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Geography, agriculture and economy Geography
The Republic of Mauritius is made up of a group of four tropical islands and smaller islets located in the southern Indian Ocean, about 2,400 km east of the African continent. The main islands are Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega and St Brandon. Mauritius Island is the largest and most densely populated of the group. It covers an area of 1,865 km2 and has a population of about 1.2 million people. The second largest island, Rodrigues, lies further to the east and has a population of nearly 36,000 on an area of 108 km2. The mixed population of the country is made up of Indians, Creoles, Africans, Chinese and Europeans. The islands are volcanic in origin and are surrounded by coral reefs. Mauritius Island has a small coastal plain, mountains and a central plateau. Agriculture Agricultural production in Mauritius has been declining steadily since the early 1970s, when it accounted for about 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). In 2004 the sector represented only about 5 to 6 per cent of GDP, and recent output has declined even further. In the past the sugar industry dominated agricultural production in Mauritius. As much as 90 per cent of arable land on the main island was planted with sugar cane. Sugar cultivation, processing and transport accounted for nearly 70 per cent of the GDP generated by agriculture and about 25 per cent of export earnings. But these figures are now in decline. The industry is losing its predominant position in the country’s economy as a result of falling sugar prices and the end of preferential trade links with the European Union. In response, the country is beginning to diversify agricultural production. Aside from sugar, the other main agricultural products of Mauritius are food crops, livestock and poultry, and marine products. On the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, about 4,700 men and women fish the coastal lagoon at the edges of the reef. Environmental damage is a major impediment to agricultural and fisheries productivity. The islands are densely populated, and the growing population places considerable pressure on both land and marine resources. The lagoons surrounding the two main islands are being damaged by siltation and water pollution and by over-fishing, both small-scale and commercial. Its resources are depleting rapidly. The lagoon is a vital asset. It provides livelihoods for most of the coastal population, it is a significant tourist attraction, and it is also a protective barrier against tidal waves and tsunamis. New measures are under way to prevent excessive exploitation and to curb water pollution in the lagoon. There is a need to create new and more sustainable income-generating activities for coastal communities, such as mariculture and seaweed culture in the lagoon, possibly integrated with ecotourism. Economy Mauritius gained independence in 1968. Since then it has blossomed from a low-income economy depending largely on agriculture into a robust middle-income economy. The transformation has dramatically boosted gross domestic product (GDP) per capita from US$260 in 1968 to more than US$5,000 in 2005. A stable democracy, sound macroeconomic policies and racial harmony have allowed the country to nurture rapid and steady economic growth, particularly in the industrial, financial and tourism sectors. Mauritius has also attracted considerable foreign investment. Through strong social policies the country has channelled its newfound wealth into improvements in health, education and infrastructure. Life expectancy has improved, infant mortality has fallen and there has been a significant reduction in poverty across the country. Export earnings have been driven chiefly by the production of sugar and textiles. Mauritius has also become an important tourist destination, catering especially for the luxury end of the market. Tourist arrivals have risen by about 45 per cent since the mid 1990s, and tourism continues to expand. But since 2004 economic growth has begun to slow. GDP has fallen to an annual growth rate of about 3 per cent from a previous average of 5 to 6 per cent, which was successfully maintained for more than a decade. This is largely the result of the so-called triple trade shock:
Mauritius is now in a process of transition as it redirects its industries and works to transform an economy formerly based on low-wage sugar and textiles exports into an economy based on globally competitive services. To guide this process, the government launched a ten-year Reform Programme initiated in 2006.
Source: IFAD |
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