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Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) - Mauritius (2008)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) z Mauritius (2008)

 British Virgin Islands (2008)Mauritius (2008)
 British Virgin IslandsMauritius
Administrative divisions none (overseas territory of the UK) 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: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337)


15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 23.5% (male 147,808/female 146,270)


15-64 years: 69.8% (male 436,043/female 437,441)


65 years and over: 6.7% (male 32,475/female 50,845) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Airports 3 (2007) 5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
total: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Area total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
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 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Background First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. 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.
Birth rate 14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15.26 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $204.7 million


expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
revenues: $1.34 billion


expenditures: $1.642 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)
Capital name: Road Town


geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Port Louis


geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E


time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Coastline 80 km 177 km
Constitution 13 June 2007 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius


conventional short form: Mauritius


local long form: Republic of Mauritius


local short form: Mauritius
Death rate 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $36.1 million (1997) $2.583 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Cesar CABRERA


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, US 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 none Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Economic aid - recipient $NA $31.93 million (2005)
Economy - overview The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959. 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).
Electricity - consumption 41.85 million kWh (2005) 1.973 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 45 million kWh (2005) 2.122 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
Environment - international agreements - party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed) Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Exchange rates the US dollar is used Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 31.798 (2007), 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)


head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003); Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5 July 2005)


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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held in 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%; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish
Exports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) UK 32.5%, France 15.1%, UAE 11.4%, US 8.3%, Madagascar 4.8% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 July - 30 June
Flag description blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 4.8%


industry: 25%


services: 70.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1% (2002 est.) 5.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 20 17 S, 57 33 E
Geography - note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering 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 604.3 bbl/day (2004) 21,380 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) France 14.3%, India 13.6%, China 8.6%, South Africa 7.3% (2006)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 12 March 1968 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 4.7% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 14.14 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2005) 9.1% (2007 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land NA 220 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction Supreme Court
Labor force 12,770 (2004) 550,000 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 0.6%


industry: 40%


services: 59.4% (2005)
agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, finance 3%, other services 24% (1995)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2005)
arable land: 49.02%


permanent crops: 2.94%


other: 48.04% (2005)
Languages English (official) 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)
Legal system English law based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 members elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to various ethnic minorities; to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AS 38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats - AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.86 years


male: 75.71 years


female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
total population: 72.88 years


male: 68.92 years


female: 76.9 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84.4%


male: 88.4%


female: 80.5% (2000 census)
Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Political Map of the World
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine - total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,417 GRT/19,700 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1


foreign-owned: 2 (India 2) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK -
Military branches - no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.3% (2006 est.)
National holiday Territory Day, 1 July (1956) Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Nationality noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
noun: Mauritian(s)


adjective: Mauritian
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Natural resources NEGL arable land, fish
Net migration rate 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] Alliance Sociale or AS [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] (governing coalition - includes MLD, MMSM, MR, MSD, PMXD); Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER]; Mauritian Socialist Militant Movement or MMSM [Madan DOLLOO]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Nando BODHA]; Mouvement Republicain or MR [Jayarama VALAYDEN]; Parti Mauricien Xavier Duval or PMXD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA various labor unions
Population 23,552 (July 2007 est.) 1,250,882 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 10% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 1.923% (2007 est.) 0.798% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2001)
Religions Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991) Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female


total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.011 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.997 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.639 male(s)/female


total population: 0.971 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
general assessment: small system with good service


domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2006 exceeding 60 per 100 persons


international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries
Telephones - main lines in use 11,700 (2002) 357,300 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,000 (2002) 772,400 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997) 2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.94 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.6% (1997) 9.2% (2007 est.)
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