MAURITIUS
Location:
Mauritius is a mountainous island located in the western Indian Ocean, 900 kilometres
east of Madagascar. Its total area is 1,860 square kilometres.
Population:
1,116,923 (July, 1994 estimate)
Languages:
English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Government:
The government of Mauritius is a parliamentary democracy.
Legal System:
The legal system of Mauritius is based on the French civil law system with elements of
English common law in certain areas.
Telecommunications:
Mauritius has a small system with good service, utilizing primarily microwave
radio relay. There is a new microwave link to Reunion, and high-frequency
radio links to several countries. There is also one Indian Ocean INTELSAT
earth station.
Economy:
The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles) and tourism.
Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 40% of
export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on industrialization
(with a view to exports), agricultural diversification and tourism. Economic
performance in 1992 was impressive, with 6% real growth and low unemployment.
Industries:
The main industries are food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing
apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery and
tourism.
Currency:
1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Exchange Rates:
Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 18.696 (January, 1994)
Related sites:
Mauritius Chamber Of Commerce And Industry
To the Offshore World home page.
To the Offshore Financial Centres page.