FAX: 25-15-92

FAX: (202) 319-2623

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
John W. LIMBERT

embassy: Rue Abdallaye, Nouakchott

mailing address: B. P. 222, Nouakchott

telephone: 25-26-60, 25-26-63

Flag description: green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Mauritania Economy

Economy - overview: A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for half of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement have resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In March 1999, the government signed an agreement with a joint World Bank-IMF mission on a $54 million enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF). Mauritania withdrew its membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2000. Privatization and debt relief are in full swing, and the rate of economic growth appears to be accelerating, especially in the construction, telecommunication, and information sectors. Diamonds and petroleum are beginning to be explored and exploited.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25%

industry: 31%

services: 44% (1997)

Population below poverty line: 50% (1996 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3%

highest 10%: 29.9% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 750,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 47%, services 39%, industry 14%

Unemployment rate: 23% (1995 est.)

Budget: revenues: $329 million

expenditures: $265 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1996 est.)

Industries: fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Industrial production growth rate: 2.2% (1999)

Electricity - production: 151 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 82.78%

hydro: 17.22%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 140.4 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep

Exports: $333 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities: iron ore, fish and fish products, gold

Exports - partners: Japan 18%, France 17%, Italy 16%, Spain 11% (1998)

Imports: $305 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners: France 27%, Benelux 9%, Germany 7%, Spain 7% (1998)

Debt - external: $2.1 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient: $300 million (1998)

Currency: ouguiya (MRO)

Currency code: MRO

Exchange rates: ouguiyas per US dollar - 250.870 (December 2000), 238.923 (2000), 209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998), 151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Mauritania Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 26,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made)

domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 360,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Televisions: 87,000 (1998)

Internet country code: .mr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2000)

Internet users: 3,500 (2000)

Mauritania Transportation

Railways: total: 750 km (single track); note - owned and operated by government mining company

standard gauge: 750 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)

Highways: total: 7,660 km

paved: 866 km

unpaved: 6,794 km (1996)

Waterways: note: ferry traffic on the Senegal River

Ports and harbors: Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso

Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)

Airports: 26 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 8

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 9

under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Mauritania Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie,
National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 624,375 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 302,699 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $41 million (FY97/98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.7% (FY97/98)

Mauritania Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

@Mauritius

Mauritius Introduction

Background: Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Mauritius Geography

Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of
Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map references: World

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, degradation of coral reefs

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

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Mauritius People

Population: 1,189,825 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.53% (male 153,691; female 150,094)

15-64 years: 68.24% (male 404,940; female 407,056)

65 years and over: 6.23% (male 29,588; female 44,456) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.88% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 16.5 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.25 years

male: 67.26 years

female: 75.31 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.08% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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.)

Mauritius Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form: Mauritius

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 Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000)

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 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH];
Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian
Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM;
Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING];
Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL];
Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] -
governing party; Rodrigues Movement or OPR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von
MALLY]

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, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Usha JEETAH

chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 244-1491, 1492