Imagine a gem of an island with 160 kilometres of coastline almost entirely surrounded by spectacular coral reefs; think of sandy white beaches fringed with swaying palms. Now conjure up clear blue skies and the translucent waters of coastal lagoons - and you have Mauritius. The holidaymakers' dream come true ! For Mauritius, as you will find out for yourself, is more than just sun and sand. This cosmopolitan island nation is unique in the variety it offers to the traveller.
The island of Mauritius occupies a choice section of the Indian Ocean. It is situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, in latitude 20` south and longitude 57` 35' east of Greenwich. It is approximately 855 kilometres off the east coast of Madagascar, Africa being the neared continent with Mombasa some 1800 kilometres away. Mauritius is a volcanic island about 10 million years old - only 865 square kilometres in area. The Central Plateau reaches 800 m in altitude with the highest peak, Piton de la Riviere Noire hitting 828 m. The coastline of 330 kilometres is almost entirely surrounded by one of the largest unbroken coral reefs in the world.
American author Mark Twain visited Mauritius and described it as- "God Created Mauritius first and then modelled Paradise on it."
HISTORY
Mauritius was known to the early Arabs traders as it can be found marked on their maps, but the first visitors from Europe were the Portuguese who landed in 1510. The first attempt at colonisation was made by the Dutch who arrived in 1598 and named the island Mauritius after Prince Maurice of Nassau. They eventually abandoned their settlements in 1710.
The French occupied the island which they renamed Isle de France between 1715 and 1810 and many place names are reminders of this period. In 1810 with the British take-over, the name reverted to Mauritius. The abolition of slavery lead to the importation of Chinese and Indian indentured labourers, who were followed by traders of their own nationalities. Mauritius gained independence from Britain on 12 March 1968 and since then has been an independent sovereign nation within the British Commonwealth. On 12 March 1992, Mauritius became a Republic.
LANGUAGE
The official language is English - but the most widely spread is French and the local dialect, Creole. Teaching is in English but written and spoken press predominantly in French. Most Mauritians also speak their native language such as Hindi, Chinese, Urdu, Tamil, Telegu, Bhojpuri etc... |
