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Compare Mauritius (2007) - British Virgin Islands (2007)

Compare Mauritius (2007) z British Virgin Islands (2007)

 Mauritius (2007)British Virgin Islands (2007)
 MauritiusBritish Virgin Islands
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 none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 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.)
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.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 5 (2007) 3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Area 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
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
Area - comparative almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
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 and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community. 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.
Birth rate 15.26 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.236 billion


expenditures: $1.562 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
revenues: $204.7 million


expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
Capital name: Port Louis


geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E


time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Road Town


geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 177 km 80 km
Constitution 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992 13 June 2007
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius


conventional short form: Mauritius


local long form: Republic of Mauritius


local short form: Mauritius
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Death rate 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $2.419 billion (2006 est.) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US 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, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450


telephone: [230] 202-4400


FAX: [230] 208-9534
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international 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 none
Economic aid - recipient $31.93 million (2005) $NA
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. 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 expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic information telecommunications industry. 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, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). 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.
Electricity - consumption 1.973 billion kWh (2005) 41.85 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 2.122 billion kWh (2005) 45 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues water pollution, degradation of coral reefs 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)
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 Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed)
Exchange rates Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002) the US dollar is used
Executive branch 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
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
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners UK 32.5%, France 15.1%, UAE 11.4%, US 8.3%, Madagascar 4.8% (2006) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June 1 April - 31 March
Flag description four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green 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)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5.2%


industry: 25.2%


services: 69.6% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2006 est.) 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 20 17 S, 57 33 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


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


highest 10%: NA%
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 transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners France 14.3%, India 13.6%, China 8.6%, South Africa 7.3% (2006) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Independence 12 March 1968 (from UK) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate 8% (2000 est.) NA%
Industries food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate 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.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 8.9% (2006 est.) 2% (2005)
International organization participation 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 Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land 220 sq km (2003) NA
Judicial branch Supreme Court 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
Labor force 541,000 (2006 est.) 12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, finance 3%, other services 24% (1995) agriculture: 0.6%


industry: 40%


services: 59.4% (2005)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 49.02%


permanent crops: 2.94%


other: 48.04% (2005)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2005)
Languages 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) English (official)
Legal system based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations English law
Legislative branch 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
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.88 years


male: 68.92 years


female: 76.9 years (2007 est.)
total population: 76.86 years


male: 75.71 years


female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84.4%


male: 88.4%


female: 80.5% (2000 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Political Map of the World Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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 Independence Day, 12 March (1968) Territory Day, 1 July (1956)
Nationality noun: Mauritian(s)


adjective: Mauritian
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources arable land, fish NEGL
Net migration rate -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Alliance Sociale or AS; Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] (in coalition with MSM); Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM (the governing party) [Pravind JUGNAUTH]; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR] 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders various labor unions NA
Population 1,250,882 (July 2007 est.) 23,552 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 10% (2001 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.798% (2007 est.) 1.923% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2001) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census) 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)
Sex ratio 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.)
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.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: small system with good service


domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system


international: country code - 230; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 357,300 (2006) 11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 772,400 (2006) 8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 2 (plus several repeaters) (1997) 1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)
Terrain small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 1.94 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 9.4% (2006 est.) 3.6% (1997)
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