About Mauritius

Basic information

Capital	Port Louis
Government	Parliamentary Republic
Area	2 040 km2 (788 sq. miles)
Population	1.3 million (approx.)
Currency	Mauritian rupee (= 100 cents)
Main languages	English, French, Kreol morisien
Other spoken languages	Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri
Time zone	GMT + 4 hours
Calling code	+230

General information

A melting point of the world's oldest civilisations, Mauritius is a rare example of social peace and unity in a multi-cultural society. The population boasts origins from the European and African continents, as well as from India and China. With such a cosmopolitan legacy, no wonder our hospitality is legendary. Mauritius is also a safe place to live, Mauritians being naturally well-inclined and of a peaceful nature. All Mauritians enjoy freedom of expression and of religion. There is freedom of the press with the presence of dozens of dailies and weeklies.

Mauritius has also enjoyed enduring political stability ever since its early days as an independent nation born in 1968. The Government is democratically elected every 5 years. The Constitution is based on the Westminster Parliamentary model. Our successive governments have all shown strong and sustained commitment to a market-driven economy where free enterprise can flourish and foreign investment prosper.

Mauritius is situated in the south west Indian Ocean, slightly over the tropic of Capricorn, in latitude 20^o South and longitude 57^o East of Greenwich. It is 2,000 km off the east coast of Africa and some 855 km east of Madagascar.

An island of volcanic origin with an area of 2 040 sq. km, it is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. The land rises from coastal plains to a central plateau where it reaches a height of 670 meters. The plateau is bordered by three mountain ranges, the highest peak, the Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire, rising to 828 m.