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Mauritius
Republic of Mauritius
Political Status: Constitutional monarchy under multiparty parliamentary system established upon independence within the Commonwealth on March 12, 1968; became a republic on March 12, 1992.
Area: 790 sq. mi. (2,045 sq. km).
Population: 1,278,000 (2016E—UN); 1,348,242 (2016E—U.S. Census).
Major Urban Centers (2011E—UN): PORT LOUIS (148,638), Beau Bassin/Rose Hill (110,687), Vacoas-Phoenix (108,186).
Official Language: English (French is also used, while Creole is the lingua franca and Hindi the most widely spoken).
Monetary Unit: Mauritian rupee (official rate October 1, 2016: 35.48 rupees = $1US).
President: Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (ind.); elected by the National Assembly on June 4, 2015, for a five-year term, to succeed Rajkeswur PURRYAG (Mauritius Labour Party), who resigned on May 29, 2015.
Vice President: Paramasivum Pillay VYAPOORY (Mauritian Socialist Movement); elected by the National Assembly on March 29, 2016, ...