Mauritius

The flag of Mauritius, most recently adopted on 9 January 1968, has four equal horizontal stripes of red, blue, yellow, and green. Red represents the struggle for independence; blue, the Indian Ocean; yellow, a bright future; and green, vegetation. Mauritius is one of the most richest countries in Africa. they have a beautiful beach, as you can tell to the right is a beautiful picture of Mauritius. It is a lovely place to go to and you should really consider going there, I mean who doesnt like an island and even a beach. It has great hotels and places to stay so hopefully we'll see you there:)
 * Tourism:**

Government Type:**parliamentary democracy total: 2,040 sq km country comparison to the world: 187 land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km //note:// includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues $12,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 $11,600 (2007 est.)$11,100 (2006 est.)//note:// data are in 2008 US dollars 7.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 8.8% (2007 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 The government places great emphasis on education. Primary and secondary schooling are free and available to all. Families that can afford the fees send their children to private schools. Nearly all children are enrolled in primary school, which lasts six years, and two-thirds of them advance to secondary school. Only half of those complete secondary school. Secondary school finishers can pursue technical training at facilities run by the Industrial and Vocational Training Board. In addition, the University of Mauritius provides opportunities for higher education, emphasizing agricultural sciences and technology. The new University of Technology offers degrees that support the telecommunications, computer, and tourism industries for the island. Many Mauritians attend universities abroad, mainly in France, the United Kingdom, India, South Africa, and Australia. 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). Borders:** Mauritius is surrounded by the Indian ocean, it is an island
 * Background:** Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.
 * [[image:http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1215477516556&id=adb1c6cdcdde8128868d1e2eeb875e32&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.travel2mauritius.co.uk%2fimages%2fwedding-mauritius.jpg width="210" height="163" caption=" "]]
 * Location:**Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
 * Capital:** Port Louis geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
 * Terrain**:small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
 * Climate**: tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet,[[image:https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/maps/large/mp-map.gif align="right"]] humid summer (November to May)
 * Natural Resources**: arable land, fish
 * Area**:
 * Land Use**: arable land: 49.02% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 48.04% (2005)
 * Natural Hazards**: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
 * Population:** 1,284,264 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">154
 * Population Growth Rate**: 0.776% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 140<span class="category_data">
 * Net Migration Rate**:-0.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">89
 * Infant Morality Rate**: total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">12.2 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">145 male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">14.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">9.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
 * Life Expectancy**: total population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">74 years country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">93 male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">70.53 years female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">77.65 years (2009 est.)
 * Ethnic Groups**:Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
 * Language**:Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
 * Religion**:Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
 * Literacy**: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">age 15 and over can read and write total population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">84.4% male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">88.4% female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">80.5% (2000 census)
 * Independence**:12 March 1968 (from the UK)
 * Suffrage:**18 years of age; universal
 * GDP Per Capita:**
 * Unemployment Rate:**
 * Agricultural Products:** sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
 * Industries:** food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
 * Imports (commodities):** manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
 * Exports (commodities):** clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish
 * Military Expeditures:**
 * Illicit Drugs:** consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry
 * Education**
 * Economic Overview**
 * Currency/Exchange Rate:** Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar - 27.973 (2008 est.), 31.798 (2007), 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004)
 * Leader:** **<span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003); Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)
 * Internet Access:** <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">340,000 (2007) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">112
 * Enviromental issues:** water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
 * Current Event:** Hunger in Mauritius has been a huge problem. Food prices has been increasing by a dramtic number. Farmers have struggled with damaged agricultural land. Therefore the foods made from farming have been scarce.[[image:http://cdn6.wn.com/vp/i/22/956a4cfbb7f0d6.jpg width="162" height="93" align="left" link="@http://article.wn.com/view/2009/10/15/Hunger_by_numbers_How_we_are_losing_the_battle_against_world/"]]




 * __Timeline__**
 * **1681** || The dodo bird was last seen on Mauritius. The dodo bird became extinct on Mauritius. In 2005 scientists reported the discovery of a complete skeleton of the bird on Mauritius. ||


 * **1968 Mar 12** || The British-ruled African island of Mauritius became an independent country within the Commonwealth of Nations and many Europeans left the country. GDP per person was about $200. By 2008 it rose to $7,000 per person. ||


 * **1986** || A US military base on the Mauritius island of Diego Garcia became fully operational and was intensely involved in 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. In the 1960s and 1970s Britain destroyed houses, slaughtered animals, and turfed out some 2,000 inhabitants from the Chagos islands to Mauritius and the Seychelles. ||


 * **1987** || Mauritius opened a stock exchange. ||


 * **1988** || Mauritius formed a National Computer Board to spur technology. ||


 * **1992** || Mauritius launched itself as a financial center. ||


 * **2005 June 19** || Mauritius expected that by year's end, or soon afterward, to become the world's first nation with coast-to-coast wireless Internet coverage, the first country to become one big "hot spot." ||


 * **2008 Apr 20** || In Mauritius a conference of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) opened for talks on poverty and food prices. ||


 * **2009 Feb 16** || China’s Pres. Hu Jintao arrived in Mauritius to sign deals worth more than 270 million dollars to fund infrastructure projects on the Indian Ocean island. The next day he pledged continued aid to Africa despite his country's economic downturn, and wrapped up a four-nation visit to the continent ||


 * **2009 Aug 29** || The EU signed a temporary trade pact with Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Madagascar calling for tariffs on European goods to be removed over the next 15 years ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">​ **__Extra__** Mauritius is known for rare birds that exist nowhere else in the entire world. The dutch introduced sugar and deer to the country They are resposible for the extinction of the dodo bird. Adult men hardlt ever shake hands with woman. The Mauritian economy has relied on sugarcane since the 19th century, but the industry has become less important in recent years due to an increase in earnings from textile exports and tourism. Malay and Arab sailors are thought to have visited the island in the 16th century. It appeared on a map as early as 1502. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to set foot on Mauritius. As a tribute to explorer Pedro Mascarenhas, the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, and French-owned Réunion are known as the Mascarene Archipelago. In September 1598, Dutch sailors arrived on the uninhabited island and named it Mauritius in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau. The Dutch began to settle the island in 1638, but they abandoned it in 1710 when sugarcane cultivation proved a failure. The Dutch are credited with introducing sugar (now a productive industry) and deer to the island, but they are also charged with causing the extinction of the dodo bird and destroying rich ebony forests. Guillaume Dufresne d'Arsel claimed Mauritius for France in September 1715 and named it Isle de France. From 1735 to 1746, Mauritius flourished and developed under the direction of François Mahé de Labourdonnais. The British won Mauritius from France in 1810. After the abolition of slavery in 1834, indentured laborers from India were brought to work in the sugarcane fields. While the British officially ruled Mauritius, they allowed French culture, language, and a Napoleonic law code to be maintained by the Franco-Mauritians, who remained the largest European ethnic group on the island. Mauritius gained independence from Britain in March 1968 through the leadership of Sir Seewoosager Ramgoolam, who became the nation's first prime minister. From 1982 to 1995, parliament was dominated by the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), led by Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth. After he attempted to change the constitution in order to override a Supreme Court ruling, opposition candidate Navin Ramgoolam (son of Sir Seewoosager Ramgoolam) won a landslide victory in 1995 elections. A coalition between his Mauritian Labor Party (MLP) and the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) completely dominated the balloting. Rivalries forced Ramgoolam's coalition to split in 1997, but the MLP remained the governing party. In 2000 elections, an alliance of the MSM and MMM captured parliament, ousting Ramgoolam. Jugnauth was voted back as prime minister. In keeping with an agreement between the two coalition parties, Jugnauth resigned in September 2003 and allowed MMM leader Paul Bérenger to take the prime ministership. Amid an increase in inflation and unemployment, Bérenger dissolved parliament and called for elections in July 2005. Ramgoolam's Social Alliance defeated the MSM-MMM coalition by taking 38 of 62 parliamentary seats. Because of its political stability, Mauritius has been able to better develop its health, education, and economic resources and strategically plan how to build its infrastructure. Historically dependent on sugar production, Mauritius has successfully diversified its economy since independence to include major textile, tourism, and banking industries. It is now one of Africa's most prosperous nations. Mauritius, a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, covers 718 square miles (1,860 square kilometers) and lies 690 miles (1,110 kilometers) east of Madagascar. The country includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, and several smaller, uninhabited islands. Lush vegetation covers Mauritius throughout the year. The landscape is marked by deep extinct volcanic craters, rivers, streams, waterfalls, and impressive mountains that rim a central plateau. Surrounded almost entirely by coral reefs, Mauritius has a continuous belt of beaches with lagoons and clear waters that are perennially warm (70–80°F, or 21–27°C). Arable land is planted mostly with sugarcane. Forests are found in the southwest. Winter (May–November) is warm and relatively dry, while summer (November–May) is hot, wet, and humid. Cyclones can occur during much of the summer. Mauritius is known for its many species of rare birds and plants, some of which exist nowhere else in the world. Scientists and bird watchers come from all over the world to try to see the Mauritian kestrel, the echo parakeet, and the pink pigeon—three of the world's rarest birds. All are nearly extinct, though captive breeding and release has begun to help the kestrel population. Mauritius is also known for being the home of the extinct (for more than three hundred years) dodo bird, a member of the pigeon family. The dodo is a popular theme for tourist souvenirs today. Several plant species unique to the islands are close to disappearing. none Mauritius is a parliamentary democracy. The president (currently Sir Anerood Jugnauth) is chief of state and the prime minister (currently Navin Ramgoolam) is head of government. The president's role is largely ceremonial and includes the provision that he or she must immediately resign from office if he or she refuses to sign a bill into law. In the 66-seat parliament, the National Assembly, 62 members are elected and 4 seats are appointed by the election commission. These appointed seats are reserved for smaller parties that have lost elections, which ensures that all ethnic communities or minorities have representation. Parliamentary elections are held at least every five years. The voting age is 18. Mauritius is divided into nine districts and three dependencies. Local councils govern in urban areas. The country has practically no army and has been politically stable since independence. The sugarcane crop has dominated the Mauritian economy since the 19th century. The sugar industry accounts for 45 percent of all export earnings and employs more than 20 percent of the labor force. Grown on plantations and small farms, sugarcane covers 90 percent of the arable land. However, it has become less important in recent years due to an increase in earnings from textile exports (about 45 percent of export earnings) and tourism. Tea, grown in the highlands, is the second most important crop. All but a few staple foods are imported. Most exports go to nations of the European Union. Manufacturing industries include textiles, electronics, gemstone cutting, knitted wear, and others. Mauritius successfully attracts foreign investment; its banking industry has made the country an important regional offshore banking center. Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of its economy and has been the key to Mauritius becoming less reliant on sugar and textiles. The government has also invested in the nation's technology infrastructure in an effort to attract high-tech firms. The currency is the Mauritian //rupee// (MUR). All areas of the island are accessible by road. Buses provide the main form of public transportation. Although crowded, they are reliable and fairly inexpensive. Taxis are available in most areas. Fares are negotiable and usually agreed upon in advance. Following the British tradition, traffic moves on the left side of the road. The national airline is Air Mauritius. Several international airlines fly to Mauritius. The telephone system services most of the island and is quite reliable. Most Mauritians read a daily newspaper. The majority of homes have telephones and televisions. Satellite television is popular. Internet use is widespread. The public healthcare system provides basic services to all citizens free of charge. The country's many qualified doctors are employed by the government or engaged in private practice. Private clinics provide more comprehensive medical care for those who can afford it. Health conditions are steadily improving, as all people have access to safe water, good sanitation facilities, and prenatal care for women. Nearly all infants receive their immunizations. Schistosomiasis and hepatitis are not uncommon. Mauritius has a population of 1.3 million, growing at an annual rate of 0.8 percent. Approximately 40 percent of the population inhabits the urban area that stretches from Port Louis, the capital, to Curepipe. About 68 percent of the nation's people are Indo-Mauritians, descendants of laborers brought from India to work on British sugar plantations. Another 27 percent are Creoles, descendants of Africans (from West and East Africa) brought by the French to the island as slaves. Sino-Mauritians (of Chinese origin) account for 3 percent of the population and Franco-Mauritians (of French origin) constitute 2 percent. About 10,000 foreign workers, mostly Chinese women, also reside in Mauritius. These diverse peoples live in relative harmony, but disruptions are not infrequent. English, the official language of Mauritius, is not spoken much in day-to-day communication. French and English are used almost exclusively in government and business. Road signs are in English, and most newspapers and media communications are in French. Television and radio programming is usually in French or Hindi and occasionally in English and Creole. Creole, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Urdu, and Hakka (a Chinese dialect) are the main languages spoken on Mauritius. Creole (spoken by 90 percent of the population) was developed in the 18th century by early slaves who used a pidgin language to communicate with each other and with their French masters, who did not understand the various African languages. The pidgin evolved in later generations to become a useful, casual language. Bhojpuri on Mauritius is a combination of the Bhojpuri Indian dialect and several other Indian dialects originally spoken by early Indian laborers. Most Mauritians are at least bilingual. Creole and Bhojpuri are rarely used in written form. English, the official language of Mauritius, is not spoken much in day-to-day communication. French and English are used almost exclusively in government and business. Road signs are in English, and most newspapers and media communications are in French. Television and radio programming is usually in French or Hindi and occasionally in English and Creole. Creole, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Urdu, and Hakka (a Chinese dialect) are the main languages spoken on Mauritius. Creole (spoken by 90 percent of the population) was developed in the 18th century by early slaves who used a pidgin language to communicate with each other and with their French masters, who did not understand the various African languages. The pidgin evolved in later generations to become a useful, casual language. Bhojpuri on Mauritius is a combination of the Bhojpuri Indian dialect and several other Indian dialects originally spoken by early Indian laborers. Most Mauritians are at least bilingual. Creole and Bhojpuri are rarely used in written form. The Mauritian people are family oriented and religious. They are also optimistic, outgoing, intelligent, generous, and industrious. A generally relaxed attitude toward life is evident in Mauritians' casual approach to time schedules. People are considered more important than schedules, and being late for an appointment is not inappropriate. Mauritians have an ability to synthesize and adopt new ideas and cultures, combining Eastern philosophical values with a Western sense of rationalism and pragmatism. Although ethnic identity is strong, most people recognize the need for national unity. Most Mauritian men wear conservative, Western-style clothing and wear traditional attire only on special occasions or holidays. For Hindu men, this would include a //langouti// (ankle-length cotton garment tied at the waist). Muslim men might wear a //salwaar-kameez// (broad pants that narrow at the ankle and a knee-length shirt). Mauritian women also wear modest Western fashions but are more likely than men to wear traditional attire. For instance, Hindu women may wear a //saree// (a wraparound skirt with one end draped over the shoulder) and a //choli// (tight blouse). Muslim women may wear a //salwaar-kameez//. Many married Indo-Mauritian women wear a //tika// (a red dot made from vermilion powder) on their forehead to signify their husbands are alive. It is common for women to buy material and have outfits made for them by their local tailor, especially for special occasions such as weddings. Men's suits are also often custom-made. none name: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Port Louis geographic coordinates: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">20 09 S, 57 29 E time difference: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
 * Important facts**
 * History**
 * Land and Climate**
 * Government**
 * Economy**
 * Transportation and Communication**
 * Health**
 * Population**
 * Language**
 * Religion**
 * Attitude**
 * Appearance**

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