9: 332,633 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$40.8 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.7% (2003)

Transnational Issues Mauritania

Disputes - international:
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent
years

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Mauritius

Introduction 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.

Geography Mauritius

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 2,040 sq km
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint
Brandon), and Rodrigues
water: 10 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km

Area - comparative:
almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
177 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May
to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Terrain:
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling
central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

Natural resources:
arable land, fish

Land use:
arable land: 49.26%
permanent crops: 2.96%
other: 47.78% (2001)

Irrigated land:
200 sq km (2000 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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endanger