on (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 12.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.75 years
male: 70.28 years
female: 77.4 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.83 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

700 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%,
other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)

Languages:

Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken
by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3%
(2000 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.4%
male: 88.4%
female: 80.5% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 13 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

3.9% of GDP (2006)

Government
Mauritius

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius
local long form: Republic of Mauritius
local short form: Mauritius

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Port Louis
geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

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

Independence:

12 March 1968 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Constitution:

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Legal system:

based on French civil law system with elements of English common law
in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations

Suffra