Mauritius
Basic information
- Area: 2,040 km²
- Calling code: +230
- Population (EST): 1,264,866
- Official language: English, Mauritian Creole, French, Hindi, Telugu Tamil
- Time zone: MUT (UTC+4)
Overview
The Republic of Mauritius is situated in the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar and has a total population of approximately 1.2 million people. The capital, Port Louis, is located on the North West coast of the island of Mauritius and is the principal port as well as the administrative and economic centre of the country. Following its discovery by the Portuguese at the beginning of the 16th century, Mauritius changed hands between the Dutch, French and British before finally achieving independence in 1968 and then becoming a republic in 1992. Traditionally, agriculture, and especially the growing of sugar cane, has dominated the island`s economy and still accounts for a large proportion of export earnings. However, since independence the government has successfully developed the industrial and service sectors. The main products of the industrial sector include clothes, textiles, electronics and jewellery, while the service sector is based on tourism and financial services. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam international airport is situated less than 50 kilometres south east of Port Louis and is home to numerous regional and international airlines providing flights to the immediate region and beyond. Non-stop flights between Mauritius and London take about 11 hours 30 minutes. The commercial port at Port Louis lies on the shipping routes linking Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia and is capable of handling of a wide range of cargo.
