Created an African economic miracle-how developed is Mauritius?

Mauritius, an island country in eastern Africa, is located in the southwest of the Indian Ocean, about 800 kilometers away from Madagascar and 2,200 kilometers away from the African continent.

Mauritius is a volcanic island country, surrounded by coral reefs and diverse landforms on the island. The territory of the whole country consists of mauritius island and other small islands.

Mauritius experienced colonial rule by Holland, France and Britain. 1598, the Dutch came here and named the island "Mauritius" after Prince Morris. The Dutch ruled Mauritius for over 100 years. Mauritius gained independence from the British colony on1March 65, 968.

The official language of Mauritius is English, and all government documents are written in English. In schools in Mauritius, both English and French are teaching languages, but French plays a very important role in radio and written media, and even in business and enterprise relations.

The most widely used language in Mauritius is Mauritian Creole, which is deeply influenced by French and is considered as the national mother tongue of Mauritius.

Eight characteristics of Mauritius economy

One of its characteristics: Mauritius was once the only place in the world where dodos lived. This bird became extinct at the end of 17. The so-called dodo, also known as Mauritius dodo, silly pigeon and orphan, is a flightless bird, which is only found on Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean.

Only 200 years after being discovered by humans, this bird was completely extinct due to hunting and human activities. It is one of the most famous extinct animals except dinosaurs and the only extinct bird in Mauritius that has been designated as the national bird. The dodo became extinct on 168 1 August 20 16, the auction price of the most complete dodo bone in the world was 4.4 million.

From 1600 to 1966, 164 birds have disappeared from the earth. There is a food chain in nature, and the lack of a link often leads to chain disasters. It is worth reminding that the last dodo was completely extinct in about17th century. In 2005, thousands of dodo bones were excavated.

There are many speculations about the extinction of dodo, which may be caused by a flood. More likely, in the16th century, the Dutch came to Mauritius and preyed on dodos in large numbers. The animals they brought also fed on dodo eggs, which destroyed the natural environment on which dodo lived. As a result, the number of dodos has decreased dramatically. In addition, the dodo lost its health due to massive deforestation. At present, only a few museums in the world have a complete dodo skeleton, which is relatively precious.

The second feature: Mauritius is actually the three "rich countries" in Africa. Mauritius was once one of the three countries in Africa that were rated as "high" in the human development index, and was called "Switzerland in Africa". The other two rich countries in Africa are Gabon and Seychelles.

The per capita GDP of Mauritius exceeds 1 10,000 USD. In 20 19, the GDP of Mauritius was 654.38+0.48 billion US dollars, which was about 96.5 billion yuan, equivalent to the economic aggregate of Baoshan City, Yunnan Province. The per capita GDP of Mauritius is 1 1666 USD, equivalent to about 76,000 yuan. The per capita GDP of Mauritius is 1 1666 USD, which is higher than that of Russia (1 1040 USD) and Argentina (10669 USD).

The per capita gross national income of Mauritius actually exceeds $65,438+02,535. According to CCTV news report on July 3 this year, the World Bank released the latest national income classification. According to the classification, the African island country Mauritius has become a high-income country in the world. Mauritius became the second African country to be promoted to the high-income category after Seychelles. According to the classification of the World Bank, Mauritius's per capita gross national income exceeds US$ 65,438+02,535, which is equivalent to about 82,000 yuan, with an average monthly income of about 6,800 yuan. Therefore, it is defined as a high-income country, which is indeed relatively rich for an African country.

The third feature: Mauritius implements free education and free medical care.

The happiness index of Mauritians is very high, and the state implements welfare policies such as free medical care, free education, unemployment relief and rice and flour price subsidies.

In terms of education, Mauritius's national education system has inherited the British education system, including six-year secondary schools and six-year primary schools. The country implements free education for all universities, middle schools and primary schools, which is one of the developing countries with high education level. Since 1997, nine-year compulsory education has been implemented, and efforts have been made to increase the enrollment rate of secondary schools to 95%. The education rate of people under the age of 30 is as high as 95%.

In schools in Mauritius, students go to school and hardly see their parents pick them up, because safety seems to be a "routine" here. The report "20 19 Global global peace index" shows that 163 countries participated in the survey, among which global peace index ranked first in Africa and 24th in the world.

As an African country, medical care in Mauritius is free. Undoubtedly, this alone has "killed" many countries in the world, because many countries in Africa can't even talk about food and clothing, let alone free education, free medical care and even high per capita national income.

Feature 4: White sugar is an important pillar industry in Mauritius.

Mauritius has a single economy and only produces sugar. Sugarcane has always been the main cash crop in Mauritius, and the planting area of sugarcane accounts for about 90% of the annual planting area. Sugarcane cultivation in Mauritius is not only used to produce sucrose, but also used to brew rum (or "wine"). Sugarcane was first introduced to Mauritius by the Dutch in 1638, and was mainly used for wine making. It was not until 1850 that French people first established a rum brewery in Mauritius.

At the end of 1970s, with the support of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Mauritius implemented the economic restructuring plan of sugar industry, with export processing industry as the three pillars of its tourism economy. Since 1980s, the second stage development plan has been implemented. Mauritius's export processing industry has gradually changed from labor-intensive to technology-intensive, and is striving to become a "new industrial country" in Africa.

In 1990s, Mauritius consolidated three pillar industries. The Mauritian government has adopted the policy of economic diversification, actively improved the investment environment, encouraged foreign investment, developed offshore finance and built Port Louis, the capital of a free port. In 2003, the strategic development plan of non-sugar agriculture was announced. Strengthen the propaganda and investment promotion of the tourism industry and launch a comprehensive leisure plan.

20 13 financial services industry has become the fourth pillar of the national economy. The Mauritian government began to devote itself to developing a new economy with information technology and communication as its core.

Feature 5: Mauritius has an excellent "diplomatic economy"

Mauritius has the highest per capita income among African developing China countries. What is important is that Mauritius pursues a policy of neutrality, non-alignment and all-round opening up. Mauritius has handled its diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and European and American countries very well.

Especially India, a populous country. India is the main source of population in Mauritius, and its traditional culture, religious beliefs and even caste system have a far-reaching impact on Mauritius. India is also an important economic aid country for Mauritius, and India is the largest source of commodity imports for Mauritius.

Mauritius has a good traditional relationship with France, and the descendants of the French have mastered most sugar factories and many large industrial and commercial companies in Mauritius. France is an important economic aid country and the largest tourist source country in Mauritius.

As a member of the Commonwealth, Mauritius has always maintained a close traditional relationship with Britain, especially in language and culture, legislation, administration, judicial system and education system. Its armed forces have also been trained in Britain. Britain is an important economic aid country of Mauritius, the largest exporter and the largest source of investment in Mauritius.

The relationship between Mauritius and the United States is also very harmonious, and the second US-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum was successfully held, such as Prime Minister Jagger Nath's visit to the United States. In 2004, the United States agreed to give Mauritius the status of "third country of origin" for textiles exported to the United States, and in 2005, Mauritius was granted the status of least developed country, and Mauritian textiles could be exported to the United States duty-free. The trade between Mauritius and the United States has been in a state of surplus. U.S. exports to Mauritius ranked third 20 1 1.

Mauritius has a very close relationship with South Africa, where there are about 20,000 expatriates. South Africa is the main importer of Mauritius, and the two countries signed the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation in 1994. South Africa is an important tourist source country of Mauritius.

The relationship between Mauritius and China has also developed very smoothly. China established the first overseas China cultural center in Mauritius. It is worth mentioning that Mauritius is the only African country that has designated the Spring Festival as a legal holiday.

Mauritius has always adhered to economic diplomacy and constantly strengthened good relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Union. Mauritius' trading partners are mainly France, Britain, Germany, Italy and the United States. Mauritius is a member of Lomé Agreement, so its manufactured goods are exported to the EU without tariff and quota restrictions.

Mauritius is also a member of the Southern African Community and the Indian Ocean Coastal Commission. The Agreement on Encouragement and Mutual Protection of Investment signed by the Mauritian Government and the China Government provides protection and support for the investment of China enterprises. The Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation signed by the Government of China and the Government of Mauritius regulates double taxation in the investment income of enterprises of both sides, prevents tax evasion and ensures the investment income of enterprises. In addition, 80% of Mauritius's imported goods are exempt from import duties.

Feature 6: Mauritius ranks first in Africa in terms of quality of life.

Mauritius, an African island country, is known as "paradise on earth" because of its beautiful scenery. Mauritius has a good working and living environment, and its quality of life ranks 54th in the world, ranking first among African Indian Ocean countries.

There are all kinds of water sports in Mauritius (such as diving, water skiing, boating, pedaling, kite surfing, parasailing, etc.). ), and there are many completely wild hiking routes, such as hiking along the coast, along the river and along the mountain, in addition to large and small waterfalls. Locals often go with hiking clubs on weekends.

Compared with other countries in Africa, Mauritius, a small country, has very good economic development, stable politics and relatively open media, plus free medical care and free education from primary school to high school in Mauritius. So it is difficult for tourists to experience the polarization between the rich and the poor in Mauritius.

Mauritius culture: Mark Twain, a great American writer, said: The Garden of Eden on earth is Mauritius! Mauritians are mostly immigrants from other countries (no aborigines), and Indians account for half of their population. Composition of Mauritian population: A multicultural society composed of Indians (50%), Africans, Arabs, China (3%) and Europeans (2%). Mauritians live in harmony. In Mauritius, you can see different architectural styles of different nationalities, feel different cultures, eat different foods, and hear different languages and music.

Although it is a gathering of all ethnic groups, all ethnic groups will still enjoy the same rights, and there is no "xenophobia" phenomenon. Moreover, when our own national festivals come, we will also send special cakes to other ethnic groups. Therefore, Mauritians are generally tolerant and far away from the apartheid society, which greatly enhances and enriches the connotation of Mauritian culture.

Why does India make up half of Mauritius?

The reason is that mauritius island is located in the east of the African continent, in the southwest of the Indian Ocean, about 3,800 kilometers away from India in Asia, and Mauritius is so far away from India. Historically, Britain occupied a large area of islands in the Indian Ocean, and Mauritius was one of the larger islands. Therefore, the strategic position of Mauritius is very important. At that time, Mauritius was in urgent need of a large population for construction. Therefore, the British imported a large number of laborers from British India and traveled across the ocean to Mauritius. Therefore, Indians have become the largest ethnic group in Mauritius. Therefore, Mauritius is a place where Europe, East Africa and South Asian sub-cultures blend, and it is a country with ethnic integration and multi-integration.

In terms of sports, Mauritius ranks third in the world in golf, second only to Britain and India. The golf course on Mauna Peninsula in Mauritius is a world-famous golf course.

As the third country in the world to introduce golf, Mauritius has always been regarded as the most anticipated "swing place" in the Indian Ocean. At present, there are 8 18 hole benchmark golf courses and 5 standard 9-hole golf courses in Mauritius. It is worth mentioning that every golf course can make athletes experience extraordinary charm, because the golf courses in Mauritius have unique tropical scenery, especially with the ocean as the background, which brings people shocking sports and aesthetic experience. Therefore, the golf experience in Mauritius has won a high international reputation.

Mauritius is considered as one of the top five wedding and honeymoon resorts in the world, attracting many celebrity couples every year. It is said that Jordan chan, Liu Xuan, Yan Kuan and Zheng Xiyi have all been here.

Therefore, Mark Twain, a great American writer, once praised Mauritius as the hometown of heaven, because heaven was built after the small island of Mauritius.

Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, is the largest city in China and the political, economic and cultural center of the country. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has beautiful scenery. It is a natural port, especially on the waterway between the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. Before the Suez Canal was navigable, Port Louis was an important place to sail around the Cape of Good Hope.

Feature 7: Mauritius's "unique" economic miracle

Mauritius, a very small country, can not only provide citizens with free education, school shuttle service and free medical care through universities, but also know that even many rich countries in Europe can't afford free university education up to now. Although Mauritius in Africa is not very rich, it has successfully established a diversified economy, a democratic political system and a perfect social safety net in decades.

Mauritius has a population of 6.5438+0.3 million, but there is a puzzling data: Mauritius has maintained an annual GDP growth rate of more than 5% in the past 30 years. It is commendable that Mauritius is neither rich in oil nor has any special and exclusive commodities. Even this country has no natural resources to develop.

As early as the island country of Mauritius 1968, when it became independent from British colonial rule, James, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics? Edward? Mead wrote in 196 1: "It will be a great achievement if Mauritius can provide effective employment for its people without seriously lowering the existing living standards. However, the prospects for Mauritius to achieve smooth development are not optimistic. "

In fact, the economic miracle in Mauritius proved Meade wrong. The average annual income of Mauritians has increased from less than $400 at independence to more than $6,700 today (data from economics professor of Columbia University and winner of 200 1 Nobel Prize in Economics). The important Mauritius has successfully transformed from a single economy dominated by sugar to a diversified economic structure covering tourism, finance, textiles and high technology.

Mauritius's "economic miracle" is as follows: first, Mauritius has chosen a road towards high cohesion, high welfare and high development, while maintaining social inequality at the "lowest" level;

Secondly, Mauritius "strangely" thinks that most of the military expenditure is wasted. Mauritius is even more "absurd" to believe that only a small sum of money can be spent on fighting nonexistent enemies to create a more humane and developed economic society and provide protection for those who cannot afford medical and educational expenses.

Although the population of Mauritius is less than 6.5438+0.3 million, there is no regular army. Mauritius's armed forces only include 8000 policemen, 1500 special operations teams and 500 coastal self-defense forces to maintain law and order.

Thirdly, Mauritius has a more "unique" view, that is, due to the country's lack of natural resources, the people are the only assets.

In fact, Mauritius cherishes its human resources very much, and Mauritians realize that education is the most crucial point to achieve social unity. Mauritius is also firmly committed to its democratic system and cooperation between workers, government and employers.

Mauritius is not perfect. For example, Mauritius has also experienced the loss of exchange rate competitiveness. Because more and more countries are trying to reduce the exchange rate through the depreciation of the US dollar, in response to the quantitative easing policy of the United States, so as to enhance economic competitiveness, Mauritius cannot be immune to it.

Another example is imported inflation caused by imported food and energy in Mauritius. For example, Mauritius's economic miracle has not got rid of some colonial legacy since independence.

Feature 8: Mauritius "unique" food culture

The staple food of Mauritians is rice, but Mauritians generally like to eat Indian rice, of course, because India accounts for more than half of the population of Mauritius. Most South Indians like to eat fish, and many people in Mauritius like to eat with knives and forks.

Due to the mixed ethnic groups and diverse cultures in Mauritius, the food culture in Mauritius is also deeply influenced and infiltrated by Creole cuisine, China cuisine, European cuisine and Indian cuisine. Therefore, Mauritians often mix the flavors of local dishes from different countries in one meal.

It is worth mentioning that Indian cuisine has the deepest influence on Mauritian food culture. For example, curry, spices and a vegetable rice called "Briyani" in Indian food have entered the daily diet of Mauritians. And because of the history of French rule in Mauritius, French cuisine is also a very popular dish. In addition, Mauritius is influenced by Indian cuisine and African cuisine culture, so that "variant" French cuisine also uses peppers and spices as seasonings.

The main city of Mauritius

I port Louis, the capital

PortLouis was founded in 1735, located on the northwest coast of mauritius island. It is the capital of Mauritius, the political, cultural and economic center of the whole country, and the largest city and main port in Mauritius. Port Louis is a seaport and a free port.

Second, souillac.

Souillac is a port in southern mauritius island, bordering on the Indian Ocean. Souillac is surrounded by important sugarcane producing areas. According to historical records, as early as the eighth century, when the Celts, the ancestors of France, were active, the embryonic form of suak appeared on the French territory. In Celtic, the word souillac means "a muddy swamp where wild boar haunt", so the head of wild boar has become a very special pattern on the city emblem.

Third, Rothschild.

Rothschild is the second largest city in Mauritius. In the west of mauritius island. By Babson and Rothschild, the two cities continue to expand their connections. The population is about 94,000. It is the sugar processing center of Mauritius. Belonging to a residential city, the business is very developed. Roads lead to Port Louis, Cutler Bona, Gulpip and other places.