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- Economy
-
- Overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly
- textiles), and tourism. Despite significant expansion in
- other sectors over the past decade, sugarcane remains dominant
- and is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area, accounting
- for 40% of export earnings. The government's development
- strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to
- exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic
- performance in 1988 was impressive, with 6.3% real growth
- rate and low unemployment.
-
- GDP: $1.9 billion, per capita $1,910; real growth rate 6.3% (1988).
-
- Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.2% (1988).
-
- Unemployment rate: 3.6% (1988).
-
- Budget: revenues $351 million; expenditures $414 million,
- including capital expenditures of $76 million (FY87 est.).
-
- Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--textiles
- 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%; partners--EC and US
- have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%.
-
- Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--manufactured
- goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum
- products 8%, chemicals 7%; partners--EC, US, South Africa, Japan.
-
- External debt: $670 million (December 1989).
-
- Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (FY87).
-
- Electricity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced,
- 375 kWh per capita (1989).
-
- Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles,
- wearing apparel, chemical and chemical products, metal products,
- transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism.
-
- Agriculture: accounts for 14% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated
- land in sugarcane; other products--tea, corn, potatoes,
- bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net food importer,
- especially rice and fish.
-
- Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
- drug trade.
-
- Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $72 million;
- Western (non-US) countries (1970-87), $538 million; Communist
- countries (1970-88), $54 million.
-
- Currency: Mauritian rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Mauritian
- rupee (MauR) = 100 cents.
-
- Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--15.033
- (January 1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987),
- 13.466 (1986), 15.442 (1985).
-
- Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June.
-