lemented
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 4.2% of GDP (1989)

*Mauritius, Geography

Location:
Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of Madagascar
Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,860 km2
land area:
1,850 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
note:
includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and
Rodrigues
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
177 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
claims UK-administered Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of
Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims
French-administered Tromelin Island
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
Natural resources:
arable land, fish
Land use:
arable land:
54%
permanent crops:
4%
meadows and pastures:
4%
forest and woodland:
31%
other:
7%
Irrigated land:
170 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by
reefs

*Mauritius, People

Population:
1,106,516 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.95% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
19.67 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
19 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
70.24 years
male:
66.34 years
female:
74.3 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.23 children born/woman (1993 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 13 and over can read and write (1962)
total population:
61%
male:
72%
female:
50%
Lab