Chapter 78
Area: total: 1,860 sq km land: 1,850 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
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 exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
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
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% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 22% other: 23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 170 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Environment--current issues: water pollution
Environment--international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 1,182,212 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26% (male 156,616; female 153,698) 15-64 years: 68% (male 398,557; female 402,674) 65 years and over: 6% (male 28,586; female 42,081) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.18% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 18.49 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.09 years male: 67.21 years female: 74.96 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (1999 est.)
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, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.9% male: 87.1% female: 78.8% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius
Data code: MP
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Louis
Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Constitution: 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice President Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 27 December 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 28 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly election results: Cassam UTEEM reelected president and Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly--NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (66 seats--62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/MMR 20%, other 15%; seats by party--MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, PMSD 1, Hizbullah 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: RAMGOOLAM] Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD
Political pressure groups and leaders: various labor unions
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Harold Walter GEISEL embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450
Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
Economy
Economy--overview: Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial services, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been of the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on industrialization (with a view to modernization and to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1991-98 continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$11.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$10,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 8% industry: 29% services: 63% (1996)
Population below poverty line: 10.6% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.8% (1997)
Labor force: 514,000 (1995)
Labor force--by occupation: construction and industry 36%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 14%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1996 est.)
Budget: revenues: $824 million (FY94/95) expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of $198 million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (1992)
Electricity--production: 1.125 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 86.67% hydro: 13.33% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 1.125 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities: clothing and textiles 55%, sugar 24% (1995)
Exports--partners: UK 34.4%, France 19.5%, US 13.0%, Germany 5.6%, Italy 4.0% (1996)
Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports--commodities: manufactured goods 37%, capital equipment 19%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7% (1995)
Imports--partners: South Africa 12.0%, France 11.1%, India 8.9%, UK 6.5%, Germany 4.7%, (1996)
Debt--external: $1.2 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $5.2 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--24.099 (January 1999), 22.803 (1998), 20.561 (1997), 17.948 (1996), 17.386 (1995), 17.960 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 July--30 June
Communications
Telephones: 107,000 (1993)
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 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 399,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (in addition, there are 11 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 242,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,860 km paved: 1,732 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 128 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Port Louis
Merchant marine: total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 178,846 GRT/236,308 DWT ships by type: cargo 6, combination bulk 2, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2 note: a flag of convenience registry; India owns 1 ship (1998 est.)
Airports: 5 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
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: 339,218 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 171,705 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $11.2 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 0.4% (FY97/98)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claims the Chagos Archipelago in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; heroin consumption and transshipment are growing problems
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@Mayotte -------
Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 12 50 S, 45 10 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 375 sq km land: 375 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 185.2 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
Terrain: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Benara 660 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: cyclones during rainy season
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: part of Comoro Archipelago
People
Population: 149,336 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47% (male 34,838; female 34,798) 15-64 years: 52% (male 42,073; female 35,068) 65 years and over: 1% (male 1,257; female 1,302) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 5% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 46.12 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.9 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 12.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 69.06 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.02 years male: 57.61 years female: 62.51 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.41 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mahorais (singular and plural) adjective: Mahoran
Ethnic groups: NA
Religions: Muslim 99%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)
Languages: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte conventional short form: Mayotte
Data code: MF
Dependency status: territorial collectivity of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Mamoutzou
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Philippe BOISADAM (since NA) head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 23 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; note--only nine of the 19 seats were subjected to voting in March 1997; after the election, seats by party were as follows: MPM 8, RPR 5, independents 5, PS 1 note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held 24 September 2001); results--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--MPM 1; Mayotte also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held as a special election on NA May 2002); results--percent of vote by party--UDF/FD 51.7%, RPR 48.3%; seats by party--UDF/FD 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Political parties and leaders: Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM BEOUTIS]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti JEAN-BAPTISTE]
International organization participation: FZ
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
Economy
Economy--overview: Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance, an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$85 million (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: NA%
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$600 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: 38% (1991 est.)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: NA kWh
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%
Electricity--consumption: NA kWh
Electricity--exports: NA kWh
Electricity--imports: NA kWh
Agriculture--products: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra
Exports: $3.64 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Exports--commodities: ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra
Exports--partners: France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion
Imports: $131.5 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Imports--commodities: building materials, machinery and transportation equipment, metals, chemicals, rice, clothing, flour
Imports--partners: France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 20%
Debt--external: $NA
Economic aid--recipient: $107.7 million (1995); note?extensive French financial assistance
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 450
Telephone system: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications domestic: NA international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros and other international connections
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 30,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (1997)
Televisions: 3,500 (1994 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 93 km paved: 72 km unpaved: 21 km
Ports and harbors: Dzaoudzi
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claimed by Comoros
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@Mexico ------
Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Geographic coordinates: 23 00 N, 102 00 W
Map references: North America
Area: total: 1,972,550 sq km land: 1,923,040 sq km water: 49,510 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,538 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km
Coastline: 9,330 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical to desert
Terrain: high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 39% forests and woodland: 26% other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 61,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts
Environment--current issues: natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; serious air pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border
Environment--international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography--note: strategic location on southern border of US
People
Population: 100,294,036 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (male 17,987,500; female 17,289,875) 15-64 years: 61% (male 29,610,813; female 31,216,342) 65 years and over: 4% (male 1,873,986; female 2,315,520) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.73% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 24.99 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.83 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 24.62 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72 years male: 68.98 years female: 75.17 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican
Ethnic groups: mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%
Languages: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male: 91.8% female: 87.4% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: United Mexican States conventional short form: Mexico local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos local short form: Mexico
Data code: MX
Government type: federal republic operating under a centralized government
Capital: Mexico
Administrative divisions: 31 states (estados, singular--estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave, Yucatan, Zacatecas
Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
Constitution: 5 February 1917
Legal system: mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)