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Region:
Eastern Africa
Capital:
Port Louis
Population:
1,220,481 (July
2004 est.)
Surface
area :
2,040 sq km
Currency
: Mauritian
rupee (MUR)
GDP
per capita:
purchasing power
parity - $11,400
(2003 est.)
Background:
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.
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
and responsible
fiscal management,
has been well
poised to take
advantage of
the Africa Growth
and Opportunity
Act (AGOA).
United
Nations Membership
Date:
24 April 1968
New
York Mission:
Permanent Mission
of the Republic
of Mauritius
to the United
Nations
211 East 43rd
St., 15th Floor
New York, N.Y.
10017 USA
Telephone: (212)
949-0190, -0191
Fax: (212) 697-3829,
953-1233
Website:
http://www.un.int/mauritius
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