Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port-Louis
Names: Conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
Conventional short form: Mauritius
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) National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March 1968.

Mauritius Economy

Economy Overview
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).

GDP (2008, official exchange rate): $8.128 billion.
Real growth rate (2008): 5.2%.
Per capita income (2008, purchasing power parity): $12,100.
Natural resources: None.
Agriculture (4.5% of GDP): Products--sugar, sugar derivatives, tea, tobacco, vegetables, fruits, flowers, cattle and fishing.
Manufacturing, including export processing zone (19.4% of GDP): Types - labor-intensive goods for export, including textiles and clothing, watches and clocks, jewelry, optical goods, toys and games, and cut flowers.
Tourism sector (8.7% of GDP): Main countries of origin--France, including nearby French island Reunion, South Africa, and west European countries.
Financial services:10.9% of GDP.
Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (2008 est.)
Trade: Exports (2008 est.) - $2.36 billion f.o.b.: textiles and clothing, sugar, canned tuna, molasses, watches and clocks, jewelry, optical goods, travel goods and handbags, toys and games, and flowers.
Major markets--Europe and the U.S. Imports (2008 est.)--$4.503 billion f.o.b.: manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals, meat, dairy products, fish, wheat, rice, wheat flour, vegetable oil, iron and steel, cement, fertilizers, and textile industry raw materials.
Major suppliers--India, China, South Africa, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Germany, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Partners: EC, US, S.Africa, Japan .
Electricity - production: 2.321 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 2.058 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Fiscal year: July 1-June 30.
Commodities: manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%.
Industries: Food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, tourist.
Labour force by occupation: agriculture and fishing (14%), construction and industry (36%), transportation and communication (7%), trade, restaurants, hotels (16%), finance (3%), other services (24%) Poverty levels estimated 37.6% of total population to be reduced to around 30% by 2010 and 25% by 2015.Exports: $2.36 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities: clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish.
Exports - partners: UK 35.1%, France 14.4%, US 7.7%, Madagascar 6.3%, Italy 5.8% (2007)
Imports: $4.503 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners: India 21.2%, China 11.4%, France 10.7%, South Africa 7.4% (2007)
Currency: 1 Mauritian rupee (Rs. 1.00) = 100 cents.
Exchange rates: Euro 1.00 = Rs. 43.50 (See latest currency rate)

Published by The Central Statistics Office
Ministry of Finance and Economics Empowerment
LIC Centre, John Kennedy Avenue Port Louis (August 2009).