Cool Facts About Mauritius

Until the Arabs sailor set foot on the soil of Mauritius in the Middle Ages, this island was a desolate pristine tropical Eden. After centuries of human advent into the island, the country has now grown into a fully vibrant multicultural island of peace, prosperity, and paradise. Experiencing Mauritius is like a peep into the world of unwinding and enchanting beauty and living the moment with a carefree spirit. The most developed among the Mascarene Islands, Mauritius also boasts of capital Port Louis as the wealthiest city in the African continent. Commonly associated with striking white sandy beaches and cobalt-blue unspoiled ocean waters, Mauritius has in fact more to offer than what a regular visitor can anticipate. The splendid natural beauty coupled with the island’s adventure sports options make Mauritius one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Africa. A society of multi ethnic backgrounds, the country offers a potpourri of Chinese, Indian, French, and African experience, all rolled into one. An experience that is indeed a sheer slice of heaven! But may be what makes Mauritius unique is the warm hospitality offered everywhere in the country by the people who are filled with serene charm and humility. Below are few interesting facts about the island nation of Mauritius.

 Fast Facts

Capital: Port Louis
Official Language: English
Demonym: Mauritian
Religion: Hinduism, Islam and Christianity
Legislature: Parliament
Independence: 12 March 1968
Republic: 12 March 1992
Area: 2,040 sq. km
Population: 1,286,340 (2011 estimates)
Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
National Bird: Golden Eagle
National Animal: Dodo

 Interesting And Fun Facts About Mauritius

• Located in the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar the main volcanic island of Mauritius is surrounded by coral reefs and has 20 other smaller islands under its administration.
• Mauritius comprises of many islands; major ones being the island of Rodrigues, the Agalega islands and the Cargados Carajos Shoals.
• Island of Mauritius was first discovered by Arabs sailors who named it as Dina Arobi. Cirne and Mascarenhas were the name given by Portuguese navigators, Diogo Fernandes Pereira and Dom Pedro Mascarenhas respectively.
• During the Dutch period, the island was named Mauritius in 1598 to honor Prince Maurits van Nassau.
• The Dutch introduced domestic animals, sugarcane, and deer in Mauritius. It was 1710, when Dutch abandoned Mauritius as the settlements never developed there.
• France that entered the island in 1715 named it Île de France, that means, island of France.
• Inspired by the Dodo, an endemic species of bird in Mauritius, Lewis Carroll wrote the famous book “Alice in Wonderland” in 1865.
• The life expectancy of Mauritanian citizen is 73 years that is among the highest in the world’s developing nations.
• 10 percent of the island’s territory consists of protected areas.
• The capital of Mauritius, Port Louis was set up in 1736 by the French East India Company. The capital is home to 40% of the national population.
• Besides being one of the oldest democracies in Africa, Mauritius is also one of the longest continuous democracies along with India, America, Canada, US, France, and Great Britain.
• Mark Twain has placed Mauritius above heaven by quoting, “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
• Mauritius does not have its own standing Army. The military, police, and security operations are supervised by the Commander of Police.
• The national animal of Mauritius, Dodo was extensively hunted by the early settlers for its meat. The bird is extinct now.
• Mauritius has some of the most spectacular beaches in the world, such as, Flic en Flac, Pereybere, Tamarin, Blue Bay, La Morne, Belle Mare, and Grand Bay.
• The Aapravasi Ghat and Le Morne Cultural Landscape are two of the world heritage sites in Mauritius..
• The four colors of the Mauritian national flag: red, blue, yellow, and green represent Suberbe Flamboyant tree, Indian Ocean, light of independence, the sunshine, and the island’s vegetation respectively.
• The national anthem of Mauritius “The Motherland” was written by Jean Georges Prosper in 1968. The anthem was composed by Philippe Gentil, who was the part of the Mauritius police band.
• English is the official language of Mauritius but French is the language for general communication.
• ‘Sega’ is the folk dance of Mauritius and has its origins in Africa. Recently, Reggae is being used as the background music for the dance form. This has given birth to the fusion music called ‘Seggae’.
• The currency of Mauritius is Mauritian Rupee.
• The highest point of Mauritius is Mount Piton that stands at 828m.
• The French occupation of Mauritius and Seychelles was given to the British in 1814, under the Treaty of Paris.
• Mauritius was declared a republic in the year 1992.
• Mauritius is a member of the Commonwealth Nations.
• ‘Republic of Mauritius’ is the official name for Mauritius.
• Bhojpuri, Creole, English, and French are the major languages of Mauritius.
• The leaf shaped island nation is one of the wealthiest and developed countries in the world.
• Most of the people in Mauritius are followers of Hindu faith followed by Roman Catholics, Christians of other denominations, and Muslims.
• Indo-Mauritian, Creole, Sino-Mauritian and Franco-Mauritian are among the main ethnic groups of Mauritius.
• Mauritius’s national flower is the Trochetia Boutoniana which blooms around the month of June and October.
• Mauritius’s first christened name was Revis islands.
• Mauritius is the most densely populated country in Africa and the 17^th most densely populated country in the world.
• Ibrahim Index of Governance ranks Mauritius highest for “Safety and Rule of Law” and “Sustainable Economic Opportunity”. While for “Participation and Human Rights” and “Human Development”, it stands at the second position.
• Mauritius is a member of World Trade Organization, the Commonwealth of Nations, La Francophonie, the African Union, the Southern Africa Development Community, the Indian Ocean Commission, COMESA, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
• Tourism, textiles, sugar, financial services, information and communication technology, seafood, hospitality, property development, healthcare, renewable energy, and education and training are the sectors that drive the economy of Mauritius.
• Mauritius has been ranked first for Ease of Doing Business among the African economies by the World Bank 2012 report.
• In 2012, at the World Travel Awards, Mauritius was presented with the World Leading Island Destination award and the World’s Best Beach Destination Award.
• The seven colored earth is one of the well-known attractions in Mauritius. It consists of seven different colored sand dunes, mainly, red, brown, violet, green, purple, blue, and yellow.