 |
Mauritus |
Capital: Port Louis
Languages: Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Background: Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritus 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. Since independence in 1968, Mauritus has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritus has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Recent poor weather, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community
PEOPLE
Population: 1,250,882 (July 2007 est.); 1,294,104 (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
2007
Total Population: 72.88 years
Male: 68.92 years
Female: 76.9 years (2007 est.)
2010
Total population: 74.25 years
Male: 70.77 years
Female: 77.89 years (2010 est.)
Age structure:
2007
0-14 years: 23.5% (male 147,808/female 146,270)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 436,043/female 437,441)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 32,475/female 50,845) (2007 est.)
2010
0-14 years: 22.5% (male 147,136/female 142,121)
15-64 years: 70.4% (male 449,176/female 455,057)
65 years and over: 7.1% (male 36,309/female 54,465) (2010 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.798% (2007 est.); 0.751% (2010 est.)
Population below poverty line: N/A
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 0.6 % (2006 est.); 1.7% (2007 est.)
People living with HIV/AIDS: 4,100 (2006 est.);
13,000 (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total Population: 84.4%
Male: 88.4%
Female: 80.5% (2000 census)
Refugees and Internally Displaced People: N/A
ECONOMY
Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2006 est.); 7.3% (2009 est.)
Labour force by Occupation: N/A
Agricultural Products: sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, non electrical machinery, tourism
Exports - Commodities: clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses
Exports - Partners:
UK 32.5%, France 15.1%, UAE 11.4%, US 8.3%, Madagascar 4.8% (2006)
UK 25.55%, France 16.89%, US 9.51%, Italy 5.68%, UAE 5.47%, Belgium 4.93%, Madagascar 4.11% (2009)
Imports - Commodities: manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - Partners:
France 14.3%, India 13.6%, China 8.6%, South Africa 7.3% (2006)
India 24.5%, France 14.02%, South Africa 8.55%, China 8.17% (2009)
ENVIRONMENT
Environment - Current issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Source: CIA World Factbook
|
