Everything you need to know about Mauritius: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more

Mauritius: Indian Ocean Country with Vibrant Natural Beauty

The Arab and Malay sailors first explored Mauritius in the 10th century but it was discovered only in the 16th century by the Portuguese. In the 17th century Dutch established the first foreign settlement in Mauritius and named it in honor of Prince Maurits van Nassaau. The strategic location of Mauritius overseeing the navigation route in Indian Ocean attracted many colonial powers like France who established their control in 1715 and later on introduced sugar cane plantation with the help of African slaves. During the Napoleonic Wars British seized the Mauritius from France. British developed Mauritius into strong naval and air base and its location played vital role during World War II. Mauritius became an independent nation in 1968.

Mauritius Profile: Overview of Facts and Figures

· National Name: The Republic of Mauritius
· Capital: Port Louis
· Total area: 2,040 sq km (788 sq miles)
· Population: 1.3 million (UN, 2008)
· Currency: Mauritian Rupee
· 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)
· Ethnicity/ Races: Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
· Religion: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
· GDP (Per Capita): $12,400 (2008 est.)
· Life Expectancy: Male: 70.28 years, Female: 77.4 years (2008 est.)
· Literacy Rate: Male: 88.4%, Female: 80.5% (2000 census)

The climate of Mauritius is tropical in nature. Winter is generally hot and humid. July is the coldest month and Feb is the hottest month. Mauritius receives plenty of precipitation between the months of Jan to March. Tropical cyclones are a common natural phenomenon of Mauritius.

Culture, Cuisine and Tradition of Mauritius:

Mauritius gives the reflection of European, Indian, Chinese and African cultures that have made Mauritian culture all the more rich and vibrant. In Mauritius one can see the representation of various cultures through churches, temples, mosques, Chinese pagodas and Buddhist temples. This multi-ethnic characteristic of Mauritius makes multi-lingual and multi-cultural land. Various festivals like Diwali, Id, and Christmas are celebrated in Mauritius.

The cuisines of Mauritius represent the preparation styles of the French, Chinese, Creole, Indian and indigenous African cuisines. The major Food in Mauritius is Camarons in hot prawns, Venison, Octopus, Gateaux piments or Chilly cakes and Dholl purri. Creole curry is a spicy cuisine served with fish, beef or chickens are popular recipe through out the country.

Mauritius Economy:
The Mauritian economy was previously dependent on sugar-based industries and later on textiles and recently financial services and tourism contribute the major part to Mauritius economy. The information and communication technology (ICT) based business process outsourcing and seafood export have emerged as important sectors in the Mauritius economy.

Tourist Attractions of Mauritius:
The beauty of Mauritius lie in the varieties of natural landscapes that ranges from magnificent waterfalls to vast expansion of coral reefs to silvery sandy beaches. The tropical forests nurtures varieties of flora and fauna on land while the vast expansion of sea remain the habitat of water species. The world-class facilities along with ample of scenic beauty makes Mauritius a front ranked tourist destination.

Port Louis: is the capital city and chief port of Mauritius. It is famous for its location between mountains that gives the panoramic view of sea and adjacent French style town. Port Louis is famous for its architectural supremacy reflected through its French styled buildings, churches and mosques.

Le Anx Cerfs: is famous for it beaches and lagoons. It is the best place in Mauritius that is known for its sunbathing, the water sports, restaurants and handicrafts.

· Black River George
· Pamplemonsses Garden
· Eureka House
· Domaine Les Pailles
· Curepipe