Independence Year : 1968
Population : 1158000
Life Expectancy : 71.0
Capital : 2511
GNP : 4251.00
GNP Old : 4186.00
Local Name : Mauritius
Government Form : Republic
Location : East South Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, 500 miles east of Madagascar
Terrain : A volcanic island with a central plateau rimmed by mountains, the island is surrounded by coral reefs.
Climate : Tropical; cyclone season mid-December-April.
Ethnic Group : Indo-Mauritians 68%, Creoles 27%, Sino-Mauritians 3%, Franco-Mauritians 2%.
Religions : Hindu 48%, Christian 32%, Muslim
Official Website :
www.gov.mu
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General Information - Mauritius
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.
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