1997)

Currency: 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 25.485 (January
2000), 25.186 (1999), 22.993 (1998), 21.057 (1997), 17.948 (1996),
17.386 (1995)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@Mauritius:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 148,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 11,735 (1995)

Telephone system: small system with good service
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several
countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 420,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 258,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)

@Mauritius:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 1,910 km
paved: 1,834 km (including 36 km of expressways)
unpaved: 76 km (1998 est.)

Ports and harbors: Port Louis

Merchant marine:
total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 126,358 GRT/173,079 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3, combination bulk 2, container 4, liquified gas
1, refrigerated cargo 2 (1999 est.)
note: a flag of convenience registry; India owns 1 ship (1998 est.)

Airports: 5 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

@Mauritius:Military

Military branches: National Police Force (includes the paramilitary
Special Mobile Force or SMF, Special Support Units or SSU, and
National Coast Guard)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 338,856 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 171,183 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $11 million (FY97/98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.3% (FY97/98)

@Mauritius:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claims the Chagos Archipelago in
UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims
French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs: minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from
South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally

______________________________________________________________________

MAYOTTE

@Mayotte:Introduction

Background: Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other Comoros
in 1843. I