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Mauritius: country overview

Introduction

A sparkling pearl in a blue oyster might give some idea of the exquisite beauty of Mauritius. It is one of those rare creations of nature that epitomizes perfection, beauty and splendor to the last degree. Nature has generously bestowed Mauritius with her most precious of the gifts. It is no wonder then that people who visit this country once are enraptured by its magic and charm for rest of their lives.

Geography

Mauritius is an African nation that consists of a group of islands situated in the Indian Ocean. Situated between 19°50' and 20°32' of south latitude and 57°18' and 57°46' of east longitude, the country is about 900 km east of Madagascar and 4000 km south west of India.

Mauritius is a part of Mascarene Islands and also includes islands of St. Brandon, Rodriguez and Agalega Islands. The islands are of the volcanic origin and are believed to have been formed some 8 million years ago.

Mauritius extends 61 Km north south and 47 km east west with a total area of 2040 sq. km. The country has exclusive white beaches and surrounding coral reefs that gives it exceptional beauty from natural point of view.

Political

The official name of Mauritius is Republic of Mauritius. Its capital is Port Luis. There are 9 districts in Mauritius

  1. Black River
  2. Flacq
  3. Grand Port
  4. Moka
  5. Pamplemousses
  6. Plaines Wilhems
  7. Port Louis
  8. Rivière du Rempart
  9. Savanne

Along with these following are the dependencies of Republic of Mauritius

  1. Rodrigues
  2. Agalega
  3. Cargados Carajos Shoals also known as the Saint Brandon islands
  4. Chagos Archipelago
  5. Tromelin Island

Mauritius has parliamentary democracy and the government is elected for a period of 5 years. Prime minister and his council of ministers head the government. The titular head of government is the President.

People and Culture

Mauritius has a population of about 1.2 million people. It is a culturally very diverse society with different ethnic communities living together in harmony. Hindus form the bulk of the population with 52 % representation while Christians form 18 % of the population.

There are descendants of many nations that make up the population of Mauritius. The country is a melting pot of traditions of Indians, British, French and African origin people.

A French derived Creole language is the lingua franca of the country. However almost all the languages of India are also widely spoken and understood in the country.

Economy

Mauritius is the second richest nation of African continent. It has a very mature economy with a purchasing power parity of $ 12,800.

Earlier the country had an agricultural based economy. But over the period great industrial development has been achieved. Mauritius has a consistent GDP growth rate of around 5 %.

The country has well-developed infrastructure, transportation and communication network. The country has linkage with almost all the major airports of the world.