First Published in 1968. This a report of the Ministerial Committee, to advise the Government of Mauritius as to the provisions to be made for social security, bearing in mind the resources of the territory and the needs of its people.
Because the number of options is often limited, small island states tend to find it uncommonly difficult to strike a balance between population, envi ronment, and development. Relatively high population density and small land areas, without much in the way of natural resources, do not provide the best of circumstances for improving the living conditions of the popu lation, especially a fast-growing one. The result is often stunted economic development and environmental stress both on land and offshore. The developments in the island state of Mauritius over the past 30 years, however, can serve as an inspiration and illustration of how extremely ad verse conditions can be overcome. In the early 1960s Mauritius was trying to cope with rapid population growth, extreme poverty, and grim economic 2 prospects. Population density was 324 inhabitants per km , total fertility was 5.7, and GNP per capita was less than $200. In 1990 the situation in Mauritius was radically different. Although 2 population density had increased to 527 inhabitants per km , total fertility had dropped to 2.0, and GNP per capita had increased to $2,310. Economic stagnation had been replaced by steady growth and full employment, and environmental problems were being addressed as issues of high priority.
First Published in 1968. This a report of the Ministerial Committee, to advise the Government of Mauritius as to the provisions to be made for social security, bearing in mind the resources of the territory and the needs of its people.
First published in 1961, this reissue examines the contemporary economic problems of Mauritius alongside those social problems which have a bearing on economic development. As a small and isolated economy, marked by a very rapid rate of contemporary population growth, by an extreme concentration on a single product, and by a great diversity of racial, religious and linguistic groups within the population, Mauritius is a representative microcosm of the economic problems of a large part of the developing world. The book considers the impact of a lower birth rate, emigration and economic development upon the economy of Mauritius, examining in detail the labour market, the prospects for agricultural and industrial development, the financial system and the education system.
Because the number of options is often limited, small island states tend to find it uncommonly difficult to strike a balance between population, envi ronment, and development. Relatively high population density and small land areas, without much in the way of natural resources, do not provide the best of circumstances for improving the living conditions of the popu lation, especially a fast-growing one. The result is often stunted economic development and environmental stress both on land and offshore. The developments in the island state of Mauritius over the past 30 years, however, can serve as an inspiration and illustration of how extremely ad verse conditions can be overcome. In the early 1960s Mauritius was trying to cope with rapid population growth, extreme poverty, and grim economic 2 prospects. Population density was 324 inhabitants per km , total fertility was 5.7, and GNP per capita was less than $200. In 1990 the situation in Mauritius was radically different. Although 2 population density had increased to 527 inhabitants per km , total fertility had dropped to 2.0, and GNP per capita had increased to $2,310. Economic stagnation had been replaced by steady growth and full employment, and environmental problems were being addressed as issues of high priority.