Compare Pacific Ocean (2004) - Mauritius (2004)

Compare Pacific Ocean (2004) z Mauritius (2004)

	Pacific Ocean (2004)	Mauritius (2004)

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: 24.8% (male 152,424; female 149,908) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 418,836; female 420,411) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 31,104; female 47,798) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Airports	-	5 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 155.557 million sq km note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies	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 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world	almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.	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	-	15.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $1.122 billion expenditures: $1.461 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003)
Capital	-	Port Louis
Climate	planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December	tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Coastline	135,663 km	177 km
Constitution	-	12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Country name	-	conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius
Currency	-	Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Death rate	-	6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	-	$1.75 billion (2003 est.)
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, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 202-4400 FAX: [230] 208-9534
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
Disputes - international	some maritime disputes (see littoral states)	Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation in 2001; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Economic aid - recipient	-	$42 million (1997)
Economy - overview	The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new drillings.	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 and responsible fiscal management, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Electricity - consumption	-	1.219 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	-	1.311 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m highest point: sea level 0 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
Environment - current issues	endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea	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, 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 - 27.9015 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.1293 (2001), 26.2496 (2000), 25.1858 (1999)
Executive branch	-	chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September 2003) 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; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003
Exports	-	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	-	clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses
Exports - partners	-	UK 31%, France 21.3%, US 17.6%, Madagascar 6.3% (2003)
Fiscal year	-	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	-	four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $13.85 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 6.1% industry: 30.3% services: 63.6% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	4.1% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	0 00 N, 160 00 W	20 17 S, 57 33 E
Geography - note	the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean	the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs
Highways	-	total: 1,926 km paved: 1,868 km (including 44 km of expressways) unpaved: 58 km (2000)
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	-	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	-	manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners	-	South Africa 12.1%, France 12%, China 8.4%, India 8.2% (2003)
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	-	total: 15.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.36 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	4.2% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	-	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	-	200 sq km (2000 est.)
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court
Labor force	-	560,000 (2003)
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)
Land boundaries	-	0 km
Land use	-	arable land: 49.26% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 47.78% (2001)
Languages	-	English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri
Legal system	-	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 NA September 2004) 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: 72.09 years male: 68.11 years female: 76.13 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.6% male: 88.6% female: 82.7% (2003 est.)
Location	body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere	Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references	Political Map of the World	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	-	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine	-	total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 22,946 GRT/27,102 DWT by type: cargo 1, combination bulk 4, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: Belgium 1, India 4, Switzerland 2 (2004 est.)
Military branches	-	National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$11.2 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	0.2% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 342,482 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 172,157 (2004 est.)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Nationality	-	noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian
Natural hazards	surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December	cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Natural resources	oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish	arable land, fish
Net migration rate	-	-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	various labor unions
Population	-	1,220,481 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	10% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	-	0.81% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)	Port Louis
Radio broadcast stations	-	AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (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: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	-	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
Telephones - main lines in use	-	348,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	462,400 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	-	2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest	small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Total fertility rate	-	1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Transportation - note	Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)	-
Unemployment rate	-	9.8% (2003 est.)

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