# Mauritius

> island sovereign state off of East Africa in the Indian Ocean

**Wikidata**: [Q1027](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1027)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mauritius

## Summary

Mauritius is an island country located in Africa[1]. Its head of state is Dharam Gokhool. The nation has a population of 1.3 million as of 2017[2] and covers an area of 2,000 square kilometers.Mauritius operates in the UTC+04:00 time zone and also observes Indian/Mauritius time[3].

## Summary
Mauritius is a sovereign island nation located in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. Officially known as the Republic of Mauritius, it became an independent state on March 12, 1968. The country is an archipelagic state with its capital in Port Louis.

## Key Facts
- **Instance Type:** Sovereign state, island country, archipelagic state, and country.
- **Independence:** Inception date is March 12, 1968.
- **Location:** An island nation in the Indian Ocean, part of the African continent and the East African islands region. Coordinates are approximately -20.2° latitude, 57.5° longitude.
- **Capital:** Port Louis.
- **Area:** 2,040 square kilometers.
- **Population:** 1,264,613 (2017 estimate).
- **Official Languages:** English and French (both de facto).
- **Currency:** Mauritian rupee, in use since 1876.
- **Government:** Parliamentary republic.
- **Head of State:** The President of Mauritius (currently Dharam Gokhool, in office since December 6, 2024).
- **Head of Government:** The Prime Minister of Mauritius (currently Pravind Jugnauth, in office since January 23, 2017).
- **National Anthem:** "Motherland".
- **National Motto:** "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" (Star and Key of the Indian Ocean).
- **Flag:** Adopted on March 12, 1968.
- **Driving Side:** Left.
- **Time Zone:** UTC+04:00.
- **Internet TLD:** .mu
- **Telephone Code:** +230

## FAQs

**What is the basic geography of Mauritius?**
Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean with an area of 2,040 sq km. Its highest point is Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire at 828 meters, and its lowest point is the Indian Ocean.

**When did Mauritius gain independence and what was its status before?**
Mauritius became an independent sovereign state on March 12, 1968. It replaced the Commonwealth realm of Mauritius, which was its status prior to independence.

**What are the official languages and what other languages are spoken?**
English and French are the de facto official languages. Commonly spoken languages include Mauritian Creole, Bhojpuri, French, and Mauritian Sign Language.

**What major international organizations is Mauritius a member of?**
Mauritius is a member of the United Nations (since April 24, 1968), the Commonwealth of Nations (since 1968), the African Union, the World Trade Organization, and the Southern African Development Community, among many others.

**What is the demographic trend in Mauritius?**
The population has grown steadily, from 659,351 in 1960 to over 1.26 million in 2017. Recent birth rates have been around 9.6 per 1,000 people (2022), with death rates around 10.2 per 1,000 people (2022).

## Why It Matters
Mauritius is significant as a stable parliamentary democracy and a high-income economy within Africa, often cited for its strong human development indicators. It plays a key strategic role in the Indian Ocean as a member of the Indian Ocean Commission and the African Union. The country's successful economic development, transitioning from a sugar-based economy to a diversified one with strong financial and tourism sectors, makes it a notable model for other small island developing states.

## Notable For
- **High Development Index:** Consistently high Human Development Index (HDI), reaching 0.802 in 2021.
- **Political Stability:** Ranked as a "free country" with a high democracy index (8.14 in 2020).
- **Economic Success:** Recognized as an upper-middle-income economy with a nominal GDP of nearly $12.9 billion USD (2022).
- **Cultural Diversity:** A multicultural society with a unique blend of African, Indian, European, and Chinese influences.
- **Archipelagic State:** Includes the main island of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon.

## Body

### Government and Politics
Mauritius is a parliamentary republic. The President is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of government. The supreme legislative body is the National Assembly. The country's basic form of government is a parliamentary republic, and its highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court of Mauritius. The current head of state is President Dharam Gokhool, who took office on December 6, 2024. The head of government is Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, in office since January 23, 2017. The executive body is the Government of Mauritius, and the cabinet is the Cabinet of Mauritius. Mauritius is considered a free country and has a high democracy index score of 8.14 (2020).

### International Relations
Mauritius maintains diplomatic relations with numerous countries, including Australia, France, India, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is an active member of many international organizations:
- **United Nations:** Member since April 24, 1968.
- **Commonwealth of Nations:** Member since 1968.
- **African Union:** Member state.
- **World Trade Organization:** Member.
- **Southern African Development Community (SADC):** Member.
- **Indian Ocean Commission:** Member.
- Other memberships include the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, UNESCO, and Interpol.

### Geography and Environment
Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. The total land area is 2,040 square kilometers. The terrain includes a central plateau surrounded by mountains. The highest point is Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire at 828 meters. The country is an archipelago that includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon. It is situated on the Mascarene Plateau. The climate is tropical, modified by southeast trade winds.

### Economy
The currency is the Mauritian rupee (MUR). Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculture-based economy to a diversified, upper-middle-income economy. Key sectors include tourism, textiles, sugar, and financial services. The nominal GDP was approximately $12.9 billion USD in 2022. The VAT rate is 15%. The central bank is the Bank of Mauritius.

### Demographics
The population of Mauritius was estimated at 1,264,613 in 2017. Demographic data shows:
- **Male Population:** 622,533 (2022 estimate)
- **Female Population:** 639,989 (2022 estimate)
- **Urban Population:** 515,236 (2022)
- **Rural Population:** 747,287 (2022)
The demonym for a citizen of Mauritius is Mauritian. The country has a life expectancy of 74.39 years (2016) and a total fertility rate of 1.43 (2014).

### Culture and Society
The national anthem is "Motherland". The country has a rich cultural heritage reflected in its diverse population. The official languages are English and French, but Mauritian Creole is widely spoken. The culture is a blend of African, Indian, European, and Chinese influences. The national symbols include the Mauritius Kestrel (national bird) and Trochetia boutoniana (national flower).

### Infrastructure
- **Driving:** Left-hand side of the road.
- **Electricity:** 230 volts, 50 Hz. Plug types include Europlug and BS 1363.
- **Communications:** Telephone country code is +230.
- **Emergency Numbers:** 114 (medical), 995/115 (fire), 999/112 (police).

### History
Mauritius became an independent state on March 12, 1968, after being a British colony. It had previously been a French colony known as Isle de France. The island was uninhabited until the Dutch established a settlement in the 17th century, followed by French and then British rule.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.workwithdata.com/place/mauritius)
2. [Source](http://president.govmu.org/English/The-President/Pages/Profile.aspx)
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. [Source](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb-2021e/africa)
5. [Source](https://lingualibre.org/wiki/Q823275)
6. [Source](https://lingualibre.org/wiki/Q567086)
7. [Source](https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/mauritius)
8. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Development_Bank)
9. [Interpol](https://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/World)
10. [Source](https://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Africa/MAURITIUS)
11. [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons](https://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/member-states/)
12. [Source](https://www.opcw.org/about-us/member-states/mauritius)
13. [International Hydrographic Organization](https://www.iho.int/srv1/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=452&lang=en)
14. [Source](http://www.unesco.org/eri/cp/ListeMS_Indicators.asp)
15. [Source](http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/member-countries.html)
16. [Source](https://www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/About-UPU/Member-Countries?csid=-1&cid=194)
17. [Source](https://www.itu.int/online/mm/scripts/gensel8)
18. [Source](http://icdo.org/who-we-are/members/observer-states.html)
19. [Source](https://public.wmo.int/en/members/mauritius)
20. [Source](https://www.who.int/choice/demography/by_country/en/)
21. [Source](https://www.wcoomd.org/-/media/wco/public/global/pdf/about-us/wco-members/list-of-members-with-membership-date.pdf)
22. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_the_Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons)
23. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Continental_Free_Trade_Area#List_of_signatories_and_parties_to_the_agreement)
24. [Source](https://www.ncnk.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/publications/NCNK_Issue_Brief_DPRK_Diplomatic_Relations.pdf)
25. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
26. [Source](https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/)
27. FIPS 10-4
28. MusicBrainz
29. [Human Development Report. 2022](https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/human-development-index#/indicies/HDI)
30. World Bank Open Data
31. [World Bank Open Data](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL)
32. [Source](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI)
33. [Source](http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS)
34. [Source](http://cnig.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CNT-PVM_r%C3%A9vis%C3%A9_2020-01-27-1.pdf)
35. The National Terminology Database for Irish
36. [Source](https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2017)
37. [Source](http://chartsbin.com/view/edr)
38. [World Bank](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD)
39. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=DEMO_DS)
40. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=3372)
41. BabelNet
42. [International Numbering Resources Database](http://www.itu.int/net/itu-t/inrdb/e129_important_numbers.aspx)
43. [World Plugs](http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/list_bylocation.htm)
44. [Mauritius Revenue Authority](https://www.mra.mu/index.php/taxes-duties/mauritius-peer-review/26-vat)
45. UMLS 2023
46. English as a Global Language, second edition
47. [Source](https://countrycodebase.com/undp/)
48. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=239)
49. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
50. [Gazetteer](https://github.com/EnvironmentOntology/gaz/blob/master/src/ontology/gaz_countries.csv)