Region: Southern Africa

Capital: Port Louis

Population: 1,274,189 (July 2008 est.)

Surface area : 2,040 sq km

Currency : Mauritian rupee (MUR)

GDP per capita: Purchasing power parity US $11,200 (2007 est.)

Background:
Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in 1505; it was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence 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.

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).

Major Export Commodities: clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish

Remittances: US $212 million

Human Development Index 2007/2008 ranking: 65 out of 177

Official Development Assistance and Major Development Partners: Net ODA in 2006 was US $8.52 million. Major development partners include France, the European Community, and Japan

Total External Debt: US $2.136 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

United Nations Membership Date: 24 April 1968

New York Mission:
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations
211 East 43rd St., 15th Floor, Suite 1502
New York, N.Y. 10017 USA
Telephone: (212) 949-0190, -0191
Fax: (212) 697-3829, 953-1233

Website: http://www.un.int/mauritius