Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Mauritius (2002)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Mauritius (2002)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)	Mauritius (2002)

Administrative divisions	-	9 districts and 3 dependencies; Agalega Islands, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues, Savanne
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 25.4% (male 153,810; female 150,464) 15-64 years: 68.3% (male 409,028; female 411,070) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 30,170; female 45,664) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Airports	1 (2001)	5 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago	total: 2,040 sq km land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Area - comparative	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius 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 and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.
Birth rate	-	16.34 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $1.1 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Capital	-	Port Louis
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Coastline	698 km	177 km
Constitution	-	12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius
Currency	-	Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Death rate	-	6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	-	$2.3 billion (2000 est.)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 202-4400 FAX: [230] 208-9534
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
Disputes - international	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain	Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation in 2001; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Economic aid - recipient	-	$42 million (1997) (1997)
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.	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. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector and responsible fiscal management, was well-poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	1.195 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	1.285 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 91% hydro: 9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
Environment - current issues	NA	water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	-	Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Exchange rates	-	Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 30.345 (January 2002), 29.129 (2001), 26.250 (2000), 25.186 (1999), 22.993 (1998), 21.057 (1997)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President Karl OFFMANN (since 25 February 2002) and Vice President Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA%
Exports	-	$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities	-	clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses
Exports - partners	-	UK 25.8%, France 20.8%, US 16.0%, South Africa 10.9%, Germany, Italy (2000 est.)
Fiscal year	-	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag	four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $12.9 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 6% industry: 33% services: 61% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $10,800 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	5.2% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E	20 17 S, 57 33 E
Geography - note	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs
Highways	total: NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km	total: 1,860 km paved: 1,786 km (including 36 km of expressways) unpaved: 74 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	minor 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
Imports	-	$2 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities	-	manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals (1996)
Imports - partners	-	South Africa 20.0%, France 19.0%, India 9.0%, Hong Kong 5.2%, UK (2000 est.)
Independence	-	12 March 1968 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	-	8% (2000 est.)
Industries	-	food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism
Infant mortality rate	-	16.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	4.2% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	-	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	2 (2000)
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	200 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court
Labor force	-	514,000 (1995) (1995)
Labor force - by occupation	-	construction and industry 36%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 14%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3% (1995) (1995)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)	arable land: 49.26% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 47.78% (1998 est.)
Languages	-	English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
Legislative branch	-	unicameral National Assembly (66 seats; 62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 71.53 years male: 67.54 years female: 75.58 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.9% male: 87.1% female: 78.8% (1995 est.)
Location	Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references	Political Map of the World	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM	continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 66,004 GRT/90,017 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, combination bulk 2, container 2, refrigerated cargo 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience:, Belgium 1, India 3, Norway 1, Switzerland 2 (2002 est.)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	-
Military branches	-	National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$9.1 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	0.2% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 340,050 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 171,239 (2002 est.)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Nationality	-	noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian
Natural hazards	NA	cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	arable land, fish
Net migration rate	-	-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or OPR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	various labor unions
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)	1,200,206 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	10% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	-	0.86% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Diego Garcia	Port Louis
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002)
Radios	NA	420,000 (1997)
Railways	-	0 km (2002)
Religions	-	Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	general assessment: small system with good service domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	280,900 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	180,000 (2000)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)	small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Total fertility rate	-	2 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	8.6% (2001 est.)
Waterways	none	none

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