Banks, beaches and boom times: four facts about Mauritius

Mauritius is blessed with pristine beaches – Copyright AFP ALFREDO ZUNIGA

Mauritius, one of Africa’s richest countries and a stable democracy in a sometimes volatile neighbourhood, is holding a legislative election on Sunday.

Here are some facts about the Indian Ocean island nation:

– Beacon of stability – 

Mauritius prides itself as a secure and prosperous nation free of the social and political upheaval roiling some of its African neighbours.

Elections are calm and politics steady in the scattering of islands about 850 kilometres (530 miles) east of Madagascar, a larger and more troubled nation in its backyard.

But it is not immune to upsets. In 2018, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the country’s first female president, resigned during a financial scandal, one of a number to shake the nation in recent years.

The president is head of state but has a titular role, with the prime minister exercising full executive powers and authority over government.

– Beaches and banks –

Mauritius developed from a poor, agriculture-based economy into a prosperous economy striving to reach high-income status by 2025.

Its economy is driven by tourism — the islands boast pristine beaches and coral reefs —  a textile industry and booming financial sector.

Although tourism was ravaged by the Covid pandemic, visitor arrivals are back on an upwards trajectory, reaching 1.3 million last year.

Like many countries in East Africa, Mauritius has struggled with youth unemployment, which hovers at around 20 percent. 

Gross domestic product per capita in 2022 was more than $10,000, according to the World Bank, which said Mauritius had proved resilient to global economic shocks.

GDP growth was 8.9 percent in 2022, although it slid to seven percent last year, the World Bank said.

But while the standard of living has broadly improved, income and gender inequality are also on the rise. 

– Tax troubles – 

Mauritius has faced criticism for helping global companies avoid paying taxes — especially those operating in far poorer African nations.

It exited the European Union’s “grey list” of known tax havens in 2021 after progress on tackling money laundering and “terrorism” financing.

– Melting pot –

Its 1.3 million people are divided into four distinct ethnic groups.

Hindus make up the majority of the population, with minorities of Muslims, Chinese and the so-called “general population” — those of Creole backgrounds or European origin. 

Mauritius has been visited by waves of explorers and merchants over the centuries, starting with the Portuguese in the early 16th century and then the Dutch, who named the main island after their prince, Maurice de Nassau.

The French were next, before Britain took control from 1810 until Mauritius gained independence in 1968. 

The late Queen Elizabeth II was head of state until 1992, when the island became a republic, but it remains in the Commonwealth. 

Mauritius finally had the Chagos Archipelago — a remote British overseas territory that hosts a key US airbase — returned in October.

The victory marked the culmination of a long-running legal battle, with Britain continuing to resist despite the intervention of the International Court of Justice in 2019 and the urging of the United Nations.