The island of Mauritius occupies a choice section of the Indian Ocean. It is situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, in latitude 20º south and longitude 57º 35’ east of Greenwich. It is approximately 855 kilometres off the east coast of Madagascar, Africa being the neared continent with Mombassa some 1800 kilometers away. Mauritius is a volcanic island about 10 million years old - only 865 square kilometers 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 kilometers is almost entirely surrounded by one of the largest unbroken coral reefs in the world.

---

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. They used the island as a victualling stop on the way to Goa and Malacca but did not settle. 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 introduced sugar, Malagasy slaves and a herd of Javanese deer. But they were also heedlessly destructive and are said to be responsible for the disappearance of the magnificent ebony forests and the extinction of the famous dodo. 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, etc...

---

National Anthem

Glory to thee, Motherland,
O motherland of mine.
Sweet is thy beauty,
Sweet is thy fragrance,
Around thee we gather
As one people,
As one nation,
For peace, justice and liberty.
Beloved country, may God bless thee
For ever and ever.