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Republic of Mauritius
Republic of Mauritius; Repiblik Moris; République de Maurice
Flag	Coat of Arms
	Motto: "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" (Latin); "Star and Key of the Indian Ocean"
	Anthem: "Motherland"
Capital	Port Louis;
Official languages	English
Vernacular	English; Mauritian Creole; French
Government	Parliamentary Republic
Legislature	Parliament
Independence
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2011 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2011 estimate
HDI (2011)	0.701; high · 77th
Currency	Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Time zone	MUT (UTC+4)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Drives on the	left
Calling code	230
Internet TLD	.mu

For other uses, see Mu.

The Republic of Mauritius is an African country. Port Louis is its capital. Mauritius is also the name of the main island the country is on. In the 2000 census, the country had a population of 1,178,848 people.

The island of Mauritius is well known for being the only known home of the dodo.

Location

The island is in the southwest Indian Ocean. It is about 900 km (559 mi) east of Madagascar. The country includes the island of Mauritius as well as the islands of St. Brandon, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands along with the French island of Réunion 200 km (124 mi) to the southwest.

Flag

The Mauritian flag is made up of four colours of equal width. The colours represent the following:

Red represents freedom and independence,
Blue is for their Indian ocean which surrounds the island,
Yellow for the sun, and
Green for their agriculture.

History

Mauritius, an island of volcanic origin sheltered by barriers of coral reefs forming natural, safe, crystal clear lagoons, has long been a dream destination. Known to the Arabs as early as the 10th century, but officially explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch in the 17th century. The Dutch were the ones who named the island in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU. Mauritius was occupied successively by the Dutch (1598-1712) and later by the French (1715-1810). The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing the Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars through the Treaty of Paris. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later on, an air station playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. On 12 March 1968, Mauritius became Independent.

Related pages

Images

Map of Isle de France
The Battle of Grand Port between French and British naval forces, 1810
Champ de Mars Racecourse, Port Louis, 1880
Postage stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1954
Modern skyline of Port Louis
Ameenah Gurib, President since 2015
National Assembly building
Chamarel Falls
Cap Malheureux
The biggest island of the Archipelago, Diego Garcia is home to an American military base.
Tropical beach, Trou-aux-Biches
Mauritius ornate day gecko
Mauritius was the only known habitat of the extinct dodo, a flightless bird.
The Hindu festival of Thaipusam
Sugar cane plantation in Mauritius
The Seven Coloured Earths at Chamarel
A food market at Port Louis, Mauritius
The Maiden Cup in 2006

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