Mauritius is an island-country situated in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of the Africa and to the east of Madagascar. It comprises of a number of islands, including the main island of Mauritius, the island of Rodrigues, the Agalega islands and the Cargados Carajos Shoals. Apart from that, Mauritius also claims the Tromelin Island (in French possession) and the Chagos Archipelago (in British possession), as its own. The exquisite natural beauty of Mauritius, combined with adventure sports options it offers, is what makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa. In case you want to know more about the country, make use of the information provided below.
Fun & Interesting Facts about Mauritius
- The official name of Mauritius is the ‘Republic of Mauritius’.
- The main languages of Mauritius are Creole, Bhojpuri, French and English.
- Majority of the people in Mauritius are Hindus, followed by Roman Catholics, other Christians and Muslims.
- The main ethnic groups in Mauritius comprise of Indo-Mauritian, Creole, Sino-Mauritian and Franco-Mauritian.
- The currency of Mauritius is Mauritian rupee.
- The capital of Mauritius is Port Luis.
- Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in 1505, followed by the Dutch.
- Dutch claimed the island of Mauritius in the year 1598 and named it after Maurice de Nassau, the Prince of Orange.
- It was only around the beginning of the eighteenth century that French explored Mauritius and founded Port Louis.
- The highest point in Mauritius is formed by Mont Piton, at 828 m.
- French conceded Mauritius, along with the Seychelles, to Britain in 1814, under the Treaty of Paris.
- After slavery was abolished in Mauritius, indentured labor from India was made to work in the plantations.
- Mauritius gained independence in the year 1968. However, much before that, Britain had separated the Chagos islands (British Indian Ocean Territory) from it.
- Mauritius was formed into a republic in the year 1992.
- Mauritius is a member of the Commonwealth Nations.
- The University of Mauritius was founded in 1972.
- Mauritius is the most densely populated country in Africa and the 17th densely populated country in the world.
- Mauritius is one of the richest as well as the most developed countries in Africa.
- The national flower of Mauritius is the Trochetia Boutoniana (Boucle d'Oreille).
