*Mauritania, Communications
Railroads:
690 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge, single track, owned and operated by
government mining company
Highways:
7,525 km total; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise
improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks
Inland waterways:
mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River
Ports:
Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,290 GRT/1,840 DWT
Airports:
total:
29
usable:
29
with permanent-surface runways:
9
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
5
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
16
Telecommunications:
poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links,
and radio communications stations (improvements being made); broadcast
stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with six planned
*Mauritania, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National
Police, Presidential Guard
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 452,008; fit for military service 220,717 (1993 est.);
conscription law not implemented
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 4.2% of GDP (1989)
*Mauritius, Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of Madagascar
Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,860 km2
land area:
1,850 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
note:
includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and
Rodrigues
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
177 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
claims UK-administered Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of
Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims
French-administered Tromelin Island
Climate:
tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to
November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Terrain:
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central
plateau
Natural resources:
arable land, fish
Land use:
arable land:
54%
permanent crops:
4%
meadows and pastures:
4%
forest and woodland:
31%
other:
7%
Irrigated land:
170 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by
reefs
*Mauritius, People
Population:
1,106,516 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.95% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
19.67 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
19 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
70.24 years
male:
66.34 years
female:
74.3 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.23 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Mauritian(s)
adjective:
Mauritian
Ethnic divisions:
Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Religions:
Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim
16.6%, other 3.1%
Languages:
English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Literacy:
age 13 and over can read and write (1962)
total population:
61%
male:
72%
female:
50%
Labor force:
335,000
by occupation:
government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%,
other 22%
note:
43% of population of working age (1985)
*Mauritius, Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form:
Mauritius
Digraph:
MP
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Port Louis
Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados, Carajos*, Flacq,
Grand, Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port
Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne, Independence:
12 March 1968 (from UK)
Constitution:
12 March 1968
Legal system:
based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in
certain areas
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Political parties and leaders:
government coalition:
Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH
Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Paul BERENGER; Organization of the People
of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR; Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil
BAICHOO
opposition:
Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN
Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio MICHEL; Mauritian Social Democratic Party
(PMSD), X. DUVAL
Other political or pressure groups:
various labor unions
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
Legislative Assembly:
last held on 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 1996);
results - MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%; seats - (70 total, 62 elected) MSM/MMM
alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2); MLP/PMSD 3
Executive branch:
president, vice president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992); Vice President Robin Dranooth
GHURBURRON (since 1 July 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime
Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990)