Factbook dossier
Background
Although known to Arab and European sailors since at least the early 1500s, the island of Mauritius was uninhabited until 1638 when the Dutch established a settlement named in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU. Their presence led to the rapid disappearance of the flightless dodo bird that has since become one of the most well-known examples of extinction in modern times. The Dutch abandoned their financially distressed settlement in 1710, although a number of formerly enslaved people remained. In 1722, the French established what would become a highly profitable settlement focused on sugar cane plantations that were reliant on the labor of enslaved people brought to Mauritius from other parts of Africa. In the 1790s, the island had a brief period of autonomous rule when plantation owners rejected French control because of laws ending slavery that were temporarily in effect during the French Revolution. Britain captured the island in 1810 as part of the Napoleonic Wars but kept most of the French administrative structure, which remains to this day in the form of the country s legal codes and widespread use of the French Creole language. The abolition of slavery in 1835 -- later than most other British colonies -- led to increased reliance on contracted laborers from the Indian subcontinent to work on plantations. Today their descendants form the majority of the population. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base and later an air station, and it played a role during World War II in anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as in the collection of …
Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar
Area
total : 2,040 sq km land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Natural resources
arable land, fish
Natural hazards
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Population
total: 1,311,375 (2025 est.) male: 639,707 female: 671,668
Ethnic groups
Indo-Mauritian (compose approximately two thirds of the total population), Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian note: Mauritius has not had a question on ethnicity on its national census since 1972
Languages
Creole 86.5%, Bhojpuri 5.3%, French 4.1%, two languages 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes English, one of the two official languages of the National Assembly, which is spoken by less than 1% of the population), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
Religions
Hindu 48.5%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, Muslim 17.3%, other Christian 6.4%, other 0.6%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
Environmental issues
water pollution, degradation of coral reefs; soil erosion; wildlife preservation; solid-waste disposal
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Port Louis geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named after LOUIS XV, who was king of France in 1736 when the port became the administrative center of Mauritius
Executive branch
chief of state: President Dharam GOKHOOL (since 7 December 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Navin RAMGOOLAM (since 13 November 2024) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister who have the majority support in the National Assembly most recent election date: 6 December 2024 election results: 2019 : Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote expected date of next election: 2029
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly - Assemblée nationale legislative structure: unicameral chamber name: National Assembly number of seats: 67 (62 directly elected; 4 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 11/10/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Alliance Du Changement (Alliance for Change, AdC) (60); Other (2) percentage of women in chamber: 17.9% expected date of next election: October 2029
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$34.406 billion (2024 est.) $32.864 billion (2023 est.) $31.296 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$27,300 (2024 est.) $26,100 (2023 est.) $24,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.6% (2024 est.) 7.1% (2023 est.) 10.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 11%, France 11%, Zimbabwe 10%, South Africa 7%, Zambia 7% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 15%, UAE 11%, India 10%, South Africa 9%, France 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; the Mauritius Police Force (MPF) under the Ministry of Defense is responsible for the country's security; it includes a paramilitary unit known as the Special Mobile Force, which includes some motorized infantry and light armored units; the MPF also has a Police Helicopter Squadron, a Special Support Unit (riot police), and the National Coast Guard (2025)