Mauritius - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Mauritius. The main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species. Mother's mean age at first birth is (), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 84 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Mauritius
Location Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates 20 17 S, 57 33 E
Map references Africa
Tarrain small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Natural Resources arable land, fish
Natural Hazards cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Irrigated Land 158 sq km (2020)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 0 km
Border Countries
Coastline 177 km
Climate tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Area
Total Area
Land Area 2,030 sq km
Water Area 10 sq km
comparative Area almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone 200 nm
Continental shelf 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Elevations
Highest point Mont Piton 828 m
Lowest point Indian Ocean 0 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 43.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 38.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 3.4% (2018 est.)
Forest 17.3% (2018 est.)
Other 38.9% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

Population density is one of the highest in the world; urban clusters are found throughout the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast as shown in this population distribution map

People and Society

In Mauritius, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Indo-Mauritian (compose approximately two thirds of the total population), Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian

Population
Pop growth rate 0.07% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 9.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 6.7% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 3.7 beds/1,000 population (2020)
Total fertility rate 1.36 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 0.66 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 63.8% (2014)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 62% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Net Migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Mauritian | Mauritian(s)
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.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 15.1% (male 100,973/female 96,711)
15-64 years 71% (male 462,833/female 467,509)
65 years and over 13.9% (2024 est.) (male 75,464/female 107,014)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 40.7
Youth dependency ratio 23.4
Elderly dependency ratio 17.3
Potential support ratio 5.8 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 39.6 years (2024 est.)
Male 38.1 years
Female 41 years
Urbanization
Urban population 40.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 149,000 PORT LOUIS (capital) (2018).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 10 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 75.4 years (2024 est.)
Male 72.6 years
Female 78.4 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 99.9% of population
Improved: rural rural: 99.8% of population
Improved: total total: 99.9% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 0.1% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 0.2% of population
Unimproved: total total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 99.9% of population
Improved: rural rural: NA
Improved: total total: NA
Unimproved: urban urban: 0.1% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: NA
Unimproved: total total: (2020 est.) NA
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 3.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 1.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 20.2% (2020 est.)
Male 37.3% (2020 est.)
Female 3% (2020 est.)
Demographic profile

Mauritius has transitioned from a country of high fertility and high mortality rates in the 1950s and mid-1960s to one with among the lowest population growth rates in the developing world today. After World War II, Mauritius’ population began to expand quickly due to increased fertility and a dramatic drop in mortality rates as a result of improved health care and the eradication of malaria. This period of heightened population growth – reaching about 3% a year – was followed by one of the world’s most rapid birth rate declines.

The total fertility rate fell from 6.2 children per women in 1963 to 3.2 in 1972 – largely the result of improved educational attainment, especially among young women, accompanied by later marriage and the adoption of family planning methods. The family planning programs’ success was due to support from the government and eventually the traditionally pronatalist religious communities, which both recognized that controlling population growth was necessary because of Mauritius’ small size and limited resources. Mauritius’ fertility rate has consistently been below replacement level since the late 1990s, a rate that is substantially lower than nearby countries in southern Africa.

With no indigenous population, Mauritius’ ethnic mix is a product of more than two centuries of European colonialism and continued international labor migration. Sugar production relied on slave labor mainly from Madagascar, Mozambique, and East Africa from the early 18th century until its abolition in 1835, when slaves were replaced with indentured Indians. Most of the influx of indentured labor – peaking between the late 1830s and early 1860s – settled permanently creating massive population growth of more than 7% a year and reshaping the island’s social and cultural composition. While Indians represented about 12% of Mauritius’ population in 1837, they and their descendants accounted for roughly two-thirds by the end of the 19th century. Most were Hindus, but the majority of the free Indian traders were Muslims.

Mauritius again turned to overseas labor when its success in clothing and textile exports led to a labor shortage in the mid-1980s. Clothing manufacturers brought in contract workers (increasingly women) from China, India, and, to a lesser extent Bangladesh and Madagascar, who worked longer hours for lower wages under poor conditions and were viewed as more productive than locals. Downturns in the sugar and textile industries in the mid-2000s and a lack of highly qualified domestic workers for Mauritius’ growing services sector led to the emigration of low-skilled workers and a reliance on skilled foreign labor. Since 2007, Mauritius has pursued a circular migration program to enable citizens to acquire new skills and savings abroad and then return home to start businesses and to invest in the country’s development.

All Important Facts about Mauritius

Want to know more about Mauritius? Check all different factbooks for Mauritius below.

Mauritius is found in Eastern Africa