Mauritius

III

Population

Mauritius has a population of 1,250,882 (2007 estimate), giving an overall population density of about 616 people per sq km (1,596 per sq mi), one of the highest in the world. Port Louis, the capital and largest city, has a population of 144,303 (2000). Life expectancy at birth is 69 years for men, 77 years for women (1996).

About two thirds of the population are of Indian origin, while people of mixed African and European descent, known as Creoles, constitute less than one third of the total. Chinese and European minorities also exist; Mauritius has one of the largest Chinese populations in Africa.

A

Political Divisions

Mauritius is divided into nine districts: Black River, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Rivière du Rempart, Savanne and three dependencies: Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals, and Rodrigues.

B

Religion

Most of the Indo-Mauritians are Hindu (52 per cent of the population), though some are Muslim (17 per cent). The Creoles are mainly Roman Catholic, and many of the Chinese are Buddhist.

C

Language

English is the official language (3,000 mother-tongue speakers), but French and Morisyen (a French creole) are commonly spoken. French and English are used in government and business. Road signs are in English, and most newspapers and media communications are in French. Other languages spoken in Mauritius include Hindi, Urdu, and Bhojpuri, which is an amalgamation of several Indian dialects spoken by the early Indian settlers. Most Mauritians are at least bilingual. Morisyen is the most widely spoken language in Mauritius.

D

Education

The adult literacy rate in Mauritius is around 86 per cent. In 2002–2003, 4.7 per cent of the country’s gross national product (GNP) was spent on education. Higher education is provided by the University of Mauritius (1965) and the University of Technology (2000).