Mauritius
Introduction
The Republic of Mauritius is situated in the Southwestern part of the Indian Ocean with a total land area of 2040 km2. The Republic primarily consists of 2 main islands: Mauritius (1865 km2) and Rodrigues (109km2). Its ocean territory extends to a group of outer islands, namely Saint Brandon, Agalega, the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, and Tromelin (Mauritius Constitution, 1968; Republic of Mauritius, 2013). (According to an advisory opinion published in February 2019 on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, the International Court of Justice has urged the United Kingdom to ” end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible.”)
Forty-nine nearshore islets surround Mauritius, while eighteen islets lie in the lagoon of Rodrigues.
The main island, Mauritius, is situated 800 km east of Madagascar and forms part of the volcanic chain of Mascarene Islands. It has a land area of 2040 km2.
Mauritius claims an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 2.3 million square kilometres. An additional expanse of extended continental shelf area of approximately 400,000 km2 is co-managed with the Seychelles, following a joint submission made by the two countries to the United Nations in 2011.
The estimated population of the country is 1.27 million.
Mauritius has appointed a Focal Point to help coordinate efforts to protect, manage, and use the Western Indian Ocean at the national level.
World Population Review, 2019. Mauritius Population. worldpopulationreview.com › countries › mauritius-population
* Please note that the designations employed and the presentations of material on this page do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP/Nairobi Convention or contributory organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries or the designation of its name, frontiers or boundaries.
Publications
- UNEP/EAF (2012e). UNEP/(DEPI)/EAF/CP.7/3-En.: Report of The Executive Director. Presented at The Seventh Meeting of Contracting Parties to The Convention for The Protection, Management, And Development of The Marine and Coastal Environment of The Western Indian Ocean Region. Maputo, Mozambique 10-14 December 2012.
- United Nations Environment Programme – Nairobi Convention 2015. Status of Birds in the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Nairobi Convention Area: Regional Synthesis Report
- United Nations Environment Programme – Nairobi Convention 2016. Climate Strategy for the Nairobi Convention
- Project document of the ‘Western Indian Ocean Large Marine Ecosystems Strategic Action Programme Policy Harmonization and Institutional Reforms’ (SAPPHIRE)
- ASCLME 2012. National Marine Ecosystem Diagnostic Analysis. Mauritius. Contribution to the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems Project (supported by UNDP with GEF grant financing)
- ASCLME 2012. Mauritius National Level Policy and Governance Assessment for Marine and Coastal Resources. Contribution to the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems Project (supported by UNDP with GEF grant financing)