World > Africa > Mauritius

Introduction:

Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence 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 and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Official name: Republic of Mauritius Capital: Port Louis Government type: parliamentary democracy Population: 1,210,447 (July 2003 est.) Languages: English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri Official Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR) Currency code: MUR Area: total: 2,040 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues water: 10 sq km land: 2,030 sq km Climate: tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Map of Mauritius