Since independence in 1968, mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. for most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. this remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. the economy rests on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, and is expanding into fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development. sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 15% of export earnings. the government's development strategy centers on creating vertical and horizontal clusters of development in these sectors. mauritius has attracted more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in india, south africa, and china. investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. mauritius, with its strong textile sector, has been well poised to take advantage of the africa growth and opportunity act (agoa).
Water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
Parliamentary democracy
1,274,189 (july 2008 est.)
Southern africa, island in the indian ocean, east of madagascar
Total: 2,040 sq km land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes agalega islands, cargados carajos shoals (saint brandon), and rodrigues
Almost 11 times the size of washington, dc
Conventional long form: republic of mauritius conventional short form: mauritius local long form: republic of mauritius local short form: mauritius
Name: port louis geographic coordinates: 20 09 s, 57 29 e time difference: utc+4 (9 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time)
Mauritius claims the chagos archipelago (uk-administered british indian ocean territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in mauritius; claims french-administered tromelin island