manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 348,380
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.4 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4% (FY99/00)

Transnational Issues Morocco

Disputes - international: claims and administers Western Sahara, but
sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in
effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have failed
and parties reject other proposals; Spain controls three small possessions
off the coast of Morocco - the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de
Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas and two autonomous communities
on the coast of Morrocco - Ceuta and Mellila; Morocco rejected Spain's
unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in 2002 to
explore undersea resources and to interdict illegal refugees from Africa

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of hashish; trafficking increasing
for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of hashish
mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South
America destined for Western Europe

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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

Climate: tropical, modified by southeast trade winds;