Overview
Island country, lying east of Madagascar in the western
Indian Ocean.
One of the Mascarene Islands, it extends 38 mi (61 km)
north-south and 29 mi (47 km) east-west. Its outlying
territories are Rodrigues Island to the east, the Cargados
Carajos Shoals to the northeast, and the Agalega Islands to the
north. Area: 788 sq mi (2,040 sq km). Population (2008 est.):
1,269,000. Capital: Port Louis. About two-thirds of the
population are of South Asian descent, and most of the rest are
of mixed European, South Asian, and African ancestry. Languages:
English (official), Creole (lingua franca), various ethnic
languages. Religions: Hinduism, Christianity, Islam. Currency:
Mauritian rupee. Volcanic in origin and almost surrounded by
coastal reefs, Mauritius rises to 2,717 ft (828 m) at Piton de
la Petite Rivière Noire. The chief water source is Lake Vacoas.
About half of the land is arable; sugarcane is the major crop,
though the government has sponsored agricultural
diversification. The country depends heavily on food imports,
mainly rice. The population density is one of the highest in the
world. The island was visited, but not settled, by the
Portuguese in the early 16th century. The Dutch took possession
(1598–1710), called it Mauritius for the governor Maurice of
Nassau, and attempted to settle it (1638–58, 1664–1710) before
abandoning it to pirates. The French East India Company occupied
it in 1721, renamed it Île de France, and governed it until the
French crown took over its administration in 1767. Sugar
planting was the main economic activity, and the colony
prospered. The British captured the island in 1810 and were
granted formal control of it under the Treaty of Paris in 1814;
the name Mauritius was reinstated and slavery was later
abolished. In the late 19th century, competition from beet sugar
caused an economic decline, compounded by the opening of the
Suez Canal in 1869. After World War II Mauritius adopted
political and economic reforms, and in 1968 it became an
independent state within the Commonwealth. In 1992 it became a
republic. It has successfully diversified its economy, notably
into clothing manufacturing, information technology, and
business and financial services.
Profile
Official name Republic of Mauritius
Form of government republic with one legislative house (National
Assembly [70])
Chief of state President
Head of government Prime Minister
Capital Port Louis
Official language English1
Official religion none
Monetary unit Mauritian rupee (Mau Re; plural Mau Rs)
Population estimate (2008) 1,269,000
Total area (sq mi) 788
Total area (sq km) 2,040
1French is not official but may be used to address the speaker
of the National Assembly.
Main
island country in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern
coast of Africa. Physiographically, it is part of the Mascarene
Islands. The capital is Port Louis.
Land
Mauritius lies about 500 miles (800 km) east of
Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Its outlying territories are
Rodrigues Island, situated about 340 miles (550 km) eastward,
the Cargados Carajos Shoals, 250 miles (400 km) northeastward,
and the Agalega Islands, 580 miles (930 km) northward from the
main island. Mauritius also claims sovereignty over the Chagos
Archipelago (including Diego Garcia), some 1,250 miles (2,000
km) to the northeast, although this claim is disputed by
Britain.
Relief and drainage
The island of Mauritius is volcanic in origin and is almost
entirely surrounded by coral reefs. The northern part is a plain
that rises to a central plateau, varying in elevation from about
900 to 2,400 feet (270 to 730 metres) above sea level. The
plateau is bordered by small mountains that may have formed the
rim of an ancient volcano; the highest point (2,717 feet [828
metres]) is Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire in the southwest.
The two major rivers, the Grand River South East and the Black
River, are the primary sources of hydroelectric power. Lake
Vacoas, one of the main reservoirs, is the chief source of
water.
Soils and climate
More than half of the country’s area is arable, and it is
almost entirely planted in sugarcane, the major export crop.
Vegetables and tea for local consumption are also grown.
The climate is maritime subtropical, with fairly uniform
temperature throughout the year. Mean temperatures vary from the
mid-70s F (low to mid-20s C) at sea level to the upper 60s F
(upper 10s C) on the high plateau. Two seasons are recognized:
hot (December to April) and cool (June to September). Annual
rainfall varies from around 35 inches (900 mm) on the west coast
to 60 inches (1,525 mm) on the southeast coast and about 200
inches (5,080 mm) on the central plateau.
Plant and animal life
The vegetation includes some 600 indigenous species, even
though little original forest is left. The fauna includes the
samber (a long-tailed, dark brown deer), tenrec (a spiny
insectivore), and mongoose, as well as a variety of birds and
insects. The island was once home to the dodo, a flightless bird
that was extinct by 1681. Efforts began in the late 20th century
to save several other species of endemic birds that were close
to extinction.
People
Ethnic groups, languages, and religion
Approximately two-thirds of the population is of
Indo-Pakistani origin, most of whom are descendants of
indentured labourers brought to work in the sugar industry
during the 19th and early 20th centuries. About one-fourth of
the population is Creole (of mixed French and African descent),
and there are small numbers of people of Chinese and
Franco-Mauritian descent.
Although English is the official language, it is spoken by a
very small percentage of the population. Creole, a French-based
patois, is spoken by about four-fifths of the population and is
the lingua franca of the country. Bhojpuri, an Indo-Aryan
language, is spoken by one-tenth of the population, and French
is spoken by a small percentage. Other languages spoken on the
island include Hindi, Chinese, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
Mauritians commonly speak two, three, or even more languages,
and the educational system supports a wide range of language
instruction.
Religious affiliation varies: about half of the population is
Hindu, about one-third Christian (the majority of which are
Roman Catholic), and—with the exception of a small group of
Buddhists—the rest are Muslims.
Settlement patterns
The population density in Mauritius is the highest of
African countries and is among the highest in the world.
Overpopulation became a serious problem after the eradication of
falciparum malaria by the early 1950s led to a sharp increase in
population. Driven by government policy, supported by all the
Mauritian religious communities, and assisted by the rapid pace
of economic growth, the rate of natural increase dropped rapidly
in the last decades of the 20th century, and it is now below the
world average. Emigration, primarily to Britain and France, also
helped slow the annual growth rate.
The birth rate remains well below the world average, while
the death rate is similar to the world average. Life
expectancy—about 70 years for men and more than 75 years for
women—is higher than the world average and is well above the
average for African countries. About half of the country’s
population is younger than age 30.
Economy
Mauritius has a mixed developing economy based on
manufactured exports, agriculture, tourism, and financial
services. Government efforts to diversify the economy after 1980
have been successful, and the island is no longer as completely
dependent on sugar production as it was throughout most of its
history. The gross domestic product, among the highest of
African countries, grew more rapidly than the population in the
1990s and 2000s.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
Although the significance of the agricultural sector has
diminished with efforts to diversify the economy, it is still
important. Sugar production, generating about one-sixth of
export earnings, occupies about four-fifths of the total arable
land. Tea and tobacco are also cash crops. Subsistence crops
include potatoes, tomatoes, and bananas. The livestock
population primarily consists of poultry, sheep, goats, pigs,
and cattle.
Forests make up about one-fifth of the total land area of
Mauritius. Rapid deforestation occurred during the colonial era,
and non-native species were introduced to repopulate the
forestland, including the slash pine (Pinus elliottii), which is
predominant, Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), and Moreton
Bay pine (Araucaria cunninghamii). Eucalyptus trees and trees
that belong to the beefwood (Casuarina) family are also present.
Roundwood is the primary forest product, of which some
two-fifths is used for fuel; sawn wood is also produced.
Mauritius is unique among countries in the region in that it
consumes more wood products than it produces and must import the
difference.
Technical assistance from Japan and India is regenerating the
fishing industry, which has grown in importance. Mauritius’s
waters contain many species of fish with commercial value,
including tuna, snapper, and grouper. Aquaculture is practiced
with such species as channel bass and sea bream.
Resources, power, and manufacturing
Mauritius has few viable mineral resources. Basalt and lime
are mined. Electricity is largely generated from imported
petroleum, with a small percentage derived from hydropower.
Sugar plantations often use bagasse—the fibre that remains from
sugarcane after sugar-bearing juice is extracted—as fuel to
produce electricity.
There has been a steady increase in manufacturing since the
1970s. The Mauritius Export Processing Zone, which concentrates
on labour-intensive processing of imported raw materials or
semifinished goods for the export market, has successfully
attracted foreign investment. Economically important
manufactures include textiles, food processing, metal and metal
products, and chemical products.
Finance and trade
Mauritius is home to many financial institutions, including
a development bank, offshore banking facilities, and several
commercial banks. The Bank of Mauritius is the central bank and
issues the country’s currency, the Mauritian rupee. The
country’s stock exchange is located in Port Louis.
Imports, largely of machinery and transport equipment,
petroleum, and foodstuffs, outweigh exports of clothing and
textiles, sugar, and fish and fish products. Much of Mauritius’s
exports go to the European Union market; important trading
partners include the United Kingdom, France, the United States,
and China.
Services, labour, and taxation
Significant growth in tourism since the 1970s has made it a
major earner of foreign exchange. Information and communication
technology is becoming increasing important. In 2001 the
government created the Information and Communication
Technologies Authority to promote and oversee the burgeoning
sector.
More than two-fifths of the labour force is employed in the
areas of finance and services. Construction and manufacturing
employ about one-third of the labour force, and about one-tenth
is employed in the agricultural sector.
Taxation is an important source of funding in Mauritius,
accounting for about nine-tenths of the government’s revenue.
About half of the total tax revenue is derived from taxes on
goods and services. Trade taxes account for about one-fifth;
corporate income tax, about one-eighth.
Transportation and telecommunications
Mauritius has a strong transportation infrastructure. The
road system is well developed and in good repair, and almost all
roadways are paved. Most of the country’s shipping activity is
conducted through port facilities at Port Louis, which has been
cultivated as a free port to encourage its development as an
international shipping hub. An international airport is located
at Plaisance, and there are other airports located throughout
the country. Air Mauritius, the national carrier, flies many
international routes. The island does not have any rail service.
The country’s telecommunications sector is well developed and
among the best in the region. There has been rapid progress in
this area owing to the country’s growing information and
communication technology industry. About three-fourths of the
population has mobile phone service, and one-fourth has internet
service.
Government and society
Constitutional framework
Mauritius became independent on March 12, 1968. Under the
constitution adopted that year, the country was a constitutional
monarchy with the British monarch as head of state. In 1991 a
constitutional amendment was passed providing for a republican
form of government, with a president as head of state; the
amendment went into effect in 1992. Legislative power is vested
in a National Assembly, elected every five years and consisting
of 62 elected members and up to an additional 8 members drawn
from the pool of candidates who were not elected but who may be
appointed to broaden representation among minorities or
underrepresented parties. Executive power is exercised by a
Council of Ministers headed by a prime minister (appointed by
the president), who assembles a government from members of the
National Assembly. The president and vice president are elected
by the National Assembly for a term of five years.
Local government and justice
For administrative purposes, the island of Mauritius is
divided into districts. The outlying territories of Agalega,
Cargados Carajos Shoals, and Rodrigues Island each have
dependency status.
The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority and
includes courts of civil appeal and criminal appeal. There are
also district courts.
Political process and security
The constitution provides for universal suffrage for
citizens 18 years and older. The political process in Mauritius
is open to participation by minorities and women. Minority
representation is enhanced by the policy of appointing
additional members to the National Assembly to achieve ethnic
balance. Although women have held legislative seats and cabinet
positions, their numbers have been few.
There are many political parties, but three large parties
dominate Mauritian politics: the Mauritius Labour Party (MLP),
the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), and the Militant
Socialist Movement (MSM). The MLP and the MSM generally compete
for the dominant Hindu vote, although they both have supporters
in all communities. The MMM has its base in the minorities—the
Creoles, Muslims, and non-Hindi-speaking Indian communities
(especially the Tamils and Telegus)—although it too has
prominent Hindu supporters. Coalitions among parties are
frequent.
Mauritius does not maintain an active military force,
although it does have a small paramilitary force that includes a
coast guard unit. Despite some unrest, the country has, on the
whole, seen political success: Since independence, Mauritius,
unlike most African former colonies, has sustained an open,
free, democratic, and highly competitive political system.
Elections have been held on a regular basis with the losing
parties giving way to the winners. Its limited military
structure has meant that it has been spared the difficulty of
military coups.
Health, welfare, and housing
Since independence Mauritius has developed a substantial
social welfare system that provides free basic health services
to the entire population. Care is provided through a network of
hospitals, dispensaries, family-planning facilities, and social
welfare centres. Old age pensions, family allowances, and other
measures for social protection are also provided. Overcrowding
is prevalent in urban areas, and the government provides loans
to local authorities for urban housing schemes.
Education
Education is compulsory between ages 5 and 16. Six years of
primary education begins at age 5, which is followed by up to
seven years of secondary education. Primary and secondary
education are free. The University of Mauritius (1965) has
faculties of agriculture, engineering, law and management,
science, and social studies and humanities. Other institutions
of higher education include the University of Technology,
Mauritius (2000). Some students attend universities in India,
France, and the United Kingdom. More than four-fifths of the
population is literate.
Cultural life
Mauritius offers a rich mixture of the many cultures and
traditions of its different peoples. The ethnic and religious
diversity of Mauritius also means that there are many holidays
and festivals scheduled throughout the year, including the Hindu
festivals of Maha Shivaratree (see Mahā-śivarātrī) in February
and March and Divali in late October and November; the Muslim
festival of ʿĪd al-Fiṭr, marking the end of Ramadan; the
Catholic observances in honour of Père Laval in September, All
Saints’ Day in November, and Christmas in December; the lively
Chinese Spring Festival celebration; and the Tamil holiday of
Thaipoosam Cavadee, usually held in January or February, which
includes fire-walking ceremonies. The entire country observes
Abolition of Slavery Day on February 1, Republic Day on March
12, Labour Day on May 1, and Arrival of Indentured Laborers Day
on November 2.
The arts and cultural institutions
Interest in arts and letters and the sciences is promoted by
voluntary associations, and the island has produced talented
poets and novelists. Perhaps the best-known local writer is Dev
Virahsawmy, a poet and playwright. Though he writes easily in
both French and English, Virahsawmy is most renowned for his
efforts to popularize the use of Creole. In addition to his own
plays and poetry, he has also translated several of
Shakespeare’s plays into Creole, which have been performed in
Mauritius.
Mauritius is known for the séga, a popular folk dance
consisting of suggestive movements of the hips and arms to a
rhythmic beat. The dance can be traced back to the 18th century,
when it was performed by slaves.
Representational and abstract painting flourish, and there
are art galleries in the major towns. The major national
cultural institutions are the Palace Theatre in Rose Hill, the
Port Louis Theatre, the Mauritius Institute, which includes a
natural history museum and a historical museum, and the
Mauritius Archives. There are both public and institutional
libraries.
Also of cultural interest is Aapravasi Ghat, in Port Louis,
and Le Morne Cultural Landscape, located on a peninsula on the
southwest side of the island; both have been designated UNESCO
World Heritage sites. Aapravasi Ghat was used as an immigration
depot from 1849–1923 for indentured labourers arriving from
India. Le Morne Cultural Landscape, comprising Le Morne Mountain
and most of its foothills, was a place of refuge during the 18th
and early 19th centuries for many escaped slaves, known as
maroons. Another area of cultural significance is Grand Bassin
Lake, where Hindus bring offerings during the Maha Shivaratree
festival.
Sports and recreation
There is a very active sporting culture in Mauritius.
Football (soccer), introduced by the British, claims the
greatest number of participants and fans. At the highest level
there is a national team that competes in the African Cup of
Nations tournament. Locally, fans follow the teams in a football
league that has been around for decades. The small
Franco-Mauritian community avidly supports a highly organized
and rather ritualized season of deer hunting. Mauritians from
all communities make winter horse racing one of the most popular
and highly attended sporting activities of the year. Individual
Mauritians have competed at the highest international levels in
both bridge and backgammon.
Since its independence, Mauritius has actively participated
in both regional and international sporting events. The Indian
Ocean Island Games have been hosted in Mauritius, as have
international tournaments for boxing, judo, and women’s
volleyball. Mauritius made its Olympic debut at the 1984 Los
Angeles Games.
Areas of recreational interest include Black River Gorges
National Park, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens, Trou
aux Cerfs (an extinct volcano that is now heavily forested), and
the island’s numerous beaches and casinos.
Media and publishing
The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation transmits foreign
radio and television broadcasts and also locally produced radio
and television programs. Daily news service is provided in
French, English, and Creole; additional programming takes place
in a variety of other languages. School broadcasting constitutes
an important part of the service. Most Mauritian households also
receive French television programs from the French-governed
island of Réunion. The press operates freely, and there are
numerous daily and weekly publications in English, French,
Chinese, and other languages.
History
Early history and colonial administration
Mauritius was long uninhabited, though it was probably known
to Arab seafarers from the 10th century or earlier. It was
visited by the Portuguese in the early 16th century, but they
did not settle the island. The Dutch took possession of it from
1598 to 1710, called it Mauritius for the stadhouder (governor)
Maurice of Nassau, and attempted to settle the island in 1638–58
and again in 1664–1710; abandoning their attempts, they left it
to pirates. In 1721 the French East India Company occupied
Mauritius, which was renamed Île de France. Settlement proceeded
slowly over the next 40 years. In 1767 the French crown took
over the island’s administration from the French East India
Company. The French authorities brought African slaves to the
island and established sugar planting as the main industry, and
the colony prospered. At the beginning of the 19th century, when
England and France were at war, privateers based on Île de
France were a continual threat to British and Indian merchant
vessels. In 1810 the British captured the island, and, upon
restoration of peace in 1814, British sovereignty was confirmed
by the Treaty of Paris. The name Mauritius was reinstated, but,
in circumstances quite unique for a British colony, the customs,
laws, and language remained French.
Pressure generated by the British abolitionist movement ended
slavery there in 1835, and slaves were replaced by indentured
labourers from India. The country’s modern-day Indo-Pakistani
population stems from this program of replacing slavery with
indentured servitude (deemed Britain’s “Great Experiment”); by
the time it ended in the 1920s, almost a half million indentured
labourers had come from India to work on the sugar plantations.
Mauritius prospered in the 1850s, but competition from beet
sugar caused a decline. The malaria epidemic of 1866–68 drove
shipping away from Port Louis, which further declined after the
opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. During World War I, when
sugar prices rose, the economy prospered, but the Great
Depression of the 1930s changed the situation drastically,
culminating in labour unrest in 1937. World War II did not
improve the Mauritian economy, and after 1945 economic reforms
were introduced. Political and administrative reforms were also
initiated, which led to independence.
Independence
Mauritius became an independent state within the
Commonwealth on March 12, 1968, with a governor-general on the
island representing the British monarch as the head of state. In
the first years of independence, Mauritius attempted to
diversify its economy beyond the production of sugar but made
limited progress. The combined effects, however, of Cyclone
Claudette in late 1979, falling world sugar prices in the early
1980s, and political protest and social unrest generated by
those who saw no economic future on the island led the
government to initiate a vigorous and highly successful program
of economic diversification. In 1991 the legislature voted to
transition to a republican form of government, and on March 12,
1992, Mauritius became a republic, with a president as head of
state.
As Mauritius approached the new millennium, the problems
facing the country remained, for the most part, economic in
nature. The poorer people in Mauritius—largely Creoles—did not
share in the fruits of economic development in the late 20th
century. This led to two large and unexpected outbursts of
rioting and social unrest in 1999, the first real domestic
disturbances since independence. Unemployment rose at the
beginning of the 21st century, in part because of the
detrimental effects of international trade on textile and sugar
manufacturing. The government responded by focusing the
country’s economic strategies on the development of more
lucrative sectors—information technology and business and
financial services.
Larry Wells Bowman
Ed.
