworld.com | - closuresiworld.com | Irs - taxlawiworld.com | Professional - bankruptcylawiworld.com | Election Day. - electionsiworld.com | - conveyorsiworld.com | Theatre - towniworld.com | Victim rights - criminallawiworld.com | Tax preparation - taxesiworld.com | - govtagenciesiworld.com | Smart growth / transportation - foundationiworld.com | Law and order - lawiworld.com | Prepaid - tuitioniworld.com | Shop - fraudiworld.com | Caribbean cruises - cruiseiworld.com
