warm, dry winter
(May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling
central plateau

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point:
Mont Piton 828 m

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use: arable land: 49% permanent crops: 3% other: 48% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 200 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely
surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Environment - current issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Geography - note:
the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic
origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs

People Mauritius

Population: 1,200,206 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.4% (male 153,810; female 150,464) 15-64
years: 68.3% (male 409,028; female 411,070) 65 years and over: 6.3%
(male 30,170; female 45,664) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.86% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 16.34 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66
male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 75.58 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.08% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups: 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 (official), Hindi, Urdu,
Hakka, Bhojpuri

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read