Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius
Coat of arms of Mauritius Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" (Latin) "Star and Key of the Indian Ocean"
Anthem: Motherland
Capital	Port Louis 20°10′S 57°31′E
Largest city	capital
Official languages	English1
Government	Republic
- President	Anerood Jugnauth
- Prime Minister	Navinchandra Ramgoolam
Independence	from the United Kingdom
- Date	March 12 1968
- Republic	March 12 1992
Area
- Total	2,040 km² (179th) 787 sq mi
- Water (%)	0.05
Population
- 2006 estimate	1,219,2202
- Density	616/km² 1,564/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$16.0 billion
- Per capita	$13,703
HDI  (2004)	0.800 (high)
Currency	Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Time zone	MUT (UTC+4)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+4)
Internet TLD	.mu
Calling code	+230

Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation off the coast of Africa in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 560 miles (900 km) east of Madagascar. Largely populated by Indian and Creole descendants of those brought in to work the sugar plantations, it has one of the highest per capita incomes in Africa. Mauritius aims to become the business hub of the Indian Ocean. New business opportunities in banking and the technology sector are being actively sought.

Geography

Map of Mauritius

In addition to the island of Mauritius, the republic includes the islands of St. Brandon, Rodrigues, and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion 200 km (125 mi) to the southwest and the island of Rodrigues 570 km to the east-northeast.

Together with Réunion and Rodrigues, Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands. This archipelago was formed in a series of undersea volcanic eruptions, as the African plate drifted over the Réunion hotspot. Mauritius and Rodrigues were formed 8-10 million years ago. They are no longer volcanically active, and the hotspot now rests under Réunion. The island of Mauritius itself is formed around a central plateau, with its highest peak in the southwest, Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire at 2,717 ft(828 m). Around the plateau, the original crater can still be distinguished from several mountains.

Satellite image of Mauritius, February 2003.

The local climate is tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; there is a warm, dry winter from May to November and a hot, wet, and humid summer from November to May. Cyclones affect the country from November to April.

The island's capital and largest city is Port Louis, in the northwest. Other important towns are Curepipe, Vacoas, Phoenix, Quatre Bornes, Rose-Hill and Beau-Bassin.

The island is well known for its exceptional natural beauty; "You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius," as Mark Twain noted in Following the Equator.

History

The first record of Mauritius comes from Arab and Malay sailors as early as the tenth century. Portuguese sailors first visited it in 1505 and established a visiting base, leaving the island uninhabited. Three ships of the eight in a Dutch fleet that was en route to the Spice Islands were blown off course during a cyclone and landed on the island in 1598. The Dutch named it in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau, the stadtholder (head of state) of the Netherlands. In 1638, the Dutch established the first of two settlements. Because of tough climatic conditions, including cyclones, and the deterioration of the settlement, they abandoned the island by 1710, leaving as a legacy the extinction of the dodo bird, ravaged ebony forests, and the introduction of sugarcane.

The French, who controlled the neighboring islands of Rodrigues and Réunion), seized Mauritius in 1715 and in 1722 established a settlement they named Ile de France (Isle of France). Under the French, the population increased and the economy, based on sugar, prospered, based on slave labor. Port Louis became a major shipping center. The French, however, harbored the mercenary pirates who preyed on British vessels laden withgold, precious gems, silk, and spices on their way to Britain from India. The British set out to gain military control of the island. Despite winning the famous Battle of Grand Port, Napoleon's only naval win over the British, the French were defeated by the British in the north of the island, at Cap Malheureux (Hapless Cape) three months later, and thus lost possession to the British in 1810. The 1814 Treaty of Paris formally awarded the island, with others, to Britain, but French remained the dominant culture as the plantation-owning Mauritians of French origin retained their holdings and influence. Slavery was abolished in 1835.

Mauritius became Britain's main sugar-producing colony, growing almost 10 percent of the world's sugarcane by the mid nineteenth century, though that role declined as other countries increased their production. Indentured workers were brought in from India to replace the slaves as cheap labor. By 1871, more than two-thirds of the population was Indian.

In the twentieth century, movements to improve labor laws and introduce political reforms began to be organized, a process that accelerated after World War II. A constitutional conference held in London in 1965 decided the island should become independent. One price would be to split the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory, so Britain could use the strategic islands for defense purposes in cooperation with the United States. Although the government of Mauritius agreed to the move at the time, subsequent administrations have laid claim to the islands, stating that the divestment was illegal under international law - a claim recognized by the United Nations. Mauritius attained independence in 1968 and the country became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1992.

A postcard c.1900-1910 showing the Port Louis theater.

Mauritius has been a stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, and has attracted considerable foreign investment. It has one of Africa's highest per capita incomes.

Politics

Mauritius is a parliamentary democracy based on the British model. The head of state of Mauritius is the president, who is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly, the unicameral Mauritian parliament. The National Assembly consists of 62 members elected directly by popular vote, with between 4 and 8 further members appointed from "best losers" election candidates to represent ethnic minorities, if underrepresented after the elections. The government is headed by the prime minister and a council of ministers.

The government is elected on a five-year basis. The most recent general elections took place on July 3, 2005, in all twenty mainland constituencies, as well as the constituency covering the island of Rodrigues.

Historically, elections have always had a tendency to adhere to a system comprising two major coalitions of parties.

Foreign affairs

Mauritius is part of the Indian Ocean Commission, the Southern African Development Community and the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie (French speaking countries), among others.

In 2006, Mauritius asked to be an observing member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) in order to become closer to those countries.

Districts and dependencies

The island of Mauritius itself is divided into nine districts:

Dependencies of Mauritius:

• Rodrigues, an island 560 kilometers northeast of Mauritius, which attained limited autonomy in October 2002. Had the status of the 10th administrative district of Mauritius before autonomy was attained.

• Agalega, two small islands about 933 kilometers (580 mi) north of Mauritius.
• Cargados Carajos Shoals, also known as the Saint Brandon islands, about 402 kilometers (250 mi) north of Mauritius.

Other Mauritian territories:

• Soudan Banks (including East Soudan Bank)
• Nazareth Bank
• Saya de Malha Bank
• Hawkins Bank

Mauritius also claims the following islands:

• In French possession: Tromelin Island, Île Saint-Paul, Île Amsterdam
• In Seychellois possession: Île Platte and Coëtivy Island
• In British possession: Chagos Archipelago

Economy

Skyline of Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius.

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been around 5-6 percent. This has been reflected in increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much improved infrastructure.

Estimated at $16.28 billion for 2005, Mauritius has the second highest GDP per capita in Africa. It is only exceeded by Equatorial Guinea, which derives most of its revenue from oil exports. Mauritius has a mature economy with a great deal of wealth distribution among its citizens. The economy is mainly dependent on sugarcane plantations, tourism, textiles, and services, but other sectors are rapidly developing as well.

Sugar cane is grown on about 90 percent of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25 percent of export earnings. However, a record-setting drought severely damaged the sugar crop in 1999. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa. Investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Economic performance during the period from 2000 through 2004 combined strong economic growth with unemployment at 7.6 percent in December 2004. France is the country's biggest trading partner, and has close ties with the country. It also provides technical assistance in various forms.

Mauritius is gearing towards becoming a duty-free island within the coming four years. Duty has been decreased (and for many products completely eliminated) for more than 1,850 products including clothing, food, jewelry, photographic equipment, audio-visual equipment, and lighting equipment.

The main motivations are to (1) Attract more tourists going to Singapore and Dubai, and, (2) give all Mauritians easier access to quality products at affordable prices.

A plan by ADB Networks calls for Mauritius to become the first nation to have coast-to-coast wireless internet access. The wireless hot spot currently covers about 60 percent of the island and is accessible by about 70 percent of its population. By the end of 2006, antennas should have provided access to 90 percent of the island, however, this has not yet happened.

Its biggest trading partners are France and the United Kingdom.

Mauritius ranks first in respect of FDI inflows to India among all the countries with cumulative inflows amounting to US $10.98 billion. Top sectors attracting FDI inflows from Mauritius (from January 2000 to December, 2005) are electrical equipment, telecommunications, fuels, cement and gypsum products and services sector (financial and non-financial).

As Mauritius opens to the world, aiming to transform itself into a competitive global business platform, the national investment promotion agency, the Board of Investment (BOI) has put at the service of the international business community a range of services, free of charge, to attract international investment and talents in the country.

Demographics

Mauritian society is highly multi-ethnic. Most of the island residents are the descendants of people from the Indian subcontinent. Mauritius also has large immigrant populations from continental Africa, Madagascar, France, Great Britain, and China, among other places.

The official language of Mauritius is English. All government administrative documents are therefore drawn up in English. Together with English, French is also used in instruction in the educational system. French, however, predominates in the media, both broadcast and printed as well as with business and in corporate affairs. Mauritian Creole, which is derived from French with influences from the other dialects, is widely spoken on the island and is considered the native tongue of the country. Creole was the language used by the African slaves to communicate with their French masters. Today, Creole is used in everyday life by all Mauritians. Hindi is also widely spoken, though restricted to the Indian community. Several other languages, including Arabic, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi and dialects of Chinese, such as Cantonese, Hakka and Mandarin, are also spoken. The Indian languages are spoken by descendants of the laborers brought from British India during the British rule.

The Indo-Mauritians (when the ethnic groups are combined) form approximately 70 percent of the total population, the remaining 30 percent being mostly Creoles. There are approximately 30,000 Mauritians of Chinese descent, from the Hakka, Mandarin, and Cantonese language groups. More than 90 percent of the Sino-Mauritian community are Roman Catholic; the remainder are largely Buddhist.

Small groups of foreign students from Europe or the Indian Ocean region are also present. The recent years have seen a steady flow of foreign workers, mostly Chinese women, into the textile industry, Indian workers in the construction industry and Taiwanese men in the harbor-related activities. Immigration policy does not provoke much debate in Mauritius, and the relative economic stability of the island is attracting more foreign workers.

The majority of Mauritians practice Hinduism (52 percent). Roman Catholic 28 percent, Islam (16.6 percent), Buddhism (2.5 percent), Adventist Protestants (2 percent), Sikhism (0.3 percent) and other religions are also followed.

Culture

Mauritian beach.

The cuisine of Mauritius is a blend of Indian Cuisine, Creole, Chinese and European. It is not uncommon for a combination of cuisines to form part of the same meal. The "cari poule" or chicken curry, for example, is a very popular dish. The "mine-frit" (Chinese fried noodles) and "niouk nien" (dumplings) are loved by all and readily bought by the Mauritian community either in restaurants or on the sidewalks of main streets. 'Alouda' (a milk-based drink with basil seeds) has become a typical Mauritian drink, and the 'dholl puri' can be considered a favorite with all communities.

The historical evolution of the rum industry in Mauritius is no less enriching than that of the Caribbean or that of South America.

Sugarcane was first introduced on the island when the Dutch colonized it in 1638. Even then, the propensity of making rum out of sugarcane was strongly recognized. Sugarcane was mainly cultivated for the production of “arrack,” a precursor to rum. Only much later, almost 60 years after, was the first proper sugar produced. However, it was during the French and English administration that sugar production was fully exploited. This highly contributed to the economic development of the island. It was Mr. Pierre Charles François Harel who initially proposed the concept of local distillation of rum in Mauritius, in 1850. In part due to his efforts, Mauritius today houses three distilleries (Grays, Medine & St Aubin) and is in the process of opening another three.

The sega is the local folklore music. Sega has African roots, and the music is produced using goat-skin percussion instruments called ravane and metallic clicks using metal triangles. The song usually describes the miseries of slavery and has been adapted nowadays as social satires to voice inequalities felt by the blacks. The rhythm, however, remains very festive and while the men are at the instruments, the Creole women gyrate in large fluid and revealing skirts with bright colors. Shows are regularly hosted in the coastal hotels.

Mauritius was the only known habitat of the extinct Dodo bird.

In 1847, Mauritius became the fifth country in the world to issue postage stamps. The two types of stamps issued then, known as the Red Penny and the Blue Penny are probably the most famous stamps in the world, being very rare and therefore also very expensive. When discovered, the island of Mauritius was home to a previously unknown species of bird, which the Portuguese named the dodo (simpleton), as they appeared not too bright. However, by 1681, all dodos had been killed by settlers or their domesticated animals. An alternate theory suggests that the imported wild boar destroyed the slow-breeding dodo population. Nevertheless, the dodo is prominently featured as a supporter of the national coat-of-arms (see image above).

File:Horse racing in Mauritius.JPG

Maiden 2006 Parade

Horse racing (April-December) is one of the most popular sports on the island and the electrifying ambiance at Port Louis (Champ de Mars), notably for the Maiden Cup (listed race), is unique in world racing.

The island has also given rise to a diversified literature, prominent in French, English, Creole, and Hindi languages.

International rankings

Organisation	Survey	Ranking
Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal	2006 Index of Economic Freedom	77 out of 157
Reporters Without Borders	Press Freedom Index (2005)	34 out of 167
Transparency International	Corruption Perceptions Index 2006	42 out of 163
United Nations Development Programme	Human Development Index 2006	63 out of 177

See also

Template:Mauritius-related topics

Miscellaneous topics

• Tertiary education in Mauritius
• University of Technology, Mauritius
• Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
• Air Mauritius - National Airline
• The Mauritius Scout Association

Notes and references

• Entry on Mauritius in the CIA World Factbook
• Dependencies of Mauritius

Further reading

• Dodd, Jan and Madeleine Philippe. Lonely Planet Mauritius Reunion & Seychelles. Lonely Planet Publications, 2004. ISBN 1-74059-301-4
• Lee, Jacques: Mauritius: Its Creole Language - The Ultimate Creole Phrase Book and Dictionary, Paperback 160 pages (August 15, 2005), Publisher: Nautilus, ISBN 0-9511296-4-3.
• Lee, Jacques: Sega: The Mauritian Folk Dance, Paperback 104 pages (December 1990), Publisher: Nautilus, ISBN 0-9511296-1-9
• Khal Torabully, Coolitude : An Anthology of the Indian Labour Diaspora (with Marina Carter, Anthem Press, London, 2002) ISBN 1843310031

External links

• Travel guide to Mauritius from Wikitravel
• Government of Mauritius (official site)
• Board of Investment, Mauritius (official site)
• Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (official site)
• {{{2}}} at the Open Directory Project
• Mauritius Weather Actual weather report from the Mauritius region.

Geographic locale

Countries of Southern Africa Angola · Botswana · Lesotho · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · South Africa · Swaziland · Zambia · Zimbabwe Countries of Africa Sovereign states Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt1 · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea-Bissau · Guinea · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Spain2 · Sudan · Swaziland · São Tomé and Príncipe · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Dependencies  |  Unrecognized British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (France) · Mayotte (France) · Réunion (France) · St. Helena3 (UK)  |  Puntland · Somaliland · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 1 Partly in Asia.  2 Mostly in Europe.  3 Includes the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.

International membership

Template:Southern African Development Community (SADC) Template:Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) Template:Indo-Iranian-speaking regions Template:Commonwealth of Nations

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