Wayzata World Factbook 1996/The World Factbook - 1996 Edition - Wayzata Technology (3079) (1996).iso/mac/TEXT/backgrd/MAURITIU.BKG

Text File | 1995-12-27 | 18KB | 417 lines

BACKGROUND NOTES:  MAURITIUS
PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

NOVEMBER 1992
OFFICIAL NAME:  MAURITIUS


PROFILE

Geography

Area:  1,865 sq. km. (720 sq. mi.), about the size of Rhode
Island; east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

Dependencies:  Rodrigues Island and the Agalega Islands and
Cargados Carajos Shoals; Mauritius also claims sovereignty over
the Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean
Territory, where the US naval base of Diego Garcia is located.
Cities (1990):

Capital--Port Louis (pop. 132,460).  Other cities--Beau Bassin
and Rose Hill (91,518), Curepipe (65,414), Vacoas-Phoenix
(56,452), Quatre Bornes (65,207).

Terrain:  Volcanic island surrounded by coral reefs.  A central
plateau is rimmed by mountains.

Climate:  Tropical; cyclone season mid-December-April.

People

Nationality:  Noun and adjective--Mauritian(s).

Population (1991 est):  1 million.
Population density:  1,313/sq. mi.
Avg. annual growth rate (1991):  1%.

Ethnic groups:  Indo-Mauritians 68%, Creoles 27%, Sino-Mauritians
3%, Franco-Mauritians 2%.

Religions:  Hindu, Roman Catholic, Muslim.  Languages:  Creole
(common), French, English (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka,
Bhojpuri.

Education:  Years compulsory--6 (primary school).  Attendance
(primary school)--virtually universal.  Literacy--adult
population 80%; school population 90%.

Health (1991):  Infant mortality rate--20/1,000.  Life
expectancy--male 66 yrs; female 74 yrs.

Work force (March 1991):  407,618.

Manufacturing--32%.  Agriculture and fishing--17%.  Government
services--14%.  Other--37%.

Government

Type:  Republic.

Independence:  March 12, 1968 (became a republic in 1992).

Constitution:  March 12, 1968.

Branches:  Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister
(head of government), Council of Ministers.  Legislative--
unicameral National Assembly.  Judicial--Supreme Court.

Administrative subdivisions:  10.

Major political parties:  Militant Socialist Movement (MSM),
Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Mauritian Labor Party (MLP),
and Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD).

Suffrage:  Universal over 18.

Defense (1991):  1.5% of GDP.

Flag:  Four horizontal stripes--red, blue, yellow, green.

Economy
GDP (1991):  $2.4 billion.
Real growth rate (1991):  5%.
Per capita income (1991):  $2,276.
Avg. inflation rate (1991):  7%.

Natural resources:  None.

Manufacturing (including export processing zone):  24% of GDP.
Types--labor-intensive goods for export, including textiles and
clothing, pearls, cut and polished diamonds, semi-precious
stones, optical goods, cut flowers, leather products, electronic
goods, watches, toys, and other consumer goods.

Agriculture:  11% of GDP.  Products--sugar, sugar derivatives,
tea, tobacco, vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

Tourism sector:  11% of GDP.  Main countries of origin--France
(including the nearby French island Reunion), South Africa, and
West European countries.

Trade (1991):  Exports--$1.3 billion:  sugar, textiles and
clothing, tea, molasses, jewelry, leather products, canned tuna,
and anthuriums.  Major markets--EC and US.

Imports--$1.6 billion:  foodstuffs, refined petroleum products,
machinery and transport equipment, construction materials,
manufactured goods, and textile raw materials.  Major
suppliers--EC, South Africa, Kuwait, Japan, China, Bahrain, Hong
Kong, Australia, India, Taiwan, New Zealand, Southeast Asian
countries, and US.

Fiscal year:  July 1-June 30.

Avg. exchange rate (1991): 15 rupees=US$1.

PEOPLE AND HISTORY
While Arab and Malay sailors knew of Mauritius as early as the
10th century AD and Portuguese sailors first visited in the 16th
century, the island was not colonized until 1638 by the Dutch.
Mauritius was populated over the next few centuries by waves of
traders, planters and their slaves, indentured laborers,
merchants, and artisans.

The island was named in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau by the
Dutch, who abandoned their colony in 1710.  The French claimed
Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it Ile de France.  It became a
prosperous colony under the French East India Company.  The
French Government took control in 1767, and the island served as
a naval and privateer base during the Napoleonic wars.  In 1810,
Mauritius was captured by the British, whose possession of the
island was confirmed 4 years later by the Treaty of Paris.
French institutions, including the Napoleonic code of law, were
maintained; French still is used more widely than English.

Mauritius' Creoles trace their origins to the plantation owners
and slaves who were brought to work the sugar fields.
Indo-Mauritians are descended from Indian immigrants who arrived
in the 19th century to work as indentured laborers after slavery
was abolished in 1835.  Included in the Indo-Mauritian community
are Muslims (about 15% of the population) from what is now
Pakistan.  The Franco-Mauritian elite controls nearly all of the
large sugar estates and is active in business and banking.  As
the Indian population became numerically dominant and the voting
franchise was extended, political power shifted from the
Franco-Mauritians and their Creole allies to the Hindus.

Elections in 1947 for the newly created Legislative Assembly
marked Mauritius' first steps toward self-rule.  An independence
campaign gained momentum after 1961, when the British agreed to
permit additional self-government and eventual independence.  A
coalition composed of the Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), the Muslim
Committee of Action (CAM), and the Independent Forward Bloc
(IFB)--a traditionalist Hindu party--won a majority in the 1967
Legislative Assembly election, despite opposition from
Franco-Mauritian and Creole supporters of Gaetan Duval's
Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD).  The contest was
interpreted locally as a referendum on independence.  Sir
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, MLP leader and chief minister in the
colonial government, became the first prime minister at
independence, on March 12, 1968.  This event was preceded by a
period of communal strife, brought under control with assistance
from British troops.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Mauritian politics are turbulent and characterized by coalition
and alliance building.  Alone or in coalitions, the MLP ruled
from 1947 until June 1982.  The Mauritian Militant
Movement/Mauritian Socialist Party (MMM/PSM) alliance won the
1982 election.  In 1983, defectors from the MMM joined with the
PSM to form the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) and won a
working majority.  In July 1990, the MSM realigned with the MMM
and in September 1991 national elections won 59 of the 62
directly elected seats in
parliament.

As promised in its electoral program, the MSM/MMM alliance
amend-ed the constitution, making Mauritius a republic within the
Commonwealth.  Since March 12, 1992, the chief of state has been
a Mauritian-born president, replacing Queen Elizabeth II.  Under
the amended constitution, political power still derives from the
parliament.  The Council of Ministers (cabinet), responsible for
the direction and control of the government, consists of the
prime minister (head of government), the leader of the majority
party in the legislature, and 24 other ministers.

The unicameral National Assembly has up to 70 deputies.
Sixty-two are elected by universal suffrage, and as many as eight
"best losers" are chosen from the runners-up by the Electoral
Supervisory Commission by a formula designed to give at least
minimal representation to all ethnic communities and
under-represented parties.  Elections are scheduled at least
every 5 years.

Mauritian law is an amalgam of French and British legal
traditions.   The Supreme Court--a chief justice and five other
judges--is the highest judicial authority.  There is an
additional right of appeal to the Queen's Privy Council.  Local
government has nine administrative divisions, with municipal and
town councils in urban areas and district and village councils in
rural areas.

Principal Government Officials
President--Cassam Uteem
Vice President--Sir Rabindrah Ghurburrun
Prime Minister--Sir Anerood Jugnauth
Ambassador to the United States--Chitmansing Jesseramsing
Ambassador to the United Nations--Satteanand Peerthum

Mauritius maintains an embassy at 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington, DC  20008 (tel. [phone]).

ECONOMY
The Mauritian economy is based on export-oriented manufacturing,
sugar, and tourism.  Structurally, it has a strong private sector
and state-owned enterprises.  The economy grew at an average rate
of 6% over the last decade, reaching full employment in the late
1980s.  Growth started to decline in 1988, as the economy started
to experience some of the problems associated with success.
Skilled labor shortages now are evident in industry, and a small
amount of labor is imported.  Degradation of the environment,
drug trafficking and abuse, and poor housing are the country's
most pressing socioeconomic problems.  Unemployment--less than 2%
in 1991--is not a problem, due to the rapid expansion of the
export processing zone (EPZ) during the last 10 years as well as
to the government's success in curbing post-World War II
population growth.

Manufacturing.  During the second half of the 1980s,
manufacturing emerged as the most important sector in the
Mauritian economy, surpassing the traditional sugar sector in
terms of gross foreign exchange earnings, job creation, and
contribution to GDP.  Non-sugar manufacturing accounted for about
21% of total value added in 1991, compared to 17% in 1985.  In
addition, the share of non-sugar manufactured exports in the
total export earnings rose from under one-half in 1985 to
two-thirds in 1991.

The performance of the manufacturing sector is largely influenced
by the evolution of the EPZ, which is heavily concentrated in
textile products.  In 1991, about 63% of EPZ firms engaged in
textile production (mainly garments and knitwear) and accounted
for almost 90% of EPZ employment and over 75% of total EPZ
exports.  Other EPZ products include leather products, watches,
optical goods, cut and polished gems, toys, canned tuna, and cut
flowers.

Sugar.  Despite the rapid growth of the EPZ sector in the past
several years, sugar still plays a key role in the Mauritian
economy.  Sugarcane occupies about 45% of Mauritius' total land
area and 90% of its cultivated land.  The industry accounts for
about 10% of GDP (including milling), 15% of employment in larger
establishments, and 30% of gross foreign exchange earnings.
Sugar is the most important commodity in net foreign exchange
earnings, as it has a lower import content (about 20%) than that
of manufactured exports (about 70%) in the EPZ sector.  Under the
Lome Convention, Mauritian exports have guaranteed access to the
European Economic Community market at a remunerative price for up
to 507,000 metric tons, equivalent to about 75% of local
production.

Tourism.  Tourism is the third most important source of foreign
exchange earnings after the EPZ and sugar.  In recent years, the
industry has witnessed remarkable growth, both in terms of gross
earnings and tourist arrivals.  From 1983 to 1990, the number of
tourists increased from 124,000 to 292,000, and gross earnings
increased from $34 million to $233 million.

Vulnerabilities and Diversification.  Despite the impressive
economic performance of Mauritius, there remain several
underlying structural weaknesses in the economy due to the
country's overdependence on exports of textile products and sugar
and to vulnerability to climatic conditions and unforeseen
fluctuations in export prices.  As Mauritius enters the second
phase of its industrial development,  the government plans to
reduce these vulnerabilities through aggressive industrial and
export market diversification.  Accordingly, the government is
now promoting investment in electronics, light engineering,
computer software, pharmaceuticals, plastics, leather, jewelry,
and printing and publishing operations, while at the same time
consolidating the textile sector.

The government also has taken measures to develop Mauritius as a
regional financial center.  In 1989, the government set up both
the offshore banking center and the Port Louis Stock Exchange.
Seven offshore banks operate in Mauritius.  The stock exchange
started with only 5 companies but, over the last 2 years, has
expanded its activities and now has 19 public companies on the
"official list."  The government also launched an Offshore
Business Center in 1991 to promote the establishment of offshore
companies in business activities including fund management,
consultancy, and services.

The success of the next phase of Mauritius' economic development
will depend on the availability of skilled labor at all levels
and on the country's ability to attract investment in more
sophisticated and capital-intensive technologies and higher
value-added activities.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Strong ties between Mauritius and the West are due to Mauritius'
political heritage and dependence on Western markets.  Mauritius
has sought to establish close links with the European Community
and its member states, particularly the United Kingdom and
France, which exercises sovereignty over neighboring Reunion.

Considered part of Africa geographically, Mauritius has a solid
relationship with other African states and, in 1976, chaired the
meeting of the Organization of African Unity.  It was chosen as
the site for the Secretariat of the Indian Ocean Commission in
February 1988.  The government has espoused positions often
promoted by third world countries.  India and Mauritius share
close relations based on cultural and ethnic ties.

Foreign embassies in Mauritius include Australia, the United
Kingdom, China, Egypt, France, India, Madagascar, Pakistan, the
Russian Federation, and the United States.

DEFENSE
Mauritius does not have a standing army.  All military, police,
and security functions are carried out by the 6,000-member
National Police force.  The 1,200-member Special Mobile Force
(SMF) and the 500-member National Coast Guard are the only two
para-military units in Mauritius.  Both units are composed of
police officers on lengthy rotations to those services.

The SMF is organized as a ground infantry unit and engages
extensively in civic works projects.  The Coast Guard has three
coastal patrol craft and an airplane for search and rescue
missions and surveillance of territorial waters.  The Special
Supporting Unit is a 300-member riot-control force.

Military advisers from the United Kingdom and India work with the
SMF, the Coast Guard, and the Police Helicopter Unit, and
Mauritian police officers are trained in the United Kingdom,
India, and France.  In January 1991, the Mauritian Government
approved Mauritian participation in the US International Military
Education and Training Program (IMET), opening the way for
Mauritian officers to receive military training in the United
States.

US-MAURITIAN RELATIONS
Official US representation in Mauritius dates from the end of the
18th century.  An American consulate was established on the
island in 1794 but closed in 1911.  It was reopened in 1967 and
elevated to embassy status upon the country's independence in
1968.  Since 1970, the mission has been directed by a resident US
ambassador.

Relations between the United States and Mauritius, recently
highlighted by the June 1991 official visit of Prime Minister
Jugnauth to Washington, are good.  US trade with and investment
in Mauritius are relatively small but growing.  Most categories
of Mauritian textiles, a major export, are under US import
restraints; Mauritius has a modest US sugar quota as well.

In 1991, Mauritius imported US goods valued at $15.3 million.
The same year, the United States imported $130.9 million in
Mauritian products, mostly knitwear and other textiles and sugar.
In FY 1991, the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
provided $3 million under the Mauritius Industrial
Diversification Project, mainly in the form of technical
assistance.  In addition, USAID provided $165,000 under the FY
1991 US Self-Help Fund Program and $300,000 for population/family
planning programs, including supply and training in the use of
contraceptives.

Principal US Officials:
Ambassador--vacant
Deputy Chief of Mission--David B. Dunn

The US embassy in Mauritius is located in the Rogers House, 4th
floor, J. Kennedy Street, Port Louis (tel. [phone]; FAX
230-208-9534).

TRAVEL NOTES;
Customs:  Visas are not required for US citizens, but travelers
should have onward or return tickets.  Immunization certificates
are not required unless the traveler arrives in Mauritius from an
infected area.

Currency, exchange, and banking:  Travelers may bring in any
amount of foreign notes or travelers checks.

Health:  Mauritius has no major health hazards.  Local clinics
and pharmacies are adequate.  Precautions should be taken before
consuming raw fruits and vegetables or tap water.

Telecommunications:  Reliable international mail, telephone, FAX,
and telegraph services are available. Mauritius is nine time
zones ahead of eastern standard time.

Transportation:  Regular flights serve Europe, East and Southern
Africa, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia.  Rental cars
and taxis are readily available.  Traffic moves on the left.  Bus
service is regular and inexpensive throughout Mauritius. Most
roads, though paved, are narrow, twisting, and poorly lit at
night.

Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
DC November 1992 -- Editor:  Marilyn J. Bremner

Department of State Publication 8023--Background Notes Series --
This material is in the public domain and may be reprinted
without permission; citation of this source is appreciated.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC  20402.