Mauritius
Also known as Republic of Mauritius, Maurice, Moris, MU, MRI
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, located about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon (Cargados Carajos shoals). The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, along with nearby Réunion (a French overseas department), are part of the Mascarene Islands. The main island of Mauritius, where the population is concentrated, hosts the capital and largest city, Port Louis. The country spans and has an exclusive economic zone cov
AI overview
Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa, composed of several islands including the main island of Mauritius and Rodrigues, with its capital in Port Louis. The country is significant as part of the Mascarene Islands region in the Indian Ocean and maintains an exclusive economic zone of substantial size.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
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Country
- Capital
- Port Louis
- Population
- 1,243,741
- Region
Travel guide
Understand
thumb|Chamarel Falls The country consists of the main island of Mauritius and the smaller islands of Rodrigues, the Agalegas and the Cargados Carajos shoals. The British Indian Ocean Territory is claimed by Mauritius and recognised as part of Mauritius by the United Nations, but remains under de facto British control, so we do not cover it here.
Get in
thumb|upright=1.8|A map showing the visa requirements of Mauritius
Do
thumb|right|Climbing Le Pouce
Views — For a spectacular 360⁰ view of Port Louis and the north, climb Le Pouce or ‘the thumb', at 812 m (2,664 ft). It is an easy 2-hour climb from the village of Petit Verger (near St. Pierre), and takes another 2 hour to walk into Port Louis (map). The top of Signal Mountain also offers a spectacular view of Port Louis and the North. It is much easier to climb Signal Mountain from Labourdonnais Street as there is a tarred jogging track and it takes around 45 minutes to walk to the top. Starting from Saint Louis is also possible. Tour the Moka mountains — by quad bike, horse or 4-wheel drive at the accessible 1,500-hectare (3,700-acre) nature park of Domaine Les Pailles. Travel to the sugar mill and rum distillery by train or horse-drawn carriage before dining in one of four restaurants. Deep sea fishing — Mauritius is ideally positioned for game-fishing. Depending on the time of year it is possible to catch blue or black marlin, sailfish, wahoo, yellow fin tuna, giant trevally, dogtooth tuna, bonito, dolphinfish, sharks and many more. The majority of the big game fishing boats are well equipped with VHF radio, mobile telephone, GPS navigation system, radar, radio telephone, safety equipment, Penn International reels, life jackets, medical kits, fire extinguishers, flares, and all related fishing equipment such as fighting chairs and rods (usually 9). You can choose between half day and full day fishing trips . Big game …
Eat
Don't hesitate to go to the various restaurants around the island. Although many of them advertise a specific ethnic cuisine, like everywhere around the world they have their own mix of traditional and local. You might discover that 'fried rice' can have more than one flavor. thumb|Bengali rasagulas are very popular in Mauritius. Gastronomes will find a variety of flavors and aromas inherited from the different migrations through its history. Culinary traditions from France, India, China and Eastern Africa have been passed on through generations.
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Article
53 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Early history
- French Mauritius (1715–1810)
- British Mauritius (1810–1968)
- Independence and constitutional monarchy (1968–1992)
- Republic (since 1992)
- Geography
- Mauritius Island
- Rodrigues Island
- Chagos Archipelago
- St. Brandon
- Agaléga Islands
- Tromelin
- Chagos Archipelago territorial dispute
- Environment and climate
- Biodiversity
- Government and politics
- Administrative subdivisions
- Military
- Foreign relations
- Legal system
- Demographics
- Religion
- Languages
- Education
- Economy
- Financial services
- Tourism
- Transport
- Information and communications technology (ICT)
- Biomedical exports
- Culture
- Art
- Architecture
- Literature
- Media
- Music
- Cuisine
- Holidays and festivals
- Sports
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- Novels
- External links
- Government
- Geography
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Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, located about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon (Cargados Carajos shoals). The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, along with nearby Réunion (a French overseas department), are part of the Mascarene Islands. The main island of Mauritius, where the population is concentrated, hosts the capital and largest city, Port Louis. The country spans 2,040 square kilometres (790 sq mi) and has an exclusive economic zone covering approximately 580,000 square nautical miles (2,000,000 km; 770,000 sq mi).
The 1502 Portuguese Cantino planisphere has led some historians to speculate that Arab sailors were the first to discover the uninhabited island around 975, naming it Dina Arobi. Called Ilha do Cirne or Ilha do Cerne on early Portuguese maps, the island was visited by Portuguese sailors in 1507. A Dutch fleet, under the command of Admiral Van Warwyck, landed at what is now the Grand Port District and took possession of the island in 1598, renaming it after Maurice, Prince of Orange. Short-lived Dutch attempts at permanent settlement took place over a century aimed at exploiting the local ebony forests, establishing sugar and arrack production using cane plant cuttings from Java together with over three hundred Malagasy slaves, all in vain. When French colonisation began in 1715, the island was renamed "Isle de France". In 1810, the United Kingdom seized the island and under the Treaty of Paris, France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the United Kingdom. The British colony of Mauritius now included Rodrigues, Agaléga, St. Brandon, the Chagos Archipelago, and, until 1906, the Seychelles. Mauritius and France dispute sovereignty over the island of Tromelin, the treaty failing to mention it specifically. Mauritius became the British Empire's main sugar-producing colony and remained a primarily sugar-dominated plantation-based colony until independence, in 1968. The country became a republic in 1992 but retained the Privy Council of the United Kingdom as highest court of appeal.
Gallery (59)
On the map
3 mapped locations
Connections
Categories
1638 establishments in the Dutch Empire1968 establishments in AfricaCountries and territories where English is an official languageCountries and territories where French is an official languageCountries in AfricaCountries in East AfricaIsland countriesIsland countries of the Indian OceanMascarene IslandsMauritiusMember states of the African Union