Mauritius 

Introduction

The Republic of Mauritius, a unitary state, is in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and the south-east African coast. It includes the main island of Mauritius together with the island of Rodrigues, and the two dependencies of the Agalega islands and the Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon). Mauritius has a land area of 2,040 sq km1 and an estimated population of 1,211,302. 

Mauritius has nine geographical districts. Local government comprises five municipal councils in the urban areas, and four district councils in the rural areas.

The capital city is Port Louis, situated on the main island, and the official languages are English and French. 

Local government contributed approximately 0.7 per cent to GDP in 2005.  

Summary

Mauritius, ranked 62 out of 175 (medium human development) in the UN Human Development Index, has one of the strongest economies in Africa and is a stable democracy. Local government has been operating there for over two hundred years. Its Economic Agenda for the New Millennium (NEA) supports a new development phase diversifying and increasing the competitiveness of the economy, including major ICT investment, promoting social development and preserving the natural environment. Governance reforms, which have included the creation of the semi-autonomous Rodrigues Regional Assembly, are continuing with the progressive implementation of the Local Government Act 2003. 

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