tius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive
Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front,
Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/USSR Friendship
Society

_#_Other political or pressure groups: various labor unions

_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING;
Chancery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 244-1491 or 1492;

US--Ambassador Penne Percy KORTH; Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers
House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone [230] 208-9763 through
208-9767

_#_Flag: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow,
and green

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly
textiles), and tourism. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated
land area and accounts for 32% of export earnings. The government's
development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to
exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance
in 1989 was impressive, with 5.0% real growth and low unemployment.

_#_GDP: $2.1 billion, per capita $2,000; real growth rate 5.5% (FY89)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.7% (1989)

_#_Unemployment rate: 2.7% (1989 est.)

_#_Budget: revenues $477 million; expenditures $540 million, including
capital expenditures of $112 million (FY89)

_#_Exports: $993 million (f.o.b., 1989);

commodities--textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%;

partners--EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%

_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989);

commodities--manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%,
foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%;

partners--EC, US, South Africa, Japan

_#_External debt: $670 million (December 1989)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (FY87); accounts
for 25% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced,
375 kWh per capita (1989)

_#_Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles,
wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment,
nonelectrical machinery, tourism

_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of