GDP; about 90% of cultivated
land in sugarcane; other products--tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses,
cattle, goats, fish; net food importer, especially rice and fish

_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
drug trade

_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76
million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-88), $628 million; Communist
countries (1970-89), $54 million

_#_Currency: Mauritian rupee (plural--rupees);
1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

_#_Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--14.295 (January
1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987), 13.466
(1986), 15.442 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

_*_Communications
_#_Highways: 1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km earth

_#_Ports: Port Louis

_#_Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 94,619
GRT/140,345 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 2 cargo, 1 container,
1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk

_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft

_#_Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

_#_Telecommunications: small system with good service; new microwave
link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries; 48,000
telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth
station

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Branches: paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Units,
National Police Force, National Coast Guard

_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 302,588; 155,176 fit for
military service

_#_Defense expenditures: $4 million, 0.2% of GDP (1988)
_%_
_@_Mayotte
(territorial collectivity of France)
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 375 km2; land area: 375 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington,
DC

_#_Land boundaries: none

_#_Coastline: 185.2 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Disputes: claimed by Comoros

_#_Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during
northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to
November)

_#_Terrain: generally undulating with ancient volcanic peaks, deep
ravines

_#_Natural resources: negligible

_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and
pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%;