22%

other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 170 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely
surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Environment - current issues: water pollution, degradation of coral
reefs

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Mauritius People

Population: 1,189,825 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.53% (male 153,691; female 150,094)

15-64 years: 68.24% (male 404,940; female 407,056)

65 years and over: 6.23% (male 29,588; female 44,456) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.88% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 16.5 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.25 years

male: 67.26 years

female: 75.31 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.08% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Mauritian(s)

adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%,
Franco-Mauritian 2%

Religions: Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%,
Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%

Languages: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka,
Bojpoori

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 82.9%

male: 87.1%

female: 78.8% (1995 est.)

Mauritius Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form: Mauritius

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Louis

Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega
Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port,
Mo