Key Facts about Mauritius

About Mauritius:

• It is an island country in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa.
• Land:
  • It lies about 500 miles (800 km) east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
  • Its outlying territories are Rodrigues Island, situated about 340 miles (550 km) eastward, the Cargados Carajos Shoals, 250 miles (400 km) north-eastward, and the Agalega Islands, 580 miles (930 km) northward from the main island. 
  • Mauritius also claims sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago(including Diego Garcia), some 1,250 miles (2,000 km) to the northeast, although this claim is disputed by Britain.
• Relief:
  • It is volcanic in origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs.
  • The northern part is a plain that rises to a central plateau. The plateau is bordered by small mountains that may have formed the rim of an ancient volcano.
• Climate: The climate is maritime subtropical, with fairly uniform temperatures throughout the year.
• Capital:  Port Louis
• Languages: English, French, Mauritian Creole, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Chinese, Marathi.
• Government:
  • Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968 as a Parliamentary Republic and has remained a stable democracy with regular free elections.
  • The chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. 
• Mauritius is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
• Population:
  • Approximately two-thirds of the population is of Indo-Pakistani origin, most of whom are descendants of indentured labourers brought to work in the sugar industry during the 19th and early 20th centuries. 
  • About one-fourth of the population is Creole (of mixed French and African descent), and there are small numbers of people of Chinese and Franco-Mauritian descent.
• Religion: About half of the population is Hindu, about one-third is Christian.