Mauritius
Capital: Port Louis · Eastern Africa
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, located about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) off the southeastern coast of Africa, east of Madagascar.
Photo: Gabriel Barathieu, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Mauritius: Black River Gorges national Park, seen from observatory
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Maurícius , public beach at Cap Malheureux
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Did you know?
The 1502 Portuguese Cantino planisphere has led some historians to speculate that Arab sailors were the first to discover the uninhabited island around 975, naming it Dina Arobi. Called Ilha do Cirne or Ilha do Cerne on early Portuguese maps, the island was visited by Portuguese sailors in 1507. A Dutch fleet landed at what is now the Grand Port District and took possession of the island in 1598, renaming it after Maurice, Prince of Orange.
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The Blue Penny Museum in Port Louis, Mauritius
Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Etymology
The first historical evidence of the existence of the island now known as Mauritius is on a 1502 map called the Cantino planisphere which was smuggled out of Portugal, for the Duke of Ferrara, by the Italian 'spy' Alberto Cantino. On this purloined copy of a Portuguese map, Mauritius bore the name Dina Arobi or Dina Arobin (likely Arabic: دنية عروبي Daniyah 'Arūbi or corruption of دبية عروبي Dībah 'Arūbi).
In 1507, Portuguese sailors visited the uninhabited island after being blown off course from their route to India via the Mozambique channel.
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Old monument at Aapravasi ghat museum, Port Louis, Mauritius
Photo: आशीष भटनागर, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
The harbour front is still recognisable despite high rise buildings, motorised vehicles and huge crowds of people
Photo: Oderuth, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
History
The island of Mauritius was uninhabited before its first recorded visit by Arab sailors in the end of the 10th century. Its name Dina Arobi has been associated with Arab sailors who first discovered the island.
The Treaty of Tordesillas, designed to prevent conflict between Portugal and Spain, gave the Kingdom of Portugal the right to colonise this part of the world. In 1507, Portuguese sailors came to the uninhabited island and established a visiting base. Diogo Fernandes Pereira, a Portuguese navigator, was the first European known to land in Mauritius.
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Port Louis, Mauritius
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de · source
An Urbos 100-3 at Rose Hill Central Station, Mauritius
Photo: Yashveer Poonit, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Geography
The total land area of the country is 2,040 km2 (790 sq mi). It is the 170th largest nation in the world by size. The Republic of Mauritius comprises Mauritius Island and several outlying islands. The nation's exclusive economic zone covers about 2.3 million square kilometres (670,000 sq nmi; 890,000 sq mi) of the Indian Ocean, including approximately 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi) jointly managed with the Seychelles.
Mauritius is 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) off the southeast coast of Africa, between latitudes 19°58.8'S and 20°31.7'S and longitudes 57°18.0'E and 57°46.5'E.
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Battle of Grand Port Visible are, from left to right: HMS Iphigenia striking her colours (actually happened the next day) HMS Magicienne being scuttled by fire HMS…
Photo: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain · source
Dutch Mauritius and Malagasy slaves
Photo: Fenous, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Identifier : webofempirediary00wall ( find matches ) Title : The web of empire : a diary of the imperial tour of their Royal Highnesses the Duke & Duchess of Cornwall &…
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Chagos Archipelago territorial dispute
Mauritius has long sought sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, located 695 nautical miles (1,287 km; 800 mi) to the north-east. Chagos was administratively part of Mauritius from the 18th century when the French first settled the islands. All of the islands forming part of the French colonial territory of Isle de France (as Mauritius was then known) were ceded to the British in 1810 under the Act of Capitulation signed between the two powers.
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A mother sperm whale and her calf off the coast of Mauritius. The calf has remoras attached to its body.
Photo: Gabriel Barathieu, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
St. Louis, Mauritius: The ship Vigilant of the Mauritius Coast Guard
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Environment and climate
The environment in Mauritius is typically tropical in the coastal regions with forests in the mountainous areas. Seasonal cyclones are destructive to its flora and fauna, although they recover quickly. In 2011, Mauritius ranked second in a WTO global air quality index. It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.46/10, ranking it 100th globally out of 172 countries.
Situated near the Tropic of Capricorn, Mauritius has a tropical climate.
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Colorful umbrellas at Caudan Waterfront Mall, Port Louis, Mauritius
Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Emotional states of the first Indian labourers upon reaching the shores of Mauritius
Photo: Oderuth, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Government and politics
The politics of Mauritius take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic in which the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government, assisted by a Council of Ministers. Mauritius has a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Government. Legislative power is vested in both the Government and the National Assembly.
The National Assembly is Mauritius's unicameral legislature, which was called the Legislative Assembly until 1992, when the country became a republic.
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St. Louis, Mauritius: The old Mauritius Post Office; today part of the Mauritius Postal Museum
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
The Champ de Mars Racecourse in Port Louis, Mauritius
Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Demographics
In the 2022 census, Mauritius had a population of 1,235,260 (608,090 males, 627,170 females). The population on the island of Mauritius was 1,191,280 (586,590 males and 604,690 females), and that of Rodrigues island was 43,650 (21,330 males and 22,320 females). Agalega island's population was 330 (170 males and 160 females).
Mauritius has the second highest population density in Africa. In the 2022 census, the average age of the population was 38 years. The proportion of the populated aged below 15 years went down from 20.7% in 2011 to 15.4% in 2022, while the share of persons aged 60 years and over has risen from 12.7% to 18.7% in the same period.
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Vintage years of 1960s
Photo: Oderuth, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Education
The education system in Mauritius consists of pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. The education structure consists of two to three years of pre-primary school, six years of primary schooling leading to the Primary School Achievement Certificate, five years of secondary education leading to the School Certificate, and two years of higher secondary ending with the Higher School Certificate.
Secondary schools have "college" as part of their title.
The O-Level and A-Level examinations are carried out by the University of Cambridge through University of Cambridge International Examinations in collaboration with the MES.
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