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: 1,179,137 (2000C); 1,265,000 (2007E).

Major Urban Centers (2005E): PORT LOUIS (151,000), Beau Bassin/Rose Hill (109,000), Vacoas-Phoenix (107,000), Curepipe (84,000), Quatre Bornes (81,000).

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 November 1, 2008: 32.15 rupees = $1US).

President: Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (Mauritian Socialist Movement—MSM); elected by the National Assembly on October 7, 2003, to complete the five-year term (which began on February 25, 2002) of Karl Auguste OFFMANN (Mauritian Socialist Movement), who had resigned on September 30, 2003, as ...