Main religions
Hinduism, Christianism, Islam, Buddhism

Currency
Mauritian Rupee (MRs) = 100 cents.

Location
Mauritius is an island of volcanic origin situated in the south-west of the Indian Ocean at approximately 2000 km to the south-eastern coast of Africa. The island is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. Features like a vast central plateau, subtropical forests and mountain ranges characterise its land.

Climate
Mauritius has a maritime climate, tropical during summer and sub-tropical during winter. The average yearly temperature is 25oC during the day and around 13oC at night. The summer months extend from November to April and winter from June to September; October and May being transition periods. Rainfall varies according to the height above sea level, and ranges from 80 mm in October to 310 mm in February.

Heavy rains occur mainly from late December to the beginning of April. Cyclonic weather conditions prevail in summer, especially during the months of January and February.

Dependencies
The island has a number of small island dependencies located in the Indian Ocean. The largest one is Rodrigues situated at 560 kms to the North-East of Mauritius; others being St Brandon, Agaléga, and Tromelin. Other even smaller islands closer to its shores also form part of the Mauritian territory, among which a few are on long-term lease to private parties.

History of Mauritius
The island was known to the Arabs since the 10th century, but the first human settlement took place only towards late 16th century. The island was the scene of consecutive colonisations, namely by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French and British before gaining independence from Great Britain in 1968.

The French have left behind a strong cultural influence with French language being widely spoken and used in the media. The British gave Mauritius a Parliamentary structure based on the Westminster system, with elections being held every five years. Mauritius acceded to the status of Republic in 1992 (after gaining independence in 1968) while maintaining its membership within the Commonwealth.

Population
According to the last population census, there were 1, 238, 043 inhabitants in Mauritius in 2007. After high annual rates of growth of above 3% in the mid 1950s, the population now only rises on average by 1% annually.

Society
Mauritians are quite famous world wide for their congeniality and hospitality. Many visitors laud the warmth of the population in general. The various population movements during the last three centuries have made Mauritius a unique blend of different races, cultures and religions. People of diverse origins, namely Indian (Hindus and Muslims), African, European and Chinese, co-exist peacefully in the country.

Languages
Another legacy of the successive colonisations has been the prevalence of a multilingual society. Two dominant languages are fluently spoken and written, namely English, the official language, and French, mainly used in daily conversations. Other languages include Creole, as well as oriental languages like Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Tamil, Telegu & Marathi.

Culture
The diversity of the cultural life in Mauritius is quite astonishing. The Mauritian 'Sega', a traditional music inspired by the African dances from the time of slavery, the Mauritian cuisine, a blend of cuisines of the various cultures, and the colourful festivals of different religions throughout the year, constitute the mainstay of the Mauritian nation. In fact, the most important festivals of the four main religions in the island are celebrated on a national scale.

Constitution and Institution
Mauritius is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth. Fundamental human rights are guaranteed by the Constitution. Mauritius has a long tradition of parliamentary democracy.

Head of State
Prior to 1992, the Queen was the Head of State, represented in Mauritius by a Governor General. Since its change of status to that of Republic in 1992, the Head of the State is the President, who is appointed by the National Assembly on a motion made by the Prime Minister and supported by the vote of a majority of all the members of the Assembly. The President holds office for a five-year fixed term and is eligible for re-election.

National Legislature
Laws, affairs of the nation, and use of public funds are discussed in the National Assembly, the supreme law-making body of the country. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the President and led by the Prime Minister. The right to vote is granted at the age of 18 and general elections are held on a universal suffrage basis with a five-year mandate. The single-chamber National Assembly consists of 62 elected members plus eight best losers to maintain the ethnic balance.

Legal System
The legal system is a hybrid of the English Common law, the Code Napoléon and the 1968 Constitution. The judiciary, a Constitutionally independent body, is on the same level as the executive and the legislative, as is usually the case in most countries with a British legacy. The Constitution provides for the independence of the judiciary.

 

More information can be obtained from:

Ministry of Tourism, Leisure & External Communications: http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/tourist