Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form:
Mauritius
local long form:
Republic of Mauritius
local short form:
Mauritius
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name:
Port Louis
geographic coordinates:
20 09 S, 57 29 E
time difference:
UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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 the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Constitution:
several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968; amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)
Legal system:
civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
:
chief of state:
President Rajkeswur Kailash PURRYAG (since 21 July 2012); note - former President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH resigned on 31 March 2012
head of government:
Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5 July 2005)
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 (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 21 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly; note - former President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH resigned on 31 March 2012
election results:
Rajkeswur Kailash PURRYAG elected president by unanimous vote
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 members elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 5 May 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AF 41, MMM 18, MR 2, FSM 1; appointed seats - to be assigned 8; note - as of 4 March 2014 seats by party were AF 38, MMM 19, MSM 9, FSM 1, MMSD 1, OPR 1, other 1
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 17 puisne judges)
judge selection and term of office:
chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 62
subordinate courts:
Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal (formed by a 2008 constitutional amendment)
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of the Future (l'Alliance de l'Avenir) or AF [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] (governing coalition - includes PTR-PMSD-MSM)
Alliance of the Heart (l'Alliance du Coeur) or AC [Paul BERENGER] (coalition includes - MMM, UN, MMSD)
Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]
Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER]
Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]
Maurition Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]
Mauritian Solidarity Front (Front Solidarite Mauricienne) or FSM [Cehl FAKEERMEEAH]
Mauritian Social Democratic Movement (Mouvement Mauricien Social Democrate) or MMSD [Eric GUIMBEAU]
Mauritian Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Militant Socialiste Mauricienne) or MMSM [Madan DULLOO]
National Union (Union Nationale) or UN [Ashok JUGNAUTH]
Rodrigues Movement (Mouvement Rodriguais) or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]
Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
LALIT Political Party
Blok 104. Rezistans ek Alternativ (Resistence and Alternative), Say No to Coal!
other:
various labor unions
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Somduth SOBORUN (since 28 January 2011)
chancery:
1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; administrative offices - 3201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
[1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-0983
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Sharon VILLAROSA (since 10 September 2012; note - also accredited to Seychelles
embassy:
4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
mailing address:
international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450
telephone:
[230] 202-4400
FAX:
[230] 208-9534
Flag description:
four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green; red represents self-determination and independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island
National anthem:
name:
"Motherland"
lyrics/music: Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
note: adopted 1968