Mauritius is a small
Indian Ocean island, east of Madagascar. Formerly a British colony, it gained its
independence in 1968. Though population density remains among the highest in the world,
Mauritius has a very low birth rate, officially encouraged through family planning. About
70% of the people are of Indian origin, professing either the Hindu religion or Islam.
Since independence, Mauritius has
developed from a low-income, agricultural-based economy to a middle-income diversified
economy with growing industrial, financial services, and tourist sectors. For most of the
period, annual growth has been in the range of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has
been reflected in 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 living standard in Mauritius is among the highest in the
African region, and there is almost full employment in the country. Mauritius politics are
thoroughly democratic, and governments have changed only by constitutional means.
Mauritius is a member of the Indian
Ocean Commission (grouping together five Indian Ocean islands: Comoros, Madagascar,
Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The country took a leading role in the formation of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for
Regional Cooperation (IORARC) in 1997. The association has its headquarters in Mauritius,
and it includes 14 countries: Australia, seven Asian and six African countries.
Mauritius has one of
the highest telephone penetration in Africa. In 2000, there were over 280,900 connected
lines, giving a telephone density of 23.53 per hundred population.
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