Population: 1,140,256 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 157,174; female 152,980)
15-64 years: 67% (male 379,840; female 383,295)
65 years and over: 6% (male 27,429; female 39,538) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.23% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 18.97 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 6.67 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.53 years
male: 66.72 years
female: 74.33 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.24 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic divisions: 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 82.9%
male: 87.1%
female: 78.8%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius

Data code: MP

Type of government: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Louis

Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega
Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos*, 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice
President Rabindranath GHURBURRON (since 1 July 1992) were elected
for five-year terms by the National Assembly
head of government: Prime Minister Navin RAMGOOLAM (since 27
December 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 27
December 1995) were appointed