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| CIA Background Information |
Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.
| U.S. State Department Description |
Country Description:
The Republic of Mauritius is a small island nation of four inhabited and several other islands located in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Mauritius has a stable government and a diverse economy. Its per capita GDP of $6,300 is the second highest in Africa. Facilities for tourism are well developed. English is the official language of Mauritius, however Creole and French are also widely spoken. English may not be understood outside of main towns and tourist areas. The capital city is Port Louis. Read the Department of State Background Notes
on Mauritius ... Read this Article
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mauritian(s).
Population (2008): 1,274,189, including Rodrigues, Agalega, and St. Brandon. Density--612/sq. km.
Avg. annual population growth (2008): 0.8%.
Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritians 68%, Creoles 27%, Sino-Mauritians 3%, Franco-Mauritians 2%.
Religions: Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%.
Languages: Creole (common), French, English (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri.
Education: Years compulsory--11 (primary school). Attendance ( ... Read this Article
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Location: Mauritius is Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar See Map
Capital: name: Port Louis
geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Currency (Code): Mauritian rupee (MUR) ...More
Area: total: 2,040 sq km , land: 2,030 sq km , water: 10 sq km , note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)
Area Comparison: almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m , highest point: Mont Piton 828 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)
Population: 1,274,189 (July 2008 est.)
Unemployment: 8.8% (2007 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Religion: Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
Languages: Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
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| History
While Arab and Malay sailors knew of Mauritius as early as the 10th century AD and Portuguese sailors first visited in the 16th century, the island was first colonized in 1638 by the Dutch. Mauritius was populated over the next few centuries by waves of traders, planters and their slaves, ... Read this Article
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| Geographic Info for Mauritius : |
Geography
Area: 1,865 sq. km. (720 sq. mi.), about the size of Rhode Island; 500 miles east of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean.
Dependencies: Rodrigues Island, the Agalega Islands and Cargados Carajos Shoals; Mauritius also claims sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, where U.S. Naval Support ... Read this Article
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