About Mauritius

The map shows Mauritius, an island state south of the equator in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, about 910 km (565 mi) east of Madagascar. In addition to the main island of Mauritius, the national territory includes the island of Rodrigues and the more distant Cargados-Carajos Islands (St. Brandon) and the Agaléga Islands.

Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Réunion belong to the Mascarene Islands, with Mauritius being the largest. The island is around 61 km long and 45 km wide, with an area of 1,864 km²; in comparison, it is slightly smaller than Tenerife or about as big as Maui, Hawaii.

The Republic of Mauritius has a population of 1.37 million people (in 2020). The island state is the African country with the highest population density. Almost the entire population lives on the main island. The capital and largest city is Port Louis. The predominantly spoken language is Morisien, a French-based Creole; English and French are in use in tourism, administration, and education.

More about Mauritius


Climate
Mauritius is located in the southern hemisphere, and therefore the seasons are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere.
Mauritius is a tropical island, with average temperatures ranging from 23°C on the coast to almost 20°C at high altitudes.
Cyclones, tropical storm systems, can hit the island. The cyclone season lasts from mid-November to mid-May.


Geography
Mauritius is of volcanic origin and rests on the massive tectonic plate of Africa.
Together with French Réunion, the islands Mauritius and Rodrigues belong to the Mascarenhas Archipelago (French: Mascareignes), a group of islands in the Indian Ocean. The archipelago is shared between two countries, France and Mauritius.

The highest mountains on Mauritius are the Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire with 828 m, Pieter Both (820 m) and Le Pouce (811 m). The probably most famous mountain on the island is the 556 m high Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO world heritage site.

There are three national parks on the main island Mauritius. The Black River Gorges National Park is the largest.

The strategically important Chagos Archipelago belonged to the territory of Mauritius, but was excluded by Great Britain shortly before the foreseeable independence of Mauritius in 1965. The Chagos Atolls are the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, an underwater mountain range, which is also home to the Indian union territory of Lakshadweep, and the Maldives.

The largest of the Chagos atolls is Diego Garcia, today part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The United Kingdom evicted the inhabitants between 1967 and 1973 to allow the United States to build a military base on the island.