Mauritius#Holidays and festivals

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 {{langx|ar|دنية عروبي}} Daniyah 'Arūbi or corruption of {{lang|ar|دبية عروبي}} Dībah 'Arūbi).Toorawa, S. (2007). The medieval Waqwaq islands and the Mascarenes. Hassam Toorawa Trust, Port Louis, Mauritius{{Cite web|year=1502|title=Cantino Planisphere by anonymous Portuguese (1502) – Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, Modena, Italy, Public Domain|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26117950}}{{dubious|date=September 2024}} In 1507, Portuguese sailors visited the uninhabited island after being blown off course from their route to India via the Mozambique channel. The island appears with the Portuguese names Cirne (a typographical error where the 's' of the Portuguese 'Cisne' (Swan) became an 'r') or Do-Cerne (typo of 'do Cisne' meaning 'of' or 'belonging to the Swan') on early Portuguese maps, almost certainly from the name of a ship called Cisne which was captained by Diogo Fernandes Pereira in the 1507 expedition which discovered Mauritius and Rodrigues which he called ilha de Diogo Fernandes but poorly transcribed by non-Portuguese speakers as Domigo Friz or Domingo Frias.Clara Pinto Correia (2003) Return of the crazy bird: the sad, strange tale of the Dodo. New York: Springer. Diogo Fernandes Pereira may have been the first European to sail east of Madagascar island ('outer route' to the East Indies) rather than through the perceived safer route through the Mozambique channel, following the East African shore line.

In 1598, a Dutch squadron under Admiral Wybrand van Warwyck landed at Grand Port and named the island Mauritius, in honour of Prince Maurice van Nassau, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. Later the island became a French colony and was renamed Isle de France. On 3 December 1810, the French surrendered the island to the United Kingdom during the Napoleonic Wars. Under British rule, the island's name reverted to Mauritius {{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Mauritius.ogg|m|ə|ˈ|r|ɪ|ʃ|ə|s}}. Mauritius is also commonly known as Maurice ({{IPA|fr|mɔʁis|pron}}) and Île Maurice in French, as well as Moris ({{IPA|mfe|moʁis|pron}}) in Mauritian Creole.{{Cite web|title=Prime Minister's Office – Cabinet Decisions taken on 24 MAY 2019|url=http://pmo.govmu.org/English/News/Pages/Cabinet-Decisions-taken-on-24-MAY-2019.aspx|access-date=25 June 2019|website=pmo.govmu.org}}

{{Main|History of Mauritius}}

{{Main|Dutch Mauritius}}

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.

File:D._Pedro_Mascarenhas.jpg, Viceroy of Portuguese India and namesake of the Mascarene Islands.]]

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. He named the island "Ilha do Cisne" ("Island of the Swan"). The Portuguese did not stay long as they were not interested in these islands.{{Cite web|title=History|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx#dutch|access-date=22 January 2015|website=Government of Mauritius|archive-date=16 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016015207/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx#dutch}} The Mascarene Islands were named after Pedro Mascarenhas, Viceroy of Portuguese India, after his visit to the islands in 1512. Rodrigues Island was named after Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, who first came upon the island in 1528.

File:Het Tweede Boeck.jpg bird (2), 1601]]

In 1598, a Dutch squadron under Admiral Wybrand Van Warwyck landed at Grand Port and named the island "Mauritius" after Prince Maurice of Nassau (Dutch: Maurits van Nassau) of the Dutch Republic. The Dutch inhabited the island in 1638, from which they exploited ebony trees and introduced sugar cane, domestic animals and deer. It was from here that Dutch navigator Abel Tasman set out to seek the Great Southern Land, mapping parts of Tasmania, New Zealand and New Guinea. The first Dutch settlement lasted 20 years. In 1639, the Dutch East India Company brought enslaved Malagasy to cut down ebony trees and to work in the new tobacco and sugar cane plantations.{{Cite web|title=The slave trade on Mauritius|url=https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/mauritius/west-coast/le-morne-peninsula/slave-trade-mauritius|access-date=13 September 2020|website=Rough Guides|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001233138/https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/mauritius/west-coast/le-morne-peninsula/slave-trade-mauritius/}} Several attempts to establish a colony permanently were subsequently made, but the settlements never developed enough to produce dividends, causing the Dutch to abandon Mauritius in 1710.{{Cite web|title=History of Mauritius|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English//DOCUMENTS/PAMPHLET%20STRIPPED.PDF|access-date=22 January 2015|website=Government of Mauritius}} A

1755 article in the English Leeds Intelligencer claims that the island was abandoned due to the large number of long tailed macaque monkeys "which destroyed everything in it," and that it was also known at the time as the Island of Monkeys.{{Cite news|date=22 July 1755|title=Sunday's Post|work=Leeds Intelligencer|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000236/17550722/006/0002|access-date=4 July 2021|quote=The Island of Mauritius, which is also named the Island of Monkeys, on account of the Multitude of those Animals which destroyed everything in it, was discovered in 1698 by the Dutch, who named it Mauritius, of Maurice, of Orange, and quitted it by reason of the great Number of Monkeys on it.}} Portuguese sailors had brought these monkeys to the island from their native habitat in Southeast Asia, prior to Dutch rule.{{Cite web|title=Macaque monkeys on Mauritius, a sad monkey's tale|url=https://earthtimes.org/conservation/macaque-monkeys-mauritius-sad-monkey-tale/1501/|access-date=12 March 2023|website=earthtimes.org|date=11 October 2011}}

{{Main|Isle de France (Mauritius)}}

France, which already controlled neighbouring Île Bourbon (now Réunion), took control of Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it Isle de France. In 1723, the Code Noir was established to regulate slavery; it categorised one group of human beings as "goods", allowing the owner of these "goods" to be able to obtain insurance money and compensation in case of loss of his "goods".{{Cite web|url=http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615081832/http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 June 2016|title=USIP}} The 1735 arrival of French governor Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais coincided with the development of a prosperous economy based on sugar production. Mahé de La Bourdonnais established Port Louis as a naval base and a shipbuilding centre. Under his governorship, numerous buildings were erected, a number of which are still standing. These include part of Government House, the Château de Mon Plaisir, and the Line Barracks, the headquarters of the police force. The island was under the administration of the French East India Company, which maintained its presence until 1767.

During the French rule, slaves were brought from parts of Africa such as Mozambique and Zanzibar.{{Cite book|title=Creating the Creole Island: Slavery in Eighteenth-Century Mauritius|date=2005|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-3402-6|pages=277–304|chapter=Notes|doi=10.1215/9780822386919-011 }} As a result, the island's population rose dramatically from 15,000 to 49,000 within thirty years.

Slave traders from Madagascar - Sakalava or Arabs - bought slaves from slavers in the Arab Swahili coast or Portuguese Mozambique and stopped at Seychelles for supplies before shipping the slaves to the slave markets of Mauritius, Réunion and India.The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean. (2003). Storbritannien: Africa World Press. p. 65-68

Of the 80,000 slaves imported to Réunion and Mauritius between 1769 and 1793, 45% was provided by slave traders of the Sakalava people in North West Madagascar, who raided East Africa and the Comoros for slaves, and the rest was provided by Arab slave traders who bought slaves from Portuguese Mozambique and transported them to Réunion via Madagascar.Asian and African Systems of Slavery. (1980). Storbritannien: University of California Press. p. 75-76

During the late eighteenth century, African slaves accounted for around 80 percent of the island's population, and by the early nineteenth century there were 60,000 slaves on the island. In early 1729, Indians from Pondicherry, India, arrived in Mauritius aboard the vessel La Sirène. Work contracts for these craftsmen were signed in 1734 at the time when they acquired their freedom.{{Cite web|date=5 February 2004|title=Tamouls, les racines de l'histoire|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/tamouls-les-racines-de-lhistoire|access-date=5 February 2004|website=L'Express}}

File:Combat de Grand Port mg 9425.jpg between French and British naval forces, 20–27 August 1810]]

From 1767 to 1810, except for a brief period during the French Revolution when the inhabitants set up a government virtually independent of France, the island was controlled by officials appointed by the French government. Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre lived on the island from 1768 to 1771, then went back to France, where he wrote Paul et Virginie, a love story that made the Isle de France famous wherever the French language was spoken. In 1796 the settlers broke away from French control when the government in Paris attempted to abolish slavery.{{Cite news|date=25 February 2019|title=Mauritius profile – Timeline|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13882731|access-date=25 February 2019}} Two famous French governors were the Vicomte de Souillac (who constructed the Chaussée in Port LouisPort Louis, A tropical City, Auguste Toussaint. {{ISBN|0 04 969001 9}} and encouraged farmers to settle in the district of Savanne) and Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux (who saw to it that the French in the Indian Ocean should have their headquarters in Mauritius instead of Pondicherry in India).A short History of Mauritius, P.J. Barnwell & A. Toussaint Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen was a successful general in the French Revolutionary Wars and, in some ways, a rival of Napoléon I. He ruled as Governor of Isle de France and Réunion from 1803 to 1810. British naval cartographer and explorer Matthew Flinders was arrested and detained by General Decaen on the island from 1803 to 1810,{{Cite web|date=18 December 2015|title=From Terra Australis to Australia Matthew Flinders' journeys|url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/terra-australis-australia/matthew-flinders-journeys|access-date=14 September 2020|publisher=State Library of NSW}}{{Cite web|last=Moheeputh|first=Anand|date=24 October 2003|title=Matthew Flinders, an illustrious prisoner|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/matthew-flinders-illustrious-prisoner|access-date=24 October 2003|website=L'Express}} in contravention of an order from Napoléon. During the Napoleonic Wars, Mauritius became a base from which French corsairs organised successful raids on British commercial ships. The raids continued until 1810, when a Royal Navy expedition led by Commodore Josias Rowley, R.N., an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, was sent to capture the island. Despite winning the Battle of Grand Port against the British, the French could not prevent the British from landing at Cap Malheureux three months later. They formally surrendered the island on the fifth day of the invasion, 3 December 1810, on terms allowing settlers to keep their land and property and to use the French language and law of France in criminal and civil matters. Under British rule, the island's name reverted to Mauritius.

{{Main|British Mauritius}}

File:Isle of France, 2 December 1810.jpg on 2 December 1810]]

File:Visual Art of the first indentured Indian labourers arriving in Mauritius (1834).jpg

The British administration, which began with Sir Robert Farquhar as its first governor, oversaw rapid social and economic changes. However, it was tainted by the Ratsitatane episode. Ratsitatane, nephew of King Radama of Madagascar, was brought to Mauritius as a political prisoner. He managed to escape from prison and plotted a rebellion that would free the island's slaves. He was betrayed by his associate Laizaf and was caught by a group of militiamen and summarily executed.{{Cite book|last=Carter|first=Marina|title=Murder and Mayhem in Mauritius: Historical Crime Stories|date=19 January 2015|publisher=Pink Pigeon Press}}A New Comprehensive History of Mauritius, Sydney Selvon, 2012. {{ISBN|978-99949-34-91-1}}

In 1832, d'Épinay launched the first Mauritian newspaper (Le Cernéen), which was not controlled by the government. In the same year, there was a move by the procureur-general to abolish slavery without compensation to the slave owners. This gave rise to discontent, and, to check an eventual rebellion, the government ordered all the inhabitants to surrender their arms. Furthermore, a stone fortress, Fort Adelaide, was built on a hill (now known as the Citadel hill) in the centre of Port Louis to quell any uprising. Slavery was gradually abolished over several years after 1833, and the planters ultimately received two million pounds sterling in compensation for the loss of their slaves, who had been imported from Africa and Madagascar during the French occupation.{{Cite web|title=Mauritius: Sugar, indentured labour and their consequences (1835–1910)|url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/mauoverview5.htm|access-date=20 September 2020|publisher=EISA}}{{Cite web|title=Legacies of British Slave-ownership project|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/search/|access-date=7 July 2021|publisher=University College London}} The abolition of slavery had important effects on Mauritius's society, economy and population. The planters brought a large number of indentured labourers from India to work in the sugar cane fields. Between 1834 and 1921, around half a million indentured labourers were present on the island. They worked on sugar estates, factories, in transport and on construction sites. Additionally, the British brought 8,740 Indian soldiers to the island. Aapravasi Ghat, in the bay at Port Louis and now a UNESCO site, was the first British colony to serve as a major reception centre for indentured servants. The labourers brought from India were not always fairly treated, and a Frenchman of German origin, Adolphe de Plevitz, made himself the unofficial protector of these immigrants. In 1871 he helped them to write a petition that was sent to Governor Gordon. A commission was appointed and recommended several measures that would affect the lives of Indian labourers during the next fifty years.

In 1885, a new constitution was introduced. It was referred to as Cens Démocratique and it incorporated some of the principles advocated by one of the Creole leaders, Onésipho Beaugeard. It created elected positions in the Legislative Council – although the franchise was restricted mainly to the white French and fair-skinned Indian elite who owned real estate. In 1886, Governor John Pope Hennessy nominated Gnanadicarayen Arlanda as the first ever Indo-Mauritian member of the ruling council – despite the sugar oligarchy's preference for rival Indo-Mauritian Emile Sandapa. Arlanda served until 1891.{{Cite web|date=30 September 2012|title=Nominated members pioneered by Pope Hennessy|url=https://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/politique/deputes-correctifs-nomines-gouverneur-john-pope-hennessy-en-fut-pionnier-avec-choix-conteste/114085/|access-date=30 September 2012|publisher=Le Mauricien}} In 1903, motorcars were introduced in Mauritius, and in 1910, the first taxis came into service. The electrification of Port Louis took place in 1909, and in the same decade the Mauritius Hydro Electric Company of the Atchia Brothers was authorised to provide power to the towns of upper Plaines Wilhems.

File:Numa Desjardins Champ de Mars Port Louis 1880.jpg, Port Louis, 1880]]

File:The web of empire - a diary of the imperial tour of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York in 1901 (1902) (14763807672).jpg and Queen Mary) to Mauritius, 1901]]

The 1910s were a period of political agitation. The rising middle class (made up of doctors, lawyers, and teachers) began to challenge the political power of the sugar cane landowners. Eugène Laurent, mayor of Port Louis, was the leader of this new group; his party, Action Libérale, demanded that more people should be allowed to vote in the elections. Action Libérale was opposed by the Parti de l'Ordre, led by Henri Leclézio, the most influential of the sugar magnates. In 1911, there were riots in Port Louis due to a false rumour that Laurent had been murdered by the oligarchs in Curepipe. This became known as the 1911 Curepipe riots. Shops and offices were damaged in the capital, and one person was killed.Mauritius in the making across the censuses 1846–2000, Monique Dinan. {{ISBN|99903-904-6-0}} In the same year, 1911, the first public cinema shows took place in Curepipe, and, in the same town, a stone building was erected to house the Royal College. In 1912, a wider telephone network came into service, used by the government, business firms, and a few private households.

World War I broke out in August 1914. Many Mauritians volunteered to fight in Europe against the Germans and in Mesopotamia against the Turks. But the war affected Mauritius much less than the wars of the eighteenth century. In fact, the 1914–1918 war was a period of great prosperity, due to a boom in sugar prices. In 1919, the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate came into being, which included 70% of all sugar producers.{{Cite web|title=Republic of Mauritius- History|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx|access-date=29 May 2020|website=govmu.org|archive-date=16 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016015207/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx}} The 1920s saw the rise of a "retrocessionism" movement, which favoured the retrocession of Mauritius to France. The movement rapidly collapsed because none of the candidates who wanted Mauritius to be given back to France were elected in the 1921 elections. In the post-war recession, there was a sharp drop in sugar prices. Many sugar estates closed down, marking the end of an era for the sugar magnates who had not only controlled the economy but also the political life of the country.

From the end of nominated Arlanda's term in 1891, until 1926, there had been no Indo-Mauritian representation in the Legislative Council. However, at the 1926 elections, Dunputh Lallah and Rajcoomar Gujadhur became the first Indo-Mauritians to be elected to the Legislative Council. At Grand Port, Lallah won over rivals Fernand Louis Morel and Gaston Gebert; at Flacq, Gujadhur defeated Pierre Montocchio.{{Cite web|date=2 July 2005|title=Gujadhur and Lallah: Shock waves (1926)|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/gujadhur-and-lallah-shock-waves-1926|access-date=2 July 2005|website=L'Express}} 1936 saw the birth of the Labour Party, launched by Maurice Curé. Emmanuel Anquetil rallied the urban workers while Pandit Sahadeo concentrated on the rural working class.{{Cite web|last=Peerthum|first=Satyendra|date=18 February 2004|title=The birth of the Mauritian Labour Party|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/birth-mauritian-labour-party|access-date=18 February 2004|website=L'Express}} The Uba riots of 1937 resulted in reforms by the local British government that improved labour conditions and led to the un-banning of labour unions.{{Cite journal|last=Storey|first=William Kelleher|year=1995|title=Small-Scale Sugar Cane Farmers and Biotechnology in Mauritius: The "Uba" Riots of 1937|journal=Agricultural History|volume=69|issue=2|pages=163–176|jstor=3744263}}{{Cite journal|last1=Croucher|first1=Richard|last2=Mcilroy|first2=John|date=1 July 2013|title=Mauritius 1937: The Origins of a Milestone in Colonial Trade Union Legislation|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258935447|journal=Labor History|volume=54|issue=3|pages=223–239|doi=10.1080/0023656X.2013.804268|access-date=18 August 2018|s2cid=144176332|issn=0023-656X }} Labour Day was celebrated for the first time in 1938. More than 30,000 workers sacrificed a day's wage and came from all over the island to attend a giant meeting at the Champ de Mars.L'ile Maurice: Vingt-Cinq leçons d'Histoire (1598–1998), Benjamin Moutou. {{ISBN|99903-929-1-9}} Following the dockers' strikes, trade unionist Emmanuel Anquetil was deported to Rodrigues, Maurice Curé and Pandit Sahadeo were placed under house arrest, whilst numerous strikers were jailed. Governor Sir Bede Clifford assisted Mr Jules Leclezio of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate to counter the effects of the strike by using alternative workers known as 'black legs'.{{Cite web|title=Report of Truth and Justice Commission|url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615081832/http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 June 2016|access-date=25 October 2011|publisher=Government of Mauritius|ref=ISBN 978-99903-1-025-2}}

At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, many Mauritians volunteered to serve under the British flag in Africa and the Near East, fighting against the German and Italian armies. Mauritius was never really threatened, but in 1943, several British ships were sunk outside Port Louis by German submarines. In the initial stages of the war, locally recruited military formations were raised in order to defend the country in case the British imperial troops had to leave. On 24 March 1943, the Mauritius Regiment, was created as an imperial unit and a new subsidiary of the East Africa Command (EAC). In late 1943, the 1st Battalion of the Mauritius Regiment (1MR) was sent to Madagascar for training, and in their place a battalion of the King's African Rifles (KAR) was stationed in Mauritius. The dispatch of the 1MR proved to be politically unpopular on the basis of some troops resenting conscription and the battalion overseas comprising solely non-white troops, exacerbating racial tensions in the country. The 1MR troops were further aggrieved at the segregation they were subject to, unequal pay, physically demanding training, and were fearful of the Japanese soldiers, all these factors culminated in the 1MR mutinying.{{Cite journal|last=Jackson|first=Ashley|title=The Madagascar Mutiny of the First Battalion the Mauritius Regiment, December 1943|year=2002|journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research|volume=80|issue=323|pages=232–250|jstor=44230830|issn=0037-9700}}

During World War II, conditions were hard in the country; the prices of commodities doubled but workers' salaries increased only by 10 to 20 percent. There was civil unrest, and the colonial government censored all trade union activities. However, the labourers of Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate went on strike on 27 September 1943.{{Cite news|last=Karghoo|first=Christophe|title=Mémoire vivante|publisher=5plus.mu|agency=5Plus Dimanche|url=https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263|access-date=27 September 2003|archive-date=6 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606205902/https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263|url-status=dead}} Police officers eventually fired directly at the crowd, resulting in the deaths of four labourers.{{Cite news|last=Peerthum|first=Satteeanund|title=Tribute to the Martyrs of Belle Vue Harel|work=L'Express|publisher=lexpress.mu|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/tribute-martyrs-belle-vue-harel|access-date=3 September 2003}} This became known as the 1943 Belle Vue Harel Massacre.Our Struggle, 20th Century Mauritius, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Anand Mulloo{{Cite web|date=October 2007|title=The historical significance of Anjalay Coopen|url=http://www.lexpress.mu/node/203804/|access-date=22 January 2015|website=L'Express}} Social worker and leader of the Jan Andolan movement Basdeo Bissoondoyal organised the funeral ceremonies of the four dead labourers.{{Cite news|last1=Peerthum|first1=Satteeanund|last2=Peerthum|first2=Satyendra|title=Labour Day: Remembering the Martyrdom of Anjalay|work=L'Express|publisher=lexpress.mu|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/labour-day-remembering-martyrdom-anjalay|access-date=28 April 2005}} Three months later, on 12 December 1943, Bissoondoyal organised a mass gathering at "Marie Reine de la Paix" in Port Louis, and the significant crowd of workers from all over the island confirmed the popularity of the Jan Andolan movement.{{Cite web|last=Soobarah|first=Paramanund|date=29 April 2019|title=MBC defeats a government initiative|url=http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/the-mbc-defeats-a-government-initiative/|access-date=29 April 2019|website=Mauritius Times}}

After the proclamation of the 1947 Constitution of Mauritius, the general elections were held on 9 August 1948 – and, for the first time, the colonial government expanded the franchise to all adults who could write their name in one of the island's 19 languages, abolishing the previous gender and property qualifications.{{Cite web|title=Mauritius – Toward Independence|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-8615.html|access-date=12 March 2023|website=country-data.com}}{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Mauritius: The road to independence (1945–1968)|encyclopedia=African Democracy Encyclopaedia Project|publisher=Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa|url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/mauoverview7.htm|access-date=1 July 2021|date=September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508100629/https://www.eisa.org/wep/mauoverview7.htm|archive-date=8 May 2021|url-status=live}} Guy Rozemont's Labour Party won the majority of the votes with 11 of the 19 elected seats won by Hindus. However, the Governor-General Donald Mackenzie-Kennedy appointed 12 Conservatives to the Legislative Council on 23 August 1948 to perpetuate the predominance of white Franco-Mauritians.{{London Gazette|issue=38395|page=4816 |title=Colonial Office, The Church House |date=3 September 1948}} In 1948, Emilienne Rochecouste became the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council.Ramola Ramtohul (2009) [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283122722_Engendering_Mauritian_History_The_Hidden_Controversies_over_Female_Suffrage Engendering Mauritian History: The HiddenControversies over Female Suffrage] Afrika Zamani, No. 17, pp63–80 Guy Rozemont's party bettered its position in 1953, and, on the strength of the election results, demanded universal suffrage. Constitutional conferences were held in London in 1955 and 1957, and the ministerial system was introduced. Voting took place for the first time on the basis of universal adult suffrage on 9 March 1959. The general election was again won by the Labour Party, led this time by Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.{{Cite news|title=Histoire: Mauritius Independence 1961–1968|work=Le Mauricien=9 March 2014|url=http://www.lemauricien.com/article/histoire-mauritius-independence-1961-1968|access-date=9 September 2014}}

A Constitutional Review Conference was held in London in 1961, and a programme of further constitutional advance was established. The 1963 election was won by the Labour Party and its allies. The Colonial Office noted that politics of a communal nature was gaining ground in Mauritius and that the choice of candidates (by parties) and the voting behaviour (of electors) were governed by ethnic and caste considerations. Around that time, two eminent British academics, Richard Titmuss and James Meade, published a report of the island's social problems caused by overpopulation and the monoculture of sugar cane. This led to an intense campaign to halt the population explosion, and the decade registered a sharp decline in population growth.{{cite book|first=Adele|last=Simmons|title=Modern Mauritius: The Politics of Decolonization|publisher=Indiana University Press|location=Bloomington|year=1982|isbn=978-0-25338-658-8|page=145}}

In early 1965, a political assassination took place in the suburb of Belle-Rose, in the town of Quatre Bornes, where Labour activist Rampersad Surath was beaten to death by thugs of rival party Parti Mauricien.{{Cite news|title=Sécurité: des gros bras indispensables à certains politiciens|work=L'Express|publisher=lexpress.mu|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/350433/securite-gros-bras-indispensables-certains-politiciens|access-date=2 April 2019}}{{Cite news|last=Li Ching Hum|first=Philip|title=Belle Rose-Quatre Bornes, Ville des Fleurs|work=Mauritius Times|url=http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/belle-rose-quatre-bornes-ville-des-fleurs/|access-date=22 December 2017}} On 10 May 1965, racial riots broke out in the village of Trois Boutiques near Souillac and progressed to the historic village of Mahébourg. A nationwide state of emergency was declared on the whole British colony. The riot was initiated by the murder of Police Constable Beesoo in his vehicle by a Creole gang. This was followed by the murder of a civilian named Mr. Robert Brousse in Trois Boutiques.{{Cite news|last=Li Ching Hum|first=Philip|date=9 March 2018|title=The downside of freedom|publisher=Defimedia|agency=Le Defi|url=https://defimedia.info/downside-freedom|access-date=9 March 2018}} The Creole gang then proceeded to the coastal historic village of Mahébourg to assault the Indo-Mauritian spectators who were watching a Hindustani movie at Cinéma Odéon. Mahébourg police recorded nearly 100 complaints of assaults on Indo-Mauritians.{{Cite web|date=18 July 2014|title=Port Louis – Rioting against Independence at the General Elections of 1967 – Vintage Mauritius|url=http://vintagemauritius.org/port-louis/port-louis-rioting-independence-general-elections-1967/|access-date=15 August 2018|website=Vintage Mauritius|language=en-US}}

{{Main|Independence of Mauritius}}

{{See also|Mauritius (1968–1992)}}File:Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.jpg, first Prime Minister of Mauritius at Lod airport, Israel 1962]]

At the Lancaster Conference of 1965, it became clear that Britain wanted to relieve itself of the colony of Mauritius. In 1959, Harold Macmillan had made his famous "Wind of Change Speech" in which he acknowledged that the best option for Britain was to give complete independence to its colonies. Thus, since the late fifties, the way was paved for independence.{{Cite news|date=12 March 2014|title=Why independence was irresistible (by Anand Moheeputh)|work=L'Express|url=http://www.lexpress.mu/node/243359/}}

Later in 1965, after the Lancaster Conference, the Chagos Archipelago was excised from the territory of Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). A general election took place on 7 August 1967, and the Independence Party obtained the majority of seats. In January 1968, six weeks before the declaration of independence the 1968 Mauritian riots occurred in Port Louis leading to the deaths of 25 people.{{Cite web|date=6 October 2011|title=An eye witness account of the 1968 riots|url=http://www.mauritiusmag.com/?p=598|access-date=15 August 2018|website=mauritiusmag.com|language=en-US|archive-date=16 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816030958/http://www.mauritiusmag.com/?p=598}}{{Cite web|title=EISA Mauritius: The road to independence (1945–1968)|url=https://www.eisa.org.za/wep/mauoverview7.htm|access-date=15 August 2018|website=eisa.org.za}}

File:Stamp Mauritius 1954 5c.jpg was Queen of Mauritius from 1968 to 1992.]]

Mauritius adopted a new constitution, and independence was proclaimed on 12 March 1968. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam became the first prime minister of an independent Mauritius – with Queen Elizabeth II remaining head of state as Queen of Mauritius.

In 1969, the opposition party, Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), was founded, led by Paul Bérenger. Later, in 1971, the MMM – backed by unions – called a series of strikes in the port, which caused a state of emergency in the country.{{Cite news|title=Mauritius profile|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13882731|access-date=27 November 2012}}

The coalition government of the Labour Party and the PMSD (Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate) reacted by curtailing civil liberties and curbing freedom of the press. Two unsuccessful apparent assassination attempts were made against Paul Bérenger in 1971, killing his supporter Fareed Muttur{{Cite web|title=Déjeuner à Rose Hill: Fareed Muttur est mort à ma place|date=18 July 2017|url=https://www.lemauricien.com/le-mauricien/dejeuner-rose-hill-fareed-muttur-mort-ma-place-declare-paul-berenger/151890/|access-date=18 July 2017|publisher=Le Mauricien}} and dock worker and activist Azor Adélaïde.{{Cite news|date=25 June 2015|title=Affaire Azor Adélaïde|work=Le Mauricien|url=http://www.lemauricien.com/article/affaire-azor-adelaide-reedition-du-livre-d-eric-bahloo-fils-l-des-condamnes/}} General elections were postponed and public meetings were prohibited. Members of the MMM, including Paul Bérenger, were imprisoned on 23 December 1971. The MMM leader was released a year later.{{Cite news|last=K.A. Cassimally|date=17–23 March 2016|title=Why are we not taught our own history?|work=Weekly Magazine}}

In 1973, Mauritius became the first country in Africa to be free from diagnoses of malaria.

In May 1975, a student revolt that started at the University of Mauritius swept across the country.{{Cite web|title=HISTOIRE: Un des hommes derrière le 20 mai 75 raconte|url=http://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/magazine/histoire-des-hommes-derriere-20-mai-75-raconte/31853/|website=Le Mauricien|date=8 June 2015}} The students were unsatisfied with an education system that did not meet their aspirations, and that gave limited prospects for future employment. On 20 May, thousands of students tried to enter Port-Louis over the Grand River North West bridge, and clashed with police. An act of Parliament was passed on 16 December 1975 to extend the right to vote to 18-year-olds. This was seen as an attempt to appease the frustration of the younger generation.

The next general elections took place on 20 December 1976. The Labour-CAM coalition won only 28 seats out of 62.Untold Stories, A Collection of Socio-Political Essays, 1950–1995, Sir Satcam Boolell, EOI. {{ISBN|99903-0-234-0}} The MMM secured 34 seats in Parliament but outgoing Prime Minister Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam managed to remain in office, with a two-seat majority, after striking an alliance with the PMSD of Gaetan Duval.

In 1981, United States newspapers reported that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was planning a covert operation to support the government of Mauritius as part of CIA strategy in the larger Cold War. According to the Washington Post, citing U.S. government sources, the planned operation was "mainly a quiet CIA effort to slip money" to the Mauritian government.{{Cite news |last=Getler |first=Michael |date=15 August 1981 |title=Target Was Mauritius, Not Mauritania... |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1981/08/15/target-was-mauritius-not-mauritania/1eac44a7-bc39-4a99-9474-4ec43a9bdbcf/ |access-date=7 March 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} This claim was repeated in a 1987 book by journalist Bob Woodward, who further wrote that the U.S. government feared that Mauritius could become a Soviet naval base if a "pro-Western" government did not remain in power.{{Cite book |last=Woodward |first=Bob |title=Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=1987 |isbn=0-671-60117-2 |location=New York, NY |pages=158–159}}

In 1982 an MMM-PSM government (led by PM Anerood Jugnauth, Deputy PM Harish Boodhoo and Finance Minister Paul Bérenger) was elected. However, ideological and personality differences emerged within the MMM and PSM leadership. The power struggle between Bérenger and Jugnauth peaked in March 1983. Jugnauth travelled to New Delhi to attend the 7th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement summit; on his return, Bérenger proposed constitutional changes that would strip power from the Prime Minister. At Jugnauth's request, PM Indira Gandhi of India planned an armed intervention involving the Indian Navy and Indian Army to prevent a coup under the code name Operation Lal Dora.{{Cite news|date=10 March 2013|title=When India drew Top Secret 'red line' in Mauritius|work=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/when-india-drew-top-secret-red-line-in-mauritius/article4493495.ece|access-date=22 March 2013}}{{Cite news|last=Medcalf|first=Rory|date=19 March 2013|title=When India (Almost) Invaded Mauritius|work=The Diplomat|url=https://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2013/03/19/when-india-almost-invaded-mauritius/|access-date=22 March 2013}}{{Cite book|first=David|last=Brewster|url=https://www.academia.edu/7992843|title=India's Ocean: the Story of India's Bid for Regional Leadership}}. Retrieved 13 August 2014

The MMM-PSM government split up nine months after the June 1982 election. According to an Information Ministry official the nine months was a "socialist experiment".{{Cite news|first=John D.|last=Battersby|date=28 December 1987|title=Port Louis Journal; Land of Apartheid Befriends an Indian Ocean Isle|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/28/world/port-louis-journal-land-of-apartheid-befriends-an-indian-ocean-isle.html|access-date=29 December 2016}} Harish Boodhoo dissolved his party PSM to enable all PSM parliamentarians to join Jugnauth's new party MSM, thus remaining in power whilst distancing themselves from MMM.{{Cite web|last1=Lodge|first1=Tom|last2=Kadima|first2=Denis|last3=Pottie|first3=David|title=Mauritius: General election of August 1983|url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/mau1983background.htm|access-date=28 November 2020|publisher=EISA}} The MSM-Labour-PMSD coalition was victorious at the August 1983 elections, resulting in Anerood Jugnauth as PM and Gaëtan Duval as Deputy PM.

That period saw growth in the EPZ (Export Processing Zone) sector. Industrialisation began to spread to villages as well, and attracted young workers from all ethnic communities. As a result, the sugar industry began to lose its hold on the economy. Large retail chains began opening stores in 1985 and offered credit facilities to low-income earners, thus allowing them to afford basic household appliances. There was also a boom in the tourism industry, and new hotels sprang up throughout the island. In 1989 the stock exchange opened its doors, and in 1992, the freeport began operation. In 1990, the Prime Minister lost the vote on changing the Constitution to make the country a republic with Bérenger as president.{{Cite news|first=Jane|last=Perlez|date=27 August 1990|title=Mauritius' Political Quarrel Saves the Queen|work=The New York Times|location=Great Britain; Mauritius|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/27/world/mauritius-political-quarrel-saves-the-queen.html|access-date=6 September 2016}}

On 12 March 1992, Mauritius was proclaimed a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations and the monarch removed as head of state. The last Governor-General of Mauritius, Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo, became the first President.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bh7zAAAAMAAJ&q=The+last+Governor+General,+Sir+Veerasamy+Ringadoo+became+the+first+President|title=AAPS Newsletter|volume=1|issue= 5–19|page=20|date=1992|publisher=African Association of Political Science|language=en}} This was under a transitional arrangement, in which he was replaced by Cassam Uteem later that year.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aM0bAQAAMAAJ&q=Cassam+Uteem|title=Country Profile: Mauritius, Seychelles|page=8|date=2001|publisher=The Unit|language=en}} Political power remained with the prime minister.

Despite an improvement in the economy, which coincided with a fall in the price of petrol and a favourable dollar exchange rate, the government did not enjoy full popularity. As early as 1984, there was discontent. Through the Newspapers and Periodicals Amendment Act, the government tried to make every newspaper provide a bank guarantee of half a million rupees. Forty-three journalists protested by participating in a public demonstration in Port Louis, in front of Parliament. They were arrested and freed on bail. This caused a public outcry and the government had to review its policy.

There was also dissatisfaction in the education sector. There were not enough high-quality secondary colleges to answer the growing demand of primary school leavers who had got through their CPE (Certificate of Primary Education). In 1991, a master plan for education failed to get national support and contributed to the government's downfall.

In December 1995, Navin Ramgoolam was elected as PM of the Labour–MMM alliance. In October 1996, the triple murder of political activists at Gorah-Issac Street in Port Louis led to several arrests and a long investigation.{{Cite web|title=Shooting death of 3 Hizbullah activists at Gorah-Issac Rd|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be75c.html|access-date=28 November 2020|publisher=United Nations High Commission for Refugees}}

The year 1999 was marked by civil unrest and riots in February and then in May. Following the Kaya riots, President Cassam Uteem and Cardinal Jean Margéot toured the country and calm was restored after four days of turmoil.L'Express, Vendredi 26 février 1999 A commission of enquiry was set up to investigate the root causes of the social disturbance. The resulting report delved into the cause of poverty and qualified many tenacious beliefs as perceptions.Rapport du Juge Matadeen sur les émeutes de 1999, Imprimerie du Gouvernement, 2000 In January 2000, political activist Rajen Sabapathee was shot dead after he escaped from La Bastille jail.{{Cite web|title=La vérité sur la mort de mon père|url=https://www.5plus.mu/node/13712|access-date=28 November 2020|publisher=5 Plus}}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

File:Mauriceybbrfrinwodas.jpg to respond promptly and effectively to the MV Wakashio oil spill resulted in anti-government protests.]]

Sir Anerood Jugnauth of the MSM returned to power in September 2000 after securing an alliance with the MMM. In 2002, the island of Rodrigues became an autonomous entity within the republic and was thus able to elect its own representatives to administer the island. In 2003, the prime ministership was transferred to Paul Bérenger of the MMM, and Sir Anerood Jugnauth became president. Bérenger was the first Franco-Mauritian Prime Minister in the country's post-Independence history.

In the 2005 elections, Navin Ramgoolam became PM under the new coalition of Labour–PMXD–VF–MR–MMSM. In the 2010 elections the Labour–MSM–PMSD alliance secured power and Navin Ramgoolam remained PM until 2014.{{Cite web|title=afrol News – Mauritius PM starts third term|url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/36129|access-date=24 July 2021|website=afrol.com}}

The MSM–PMSD–ML coalition was victorious at the 2014 elections under Anerood Jugnauth's leadership. Despite disagreements within the ruling alliance that led to the departure of PMSD, the MSM–ML stayed in power for their full 5-year term.{{Cite web|title=Mauritius opposition wins surprise landslide victory|date=12 December 2014|url=https://www.dw.com/en/mauritius-opposition-wins-surprise-landslide-victory/a-18125376|access-date=24 July 2021|publisher=Deutsche Welle|language=en-GB}}

On 21 January 2017, Sir Anerood Jugnauth announced his resignation and that his son and Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth would assume the office of prime minister.{{Cite web|first=Bob|last=Minzesheimer|date=22 January 2017|title=Mauritius: PM Anerood Jugnauth to hand over to son|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38709203|access-date=22 January 2017|website=BBC News}} The transition took place as planned on 23 January 2017.{{Cite web|first=Jean Paul|last=Arouff|date=23 January 2017|title=New Mauritius PM takes over from father, opponents cry foul|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mauritius-politics-idUSKBN15715K|access-date=23 January 2017|work=Reuters}}

In 2018, Mauritian president Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned over a financial scandal.{{Cite news|date=13 March 2018|title=Africa's only female president to quit|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43343550}} The incumbent president is Prithvirajsing Roopun{{Cite web|title=Office of the President – Home|url=http://president.govmu.org/English/Pages/default.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508045133/http://president.govmu.org/English/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=8 May 2015|access-date=22 February 2019|website=Government of Mauritius}} who has served since December 2019.

In the November 2019 Mauritius general elections, the ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) won more than half of the seats in parliament, securing incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth a new five-year term.{{Cite news|date=8 November 2019|title=Mauritius elects incumbent PM for five-year term|work=Reuters.com|agency=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mauritius-election-idUSKBN1XI177}}

On 25 July 2020, Japanese-owned bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off the coast of Mauritius, leaking up to 1,000 tonnes of heavy oil into a pristine lagoon.{{Cite news|date=24 September 2020|title=Mauritius takes stock of oil spill two months later|publisher=France 24|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200924-mauritius-takes-stock-of-oil-spill-two-months-later}} Its location on the edge of protected fragile marine ecosystems and a wetland of international importance made the MV Wakashio oil spill one of the worst environmental disasters ever to hit the western Indian Ocean.{{Cite web|date=28 August 2020|title=Mauritius oil spill compensation could be limited by maritime law technicality|url=https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/08/28/mauritius-oil-spill-compensation-limited-maritime-law-technicality/|access-date=24 July 2021|website=Climate Home News}}

On 10 November 2024, the opposition coalition, Alliance du Changement, won 60 of the 64 seats in the Mauritian general election. Its leader, former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam, became new prime minister.{{cite news |title=Mauritius election: Government suffers electoral wipeout |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y3pg0ey99o |work=www.bbc.com}}

{{Main|Geography of Mauritius}}

The total land area of the country is {{convert|2040|km2|abbr=on}}. 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 {{convert|2.3|e6km2|sqmi|abbr=unit}} of the Indian Ocean, including approximately {{convert|400000|km2|abbr=on}} jointly managed with the Seychelles.{{Cite magazine|title=Mauritius: Promoting the Development of an Ocean Economy|url=https://intercontinentaltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ITL-Newsletter-Vol-6-Issue-11-Mauritius-Exclusive-Economic-Zone.pdf|url-status=live|magazine=Intercontinental Trust Newsletter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109075149/http://www.intercontinentaltrust.com/admin/documents/all/ITL%20Newsletter%20Vol%206%20Issue%2011%20-%20Mauritius%20Exclusive%20Economic%20Zone.pdf|archive-date=9 November 2013|access-date=25 November 2022}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web|title=National Coast Guard|url=http://police.govmu.org/English/Publication/Documents/NCG2013.pdf|access-date=22 January 2015|website=Government of Mauritius}}{{Cite web|title=Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) Outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines:Submissions to the Commission: Joint submission by the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles|url=https://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/submission_musc.htm|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=United Nations}}

Mauritius is {{convert|2000|km|abbr=on}} 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. It is {{convert|65|km|abbr=on|round=5}} long and {{convert|45|km|abbr=on|round=5}} wide. Its land area is {{convert|1864.8|km2|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web|date=May 2008|title=Meteorological Services − Monthly Bulletin of Climatological Summaries|url=http://metservice.intnet.mu/pdfs/monthly-climatological-summaries.pdf|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=Mauritius Meteorological Services|page=3}}{{Cite web|title=General Info – Geography|url=http://www.mauritius.net/general_info/index.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212061824/http://www.mauritius.net/general_info/index.php|archive-date=12 February 2012|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=Mauritius.net}} The island is surrounded by more than {{convert|150|km|4=-2|abbr=on}} of white sandy beaches, and the lagoons are protected from the open sea by the world's third-largest coral reef, which surrounds the island.{{Cite web|title=Tourism − Overview of Mauritius|url=http://tourism.govmu.org/English/Tourism%20sector/Pages/Overview-of-Mauritius.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403131312/http://tourism.govmu.org/English/Tourism%20sector/Pages/Overview-of-Mauritius.aspx|archive-date=3 April 2015|access-date=4 January 2012|website=Government of Mauritius}} Just off the Mauritian coast lie some 49 uninhabited islands and islets, several of which have been declared natural reserves for endangered species.

Mauritius Island (Mauritian Creole: Lil Moris; {{langx|fr|link=no|Île Maurice}}, {{IPA|fr|il moʁis|pron}}) is relatively young geologically, having been created by volcanic activity some 8 million years ago. Together with Saint Brandon, Réunion, and Rodrigues, the island is part of the Mascarene Islands. These islands emerged as a result of gigantic underwater volcanic eruptions that happened thousands of kilometres to the east of the continental block made up of Africa and Madagascar. They are no longer volcanically active and the hotspot now rests under Réunion Island. Mauritius is encircled by a broken ring of mountain ranges, varying in height from {{convert|300|to|800|metres|round=50}} above sea level. The land rises from coastal plains to a central plateau where it reaches a height of {{convert|670|m|abbr=on}}; the highest peak is in the south-west, Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire at {{convert|828|m|ft|0}}. Streams and rivers speckle the island, many formed in the cracks created by lava flows.

File:Mauritius.png

{{Main|Rodrigues}}

The autonomous island of Rodrigues is located {{convert|560|km|abbr=on}} to the east of Mauritius, with an area {{convert|108|km2|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web|title=The territory of Mauritius|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Geography-People/Pages/GeographyPeople/Location.aspx|access-date=22 January 2015|website=Government of Mauritius|archive-date=27 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327103512/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Geography-People/Pages/GeographyPeople/Location.aspx}} Rodrigues is a volcanic island rising from a ridge along the edge of the Mascarene Plateau. The island is hilly with a central spine culminating in the highest peak, Mont Limon at {{convert|398|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The island also has a coral reef and extensive limestone deposits. According to Statistics Mauritius, at 1 July 2019, the population of the island was estimated at 43,371.{{Cite web|title=Population and Vital Statistics Republic of Mauritius, January – June 2019|url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/Publications/Documents/2019/EI1471/Pop_Vital_Jan-Jun19.pdf|access-date=12 October 2019|publisher=Statistics Mauritius}}

{{Main|Chagos Archipelago}}

The Chagos Archipelago is composed of atolls and islands, and is located approximately 2,200 kilometres north-east of the main island of Mauritius. The islands are set to be returned to Mauritius in 2025, having previously formed the British Indian Ocean Territory, with the exception of Diego Garcia, which remains under British administration on a 99-year lease.

To the north of the Chagos Archipelago are Peros Banhos, the Salomon Islands and Nelsons Island; to the south-west are The Three Brothers, Eagle Islands, Egmont Islands and Danger Island. Diego Garcia is in the south-east of the archipelago.{{Cite book|url=https://pcacases.com/web/sendAttach/1796|title=Memorial of the Republic of Mauritius|date=1 August 2012|publisher=Permanent Court of Arbitration|volume=I|page=9}} In 2016, the Chagossian population was estimated at 8,700 in Mauritius, including 483 natives; 350 Chagossians live in the Seychelles, including 75 natives, while 3,000, including 127 natives, live in the UK (the population having grown from the 1200 Chagossians who moved there).{{Cite journal|date=5 July 2016|title=La population chagossienne en chiffres|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/287013/population-chagossienne-en-chiffres|journal=L'Express (Mauritius)}}

{{Main|St. Brandon}}

St. Brandon, also known as the Cargados Carajos shoals, is located {{convert|402|km|mi}} northeast of Mauritius Island. Saint Brandon is an archipelago composed of the remnants of the lost micro continent of Mauritia{{Cite news|last=Dujmovic|first=Jurica|title=What we know about Mauritia, the lost — and now found — continent|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-we-know-about-mauritia-the-lost-and-now-found-continent-2017-02-22|access-date=23 January 2023|website=MarketWatch|language=EN-US}} and consists of five island groups, with between 28 and 40 islands in total, depending on seasonal storms, cyclones, and related sand movements. In 2008, the Privy Council (United Kingdom) judgment (Article 71) confirmed Raphaël Fishing Company as "the holder of a Permanent Grant of the thirteen islands mentioned in the 1901 Deed (transcribed in Vol TB25 No 342) subject to the conditions therein referred to".{{Cite web|title=The Raphael Fishing Company Ltd v. The State of Mauritius & Anor (Mauritius) [2008] UKPC 43 (30 July 2008)|url=http://www.saflii.org/mu/cases/UKPC/2008/43.html|access-date=24 November 2017|website=saflii.org}} In 2002, St. Brandon was classified in 10th place globally by UNESCO for inclusion as a World Heritage Site well ahead of any other Mauritian candidates at the time.{{Cite web |title=Proceedings of the World Heritage Marine Biodiversity Workshop, Page 25.|url=https://whc.unesco.org/document/102856|access-date=29 February 2024 |website=sahistory.org.za |page=38 |quote=B List: 8. Kiunga-Lamu Archipelago (Kenya), opportunity for mixed nomination 9. Pemba Island (Tanzania) 10. Cargados Carajos (Mauritius) 11. Comore Archipelago (Comoros), opportunity for serial nomination with Madagascar 12. Toliara – Nosy Ve (Madagascar), opportunity for serial nomination 13. Zambezi Delta (Mozambique) }}

On 8 May 2024, the Saint Brandon Conservation Trust was launched internationally at the Corporate Council on Africa in Dallas. Texas.{{cite web|url=https://www.usafricabizsummit.com/USAfricaBizSummit2024/session/2155018/saving-africa's-rarest-species|title=Saving Africa's Rarest Species at the Corporate Council on Africa|website=usafricabizsummit.com|access-date=1 June 2024}} The trust's mission is to protect, restore and conserve St. Brandon.

{{Main|Agaléga}}

The twin islands of Agaléga are located some {{convert|1000|km|mi|-2|abbr=off}} to the north of Mauritius. Its North Island is {{convert|12.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide, while its South Island is {{convert|7|by|4.5|km|abbr=on}}. The total area of both islands is {{convert|26|km2|abbr=on}}. According to Statistics Mauritius, at 1 July 2019, the population of Agaléga and St. Brandon was estimated at 274.

{{Main|Tromelin Island}}

File:Tromelin aerial photograph.JPG

Tromelin Island lies 430 km north-west of Mauritius. Mauritius claims sovereignty over Tromelin island, though it is registered as a part of France.

The French took control of Mauritius in 1715, renaming it Isle de France. France officially ceded Mauritius including all its dependencies to Britain through the Treaty of Paris, signed on 30 May 1814 and in which Réunion was returned to France. The British Colony of Mauritius consisted of the main island of Mauritius along with its dependencies Rodrigues, Agaléga, St. Brandon, Tromelin (disputed) and the Chagos Archipelago, while the Seychelles became a separate colony in 1906. It is disputed whether the transfer of Isle de France (as Mauritius was previously known under French rule) and its dependencies to Britain in 1814 included Tromelin island. Article 8 of the Treaty of Paris stipulate the cession by France to Britain of Isle de France "and its dependencies, namely Rodrigues and the Seychelles". France considers that the sovereignty of Tromelin island was never transferred to Britain. Mauritius's claim is based on the fact that the transfer of Isle de France and its dependencies to Britain in 1814 was general in nature, that it was beyond those called out in the Treaty of Paris, and that all the dependencies of Isle de France were not specifically mentioned in the Treaty. Mauritius's claim is that since Tromelin was a dependency of Isle de France, it was 'de facto' transferred to Britain in 1814. The islands of Agaléga, St Brandon and the Chagos Archipelago were also not specifically mentioned in the Treaty of Paris but became part of the British Colony of Mauritius as they were dependencies of Isle de France at that time. In addition, the British authorities in Mauritius had been taking administrative measures with respect to Tromelin over the years; for instance, British officials granted four guano operating concessions on Tromelin island between 1901 and 1951. In 1959, British officials in Mauritius informed the World Meteorological Organization that it considered Tromelin to be part of its territory.{{Cite book|last1=Rumley|first1=Dennis|title=Fisheries Exploitation in the Indian Ocean: Threats and Opportunities|last2=Chaturvedi|first2=Sanjay|last3=Sakhuja|first3=Vijay|year=2010|isbn=978-981-230-986-0|page=123|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies }} A co-management treaty was reached by France and Mauritius in 2010 but has not been ratified.{{Cite web|date=1 April 2020|title=Political relations|url=https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/mauritius/|access-date=25 April 2020|publisher=France Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs}}

{{Main|Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute|Expulsion of the Chagossians}}

File:Chagos map.PNG]]

Mauritius has long sought sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, located {{convert|1287|km|mi|abbr=on}} 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.{{Cite web|date=6 April 2012|title=Time for UK to Leave Chagos Archipelago|url=http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/04/06/mauritius_chagos_archipelago_diego_garcia_99999.html|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=Real clear world}}

In 1965, three years before the independence of Mauritius, the United Kingdom split the Chagos Archipelago away from Mauritius, and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from the Seychelles, to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. The islands were formally established as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom on 8 November 1965.{{Cite web|title=ANNEX 29 - Colonial Office Telegram No. 298 to Mauritius, 8 November 1965, FO 371/184529|url=https://files.pca-cpa.org//pcadocs/mu-uk/Annexes%20to%20Memorial/MM%20Annexes%201-80.pdf|publisher=Permanent Court of Arbitration|date=8 November 1965|access-date=26 February 2025}} During UK-US discussions on the Indian Ocean in November 1975, the United Kingdom expressed its intention to return the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches to Seychelles to facilitate its peaceful transition to independence by June 1976.{{Cite web|title=ANNEX 76 - Parahraph 48 - British Embassy, Washington, November 1975, Minutes of Anglo-US Talks on the Indian Ocean held on 7 November 1975 (Extract)|url=https://files.pca-cpa.org//pcadocs/mu-uk/Annexes%20to%20Memorial/MM%20Annexes%201-80.pdf|publisher=Permanent Court of Arbitration|date=7 November 1975|access-date=26 February 2025}} Both the UK and the United States acknowledged that these islands could not be used for defense purposes, as they were populated, and forcibly removing inhabitants, as had occurred in the Chagos Archipelago, would be politically unfeasible.{{Cite web|title=ANNEX 75 - Anglo/US Consultations on the Indian Ocean: November 1975, Agenda Item III, Brief No. 4: Future of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches, November 1975|url=https://files.pca-cpa.org//pcadocs/mu-uk/Annexes%20to%20Memorial/MM%20Annexes%201-80.pdf|publisher=Permanent Court of Arbitration|date=November 1975|access-date=26 February 2025}} On 18 March 1976, the UK and Seychelles signed an agreement to transfer the islands, which officially returned to Seychelles on its Independence Day, 29 June 1976.{{Cite web|title=ANNEX 79 - Heads of Agreement between the Government of UK, the Administration of the "British Indian Ocean Territory" and the Government of Seychelles Concerning the Return of Aldabra, Desroches and Farquhar to Seychelles to be Executed on Independence Day, FCO 40/732|url=https://files.pca-cpa.org//pcadocs/mu-uk/Annexes%20to%20Memorial/MM%20Annexes%201-80.pdf|publisher=Permanent Court of Arbitration|date=18 March 1976|access-date=26 February 2025}} The BIOT now comprises the Chagos Archipelago only. The UK leased the main island of the archipelago, Diego Garcia, to the United States under a 50-year lease to establish a military base.{{Cite web|title=Who Owns Diego Garcia? Decolonisation and Indigenous Rights in the Indian Ocean|url=http://www.geoffreyrobertson.com/documents/DiegoGarciaTheWesternAustraliaLawReviewPubilshedJune2012.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502070735/http://www.geoffreyrobertson.com/documents/DiegoGarciaTheWesternAustraliaLawReviewPubilshedJune2012.pdf|archive-date=2 May 2014|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=Geoffrey Robertson}} In 2016, Britain extended the lease to the US till 2036.{{Cite web|date=27 February 2019|title=Decolonising Chagos|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/decolonising-chagos/article26379247.ece|access-date=5 April 2019|website=The Hindu}} Mauritius has repeatedly asserted that the separation of its territories is a violation of United Nations resolutions banning the dismemberment of colonial territories before independence and claims that the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, forms an integral part of the territory of Mauritius under both Mauritian law and international law.{{Cite web|first=Indradev|last=Curpen|date=15 June 2012|title=Chagos remains a matter for discussion|url=http://www.defimedia.info/news-sunday/nos-parliament/item/13899-chagos-remains-a-matter-for-discussion.html?tmpl=component&print=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427032857/http://www.defimedia.info/news-sunday/nos-parliament/item/13899-chagos-remains-a-matter-for-discussion.html?tmpl=component&print=1|archive-date=27 April 2015|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=Le Défi Media Group}} Between 1968 and 1973, British officials forcibly expelled over 1,000 Chagossians to Mauritius and the Seychelles. As part of the deportation, British officials have been accused of ordering the island's dog population of 1,000 to be gassed.{{Cite book|last1=Evers|first1=Sandra|url=https://archive.org/details/evictionfromchag00ever|title=Eviction from the Chagos Islands: Displacement and Struggle for Identity Against Two World Powers|last2=Kooy|first2=Marry|date=2011|publisher=Brill Publishers|isbn=978-90-04-20260-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/evictionfromchag00ever/page/n21 3]|url-access=limited}}{{Cite news|last=Cork|first=Tristan|title=The shocking reason there are dogs hanging from a tree in Bristol|work=Bristol Post|url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/shocking-reason-dogs-hanging-tree-2140149}} At the United Nations and in statements to its Parliament, the UK stated that there was no "permanent population" in the Chagos Archipelago and described the population as "contract labourers" who were relocated. Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia is inhabited, home to some 3,000 UK and US military and civilian contracted personnel. Chagossians have since engaged in activism to return to the archipelago, claiming that their forced expulsion and dispossession were illegal.{{Cite news|date=22 July 2011|title=Mauritius profile|work=BBC World|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13882233|access-date=22 January 2015}}{{Cite web|title=History|url=http://archive.chagossupport.org.uk/index.php/background/history/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401213846/http://archive.chagossupport.org.uk/index.php/background/history/|archive-date=1 April 2016|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=The UK Chagos Support Association}}

Mauritius considers the territorial sea of the Chagos Archipelago and Tromelin island as part of its exclusive economic zone.

File:Camp Justice --Diego Garcia.jpg on Diego Garcia]]

On 20 December 2010, Mauritius initiated proceedings against the United Kingdom under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to challenge the legality of the Chagos Marine Protected Area (MPA), which the UK purported to declare around the Chagos Archipelago in April 2010. The dispute was arbitrated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Tribunal's decision determined that the UK's undertaking to return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius gives Mauritius an interest in significant decisions that bear upon possible future uses of the archipelago.{{Cite web|date=20 March 2015|title=Sixth National Assembly Parliamentary Debates(Hansard)|url=http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/English/hansard/Documents/2015/hansard1215.pdf|access-date=21 January 2016|publisher=National Assembly (Mauritius)}}

On 25 February 2019, the judges of the International Court of Justice by thirteen votes to one stated that the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible. Only the American judge, Joan Donoghue, voted in favor of the UK. The president of the court, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, said the detachment of the Chagos Archipelago in 1965 from Mauritius had not been based on a "free and genuine expression of the people concerned". "This continued administration constitutes a wrongful act", he said, adding "The UK has an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible and that all member states must co-operate with the United Nations to complete the decolonization of Mauritius."{{Cite news|last=Bowcott|first=Owen|date=25 February 2019|title=UN court rejects UK's claim of sovereignty over Chagos Islands|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/25/un-court-rejects-uk-claim-to-sovereignty-over-chagos-islands|access-date=26 February 2019}}

On 22 May 2019, the United Nations General Assembly debated and adopted a resolution that affirmed that the Chagos Archipelago, which has been occupied by the UK for more than 50 years, "forms an integral part of the territory of Mauritius". The resolution gives effect to an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), demanded that the UK "withdraw its colonial administration ... unconditionally within a period of no more than six months". 116 states voted in favour of the resolution, 55 abstained and only Australia, Hungary, Israel and Maldives supported the UK and US. During the debate, the Mauritian Prime Minister described the expulsion of Chagossians as "a crime against humanity".{{Cite journal|last=Sands|first=Philippe|date=24 May 2019|title=At last, the Chagossians have a real chance of going back home|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/24/chagossians-britain-colony-shameful-un-resolution?|journal=The Guardian|quote=Britain's behaviour towards its former colony has been shameful. The UN resolution changes everything}} While the resolution is not legally binding, it carries significant political weight since the ruling came from the UN's highest court and the assembly vote reflects world opinion.{{Cite journal|last=Osborne|first=Samuel|date=22 May 2019|title=Chagos Islands: UN officially demands Britain and US withdraw from Indian Ocean archipelago|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/chagos-islands-uk-un-resolution-general-assembly-vote-indian-ocean-a8924656.html%3famp|url-status=live|journal=The Independent|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/chagos-islands-uk-un-resolution-general-assembly-vote-indian-ocean-a8924656.html%3famp|archive-date=12 May 2022}} The resolution also has immediate practical consequences: the UN, its specialised agencies, and all other international organisations are now bound, as a matter of UN law, to support the decolonisation of Mauritius even if the UK claim that it has no doubt about its sovereignty.

On 3 October 2024 it was announced through a joint statement by the UK and Mauritian governments that the archipelago was to have its sovereignty transferred to Mauritius. The island of Diego Garcia, which contains the military base Camp Justice, was the only exception to this new treaty, with administration being leased to the United Kingdom by the Mauritian government for a period of at least 99 years.{{Cite news|last=Harding|first=Andrew|date=3 October 2024|title=UK will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o|access-date=3 October 2024}} The transfer agreement was signed on 22 May 2025, with the provision that the island of Diego Garcia would be leased back to the UK for at least 99 years.{{cite web|title=UK signs deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/22/uk-court-temporarily-blocks-deal-to-hand-chagos-islands-to-mauritius |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=22 May 2025}} The UK government {{update after |2025 |text=expects the treaty to be ratified near the end of 2025.}}{{cite web |date=30 May 2025 |title=2025 treaty on the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10273/ |website=Parliament of the United Kingdom}}

File:Black River Gorges National Park, Mauritius.jpg]]{{Main|Geography of Mauritius}}

{{Anchor|Climate change in Mauritius}}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. Mauritius ranked second in an air quality index released by the World Health Organization in 2011.{{Cite web|date=26 September 2011|title=Mauritius's air quality 2nd best in world|url=http://www.lematinal.com/mobile/sante/13945-Mauritiuss-air-quality-2nd-best-in-world.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010163739/http://www.lematinal.com/mobile/sante/13945-Mauritiuss-air-quality-2nd-best-in-world.html|archive-date=10 October 2013|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=Le Matinal}} It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.46/10, ranking it 100th globally out of 172 countries.{{Cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|display-authors=1|year=2020|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|page=5978|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|issn=2041-1723|pmc=7723057|pmid=33293507|doi-access=free|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|s2cid=228082162}}

Situated near the Tropic of Capricorn, Mauritius has a tropical climate. There are 2 seasons: a warm humid summer from November to April, with a mean temperature of {{convert|24.7|C}} and a relatively cool dry winter from June to September with a mean temperature of {{convert|20.4|C}}. The temperature difference between the seasons is only 4.3{{nbsp}}°C (7.7{{nbsp}}°F). The warmest months are January and February with average day maximum temperature reaching {{convert|29.2|C}} and the coolest months are July and August with average overnight minimum temperatures of {{convert|16.4|C}}. Annual rainfall ranges from {{convert|900|mm|abbr=on}} on the coast to {{convert|1500|mm|abbr=on}} on the central plateau. Although there is no marked rainy season, most of the rainfall occurs in the summer months. Sea temperature in the lagoon varies from {{convert|22|-|27|C}}. The central plateau is much cooler than the surrounding coastal areas and can experience as much as twice the rainfall. The prevailing trade winds keep the east side of the island cooler and bring more rain. Occasional tropical cyclones generally occur between January and March and tend to disrupt the weather for about three days, bringing heavy rain.{{Cite web|title=Climate of Mauritius|url=http://metservice.intnet.mu/climate-services/climate-of-mauritius.php|access-date=22 January 2015|publisher=Mauritius Meteorological Services}}

Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth declared an environmental state of emergency after the 25 July 2020 MV Wakashio oil spill.{{Cite news|last=Navin Singh|first=Khadka|date=12 August 2020|title=Why the Mauritius oil spill is so serious|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53754751|access-date=28 November 2020}} France sent aircraft and specialists from Réunion and Greenpeace said that the leak threatened the survival of thousands of species, who are at "risk of drowning in a sea of pollution".{{Cite news|title=Oil spill threatens ecological disaster as Mauritius declares emergency|publisher=Yahoo! News|agency=Reuters|url=https://news.yahoo.com/france-offers-aid-mauritius-declares-122144531.html|access-date=8 August 2020}}

Mauritius is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, facing rising temperatures, sea levels, and more frequent extreme weather events. The island faces stronger tropical cyclones, prolonged droughts, flash floods, landslides, and marine heatwaves which leading to coral bleaching.{{Cite journal |last=Doorga |first=Jay Rovisham Singh |date=2022-10-01 |title=Climate change and the fate of small islands: The case of Mauritius |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S146290112200199X#: |journal=Environmental Science & Policy |volume=136 |pages=282–290 |doi=10.1016/j.envsci.2022.06.012 |bibcode=2022ESPol.136..282D |issn=1462-9011|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite web |last=Fiertz |first=Natalie |date=1 October 2024 |title=CORVI: Assessing Priority Climate Risks in Mauritius |url=https://www.stimson.org/2024/corvi-assessing-priority-climate-risks-in-mauritius/# |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Stimson Center |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=UNEP |date=2023-01-24 |title=Mauritius sets goals to curb the triple planetary crisis |url=https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/mauritius-sets-goals-curb-triple-planetary-crisis |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=www.unep.org |language=en}} Coastal erosion, driven by rising sea levels, threatens infrastructure and freshwater supplies.{{Cite web |last=World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal |title=Mauritius |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/mauritius |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org |language=en}} Climate change is also impacting key sectors such as tourism and fisheries, with significant economic consequences. To adapt, Mauritius is implementing disaster preparedness measures, protecting coastal ecosystems like mangroves, and raising public awareness.{{Cite book |author=Department of Climate Change, Republic of Mauritius |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/BTR1_Mauritius_Final%202.pdf |title=Mauritius' First Biennial Transparency Report |date=December 2024 |publisher=Republic of Mauritius}}{{Cite web |last=UNDP |title=Climate Change Adaptation in Mauritius' Coastal Zone {{!}} UNDP Climate Change Adaptation |url=https://www.adaptation-undp.org/projects/climate-change-adaptation-mauritius-coastal-zone |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=www.adaptation-undp.org}}{{Cite web |last=Mauritian Government |date=2020-02-21 |title=Mauritius: Climate Change Act |url=https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/mauritius-climate-change-act |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=www.preventionweb.net |language=en}}

{{Main|Wildlife of Mauritius}}

File:Dronte dodo Raphus cucullatus.jpg, a flightless bird.]] File:Phelsuma ornata - journal.pbio.1001382.png]]

The country is home to some of the world's rarest plants and animals, but human habitation and the introduction of non-native species have threatened its indigenous flora and fauna. Due to its volcanic origin, age, isolation, and unique terrain, Mauritius is home to a diversity of flora and fauna not usually found in such a small area. Before the Portuguese arrival in 1507, there were no terrestrial mammals on the island. This allowed the evolution of a number of flightless birds and large reptile species. The arrival of humans saw the introduction of invasive alien species, the rapid destruction of habitat and the loss of much of the endemic flora and fauna. In particular, the extinction of the flightless dodo bird, a species unique to Mauritius, has become a representative example of human-driven extinction.{{Cite journal|last1=Shapiro|first1=Beth|last2=Sibthorpe|first2=Dean|last3=Rambaut|first3=Andrew|last4=Wragg|first4=Graham M.|last5=Bininda-Emonds|first5=Olaf R.P.|last6=Lee|first6=Patricia L.M.|last7=Coooper|first7=Alan|display-authors=3|year=2002|title=Flight of the Dodo|url=http://pgl.soe.ucsc.edu/dodo_Shapiro02.pdf|journal=Science|volume=295|issue=5560|page=1683|doi=10.1126/science.295.5560.1683|pmid=11872833}}{{Cite book|last=Smaill|first=Belinda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3y8eDQAAQBAJ&dq=dodo+extinction+emblematic&pg=PA76|title=Regarding Life: Animals and the Documentary Moving Image| page= 76 |date= 2016|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-1-4384-6249-3}}{{Cite book|last=Hollars|first=B. J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K94nDwAAQBAJ&dq=dodo+%22poster+child%22&pg=PA3|title=Flock Together: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds|date=1 February 2017|publisher=U of Nebraska Press|isbn=978-0-8032-9642-8}} The dodo is prominently featured as a (heraldic) supporter of the national coat of arms of Mauritius.{{Cite web|title=Republic of Mauritius- Coat of Arms|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/NationalSymbols/Pages/Coat-of-Arms.aspx|access-date=27 March 2019|website=govmu.org|archive-date=27 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327180439/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/NationalSymbols/Pages/Coat-of-Arms.aspx}}

Less than 2% of the native forest now remains, concentrated in the Black River Gorges National Park in the south-west, the Bambous Mountain Range in the south-east, and the Moka-Port Louis Ranges in the north-west. There are some isolated mountains, Corps de Garde, Le Morne Brabant, and several offshore islands, with remnants of coastal and mainland diversity. Over 100 species of plants and animals have become extinct and many more are threatened. Conservation activities began in the 1980s with the implementation of programmes for the reproduction of threatened bird and plant species as well as habitat restoration in the national parks and nature reserves.{{Cite book|publisher=National Parks and Conservation Services, Government of Mauritius|title=Chapter 1. Introduction to the Republic of Mauritius|access-date=22 January 2015|url=http://npcs.govmu.org/English//DOCUMENTS/CHAP1.PDF|archive-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403104113/http://npcs.govmu.org/English//DOCUMENTS/CHAP1.PDF}}

In 2011, the Ministry of Environment & Sustainable Development issued the "Mauritius Environment Outlook Report," which recommended that St Brandon be declared a Marine protected area. In the President's Report of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) dated March 2016, St Brandon is declared an official MWF project to promote the conservation of the atoll.{{Cite web|title=President's Report of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation dated March 2016|url=http://www.mauritian-wildlife.org/application/includes/common/download.php?type=11&record=4E911EA9-BE8F-FB3C-1025-8CFF6C9D3136|access-date=29 August 2017}}

The Mauritian flying fox is the only remaining mammal endemic to the island, and has been severely threatened in recent years due to the government sanctioned culling introduced in November 2015 due to the belief that they were a threat to fruit plantations. Prior to 2015 the lack of severe cyclone had seen the fruit bat population increase and the status of the species was then changed by the IUCN from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2014. October 2018, saw the authorisation of the cull of 20% of the fruit bat population, amounting to 13,000 of the estimated 65,000 fruit bats remaining, although their status had already reverted to Endangered due to the previous years' culls.{{Cite web|title=Welcome to the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) – In The Field – Mauritius – Mauritius Fruit Bat|url=http://www.mauritian-wildlife.org/application/index.php?tpid=30&tcid=81|access-date=22 February 2019|website=mauritian-wildlife.org|archive-date=16 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316190712/http://www.mauritian-wildlife.org/application/index.php?tpid=30&tcid=81}}

{{Main|Politics of Mauritius}}

File:Government House Port Louis.JPG

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. It consists of 70 members, 62 elected for four-year terms in multi-member constituencies and eight additional members, known as "best losers", appointed by the Electoral Service Commission to ensure that ethnic and religious minorities are equitably represented. The UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), which monitors member states' compliance with the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights (ICPCR), has criticised the country's Best Loser System following a complaint by a local youth and trade union movement.{{Cite web|title=UN Human Rights Committee criticises Best Loser System|url=http://country.eiu.com/article.aspx?articleid=59556590&Country=Mauritius&topic=Politics&subtopic=Forecast&subsubtopic=Election+watch&u=1&pid=1764509560&oid=1764509560&uid=1|access-date=6 September 2016|publisher=Country.eiu.com}} The president is elected for a five-year term by the Parliament.

The island of Mauritius is divided into 20 constituencies that return three members each. The island of Rodrigues is a single district that returns two members.

After a general election, the Electoral Supervisory Commission may nominate up to eight additional members with a view to correct any imbalance in the representation of ethnic minorities in Parliament. This system of nominating members is commonly called the best loser system.

The political party or party alliance that wins the majority of seats in Parliament forms the government. Its leader becomes the Prime Minister, who selects the Cabinet from elected members of the Assembly, except for the Attorney General of Mauritius, who may not be an elected member of the Assembly. The political party or alliance which has the second largest group of representatives forms the Official Opposition and its leader is normally nominated by the President of the Republic as the Leader of the Opposition. The Assembly elects a Speaker, a Deputy Speaker and a Deputy Chairman of Committees as some of its first tasks.

Mauritius is a democracy with a government elected every five years. The most recent National Assembly Election was held on 7 November 2019 in all the 20 mainland constituencies, and in the constituency covering the island of Rodrigues. Elections have tended to be a contest between two major coalitions of parties.

The 2018 Ibrahim Index of African Governance ranked Mauritius first in good governance.{{Cite web|title=IBRAHIM INDEX OF AFRICAN GOVERNANCE 2018|url=http://s.mo.ibrahim.foundation/u/2018/11/27173840/2018-Index-Report.pdf|access-date=13 October 2019|publisher=Mo Ibrahim Foundation}} According to the 2023 Democracy Index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit that measures the state of democracy in 167 countries, Mauritius ranks 20th worldwide and is the only African-related country with "full democracy".{{Cite news|date=31 March 2012|title=African democracy − A glass half-full|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/node/21551494|access-date=7 April 2012}} The V-Dem Democracy Report described 2024 Mauritius as the 18th most electoral democratic country in Africa and autocratizing.

{{Main|Outer Islands of Mauritius|Districts of Mauritius}}

{{Mauritius Districts Labelled Map|float=right}}

Mauritius has a single first-order administrative division, the Outer Islands of Mauritius ({{Langx|fr|link=no|Îles éparses de Maurice}}), which consists of the islands of Mauritius and several outlying islands.{{Cite web|title=Location – The territory of Mauritius|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Geography-People/Pages/GeographyPeople/Location.aspx|website=Government of Mauritius|access-date=22 January 2015|archive-date=27 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327103512/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Geography-People/Pages/GeographyPeople/Location.aspx}}

The following are the island-groups in Mauritius:

• Island of Mauritius
• Rodrigues
• Saint Brandon
• Agaléga

The island of Mauritius is subdivided into nine districts, which are the country's second-order administrative divisions.

{{Main|Military of Mauritius}}

{{main|Mauritius Police Force}}

All military, police, and security functions in Mauritius are carried out by 10,000 active-duty personnel under the Commissioner of Police. The 8,000-member National Police Force is responsible for domestic law enforcement. The 1,400-member Special Mobile Force (SMF) and the 688-member National Coast Guard are the only two paramilitary units in Mauritius. Both units are composed of police officers on lengthy rotations to those services. Mauritius also has a special operations military known as 'GIPM' that would intervene in any terrorist attack or high risk operations.{{Cite web|title=Background Note: Mauritius – Scoop News|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0901/S00160.htm|access-date=18 January 2017|website=scoop.co.nz}}

{{Main|Foreign relations of Mauritius}}

File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi meeting the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Mr. Pravind Jugnauth, on the sidelines of CHOGM 2018, in London on April 19, 2018 (2).JPG with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 19 April 2018]]

Mauritius has strong and friendly relations with various African, American, Asian, European and Oceanic countries. Considered part of Africa geographically, Mauritius has friendly relations with African states in the region, particularly South Africa, by far its largest continental trading partner. Mauritian investors are gradually entering African markets, notably Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The country's political heritage and dependence on Western markets have led to close ties with the European Union and its member states, particularly France. Relations with India are very strong for both historical and commercial reasons. Mauritius established diplomatic relations with China in April 1972 and was forced to defend this decision, along with naval contracts with the USSR in the same year. It has also been extending its Middle East outreach with the setting up of an embassy in Saudi Arabia{{Cite web|title=Embassy of the Republic of Mauritius – Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia|url=https://foreign.govmu.org/Pages/Embassies%20and%20Consulates/Mauritius%20Diplomatic%20Missions%20Overseas/EMBASSY-OF-THE-REPUBLIC-OF-MAURITIUS---RIYADH,-KINGDOM-OF-SAUDI-ARABIA.aspx|access-date=19 October 2020|website=foreign.govmu.org}} whose Ambassador also doubles as the country's ambassador to Bahrain.{{Cite web|title=Presentation of Credentials of Ambassador Showkutally Soodhun, GCSK to the Kingdom of Bahrain|url=https://foreign.govmu.org/Pages/readmorenews.aspx?n=Presentation-of-Credentials-of-Ambassador-Showkutally-Soodhun,-GCSK-to-the-Kingdom-of-Bahrain.aspx|access-date=19 October 2020|website=foreign.govmu.org|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade}}

Mauritius is a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, La Francophonie, the Southern Africa Development Community, the Indian Ocean Commission, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

Mauritius has a hybrid legal system derived from English common law and the French civil law. The Constitution of Mauritius established the separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary and guaranteed the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual. Mauritius has a single-structured judicial system consisting of two tiers, the Supreme Court and subordinate courts. The Supreme Court is composed of various divisions exercising jurisdiction such as the Master's Court, the Family Division, the Commercial Division (Bankruptcy), the Criminal Division, the Mediation Division, the Court of First Instance in civil and criminal proceedings, the Appellate jurisdiction: the Court of Civil Appeal and the Court of Criminal Appeal. Subordinate courts consist of the Intermediate Court, the Industrial Court, the District Courts, the Bail and Remand Court and the Court of Rodrigues. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is the final court of appeal of Mauritius. After the independence of Mauritius in 1968, Mauritius maintained the Privy Council as its highest court of appeal. Appeals to the Judicial Committee from decisions of the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court may be as of right or with the leave of the Court, as set out in section 81 of the Constitution and section 70A of the Courts Act. The Judicial Committee may also grant special leave to appeal from the decision of any court in any civil or criminal matter as per section 81(5) of the Constitution.{{Cite web|date=13 October 2019|title=Constitution of Mauritius|url=http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/English/constitution/Pages/constitution2016.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826223209/http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/English/constitution/Pages/constitution2016.pdf|archive-date=26 August 2018|access-date=13 October 2019|publisher=National Assembly (Mauritius)}}

{{Main|Demographics of Mauritius}}

{{Largest cities

| country = Mauritius

| stat_ref = Source:{{Cite web|url=https://www.geonames.org/MU/largest-cities-in-mauritius.html|title=Biggest Cities Mauritius|website=geonames.org}}

| list_by_pop =

| div_name =

| div_link = Districts of Mauritius{{!}}District

| city_1 = Port Louis| div_1 =Port Louis District{{!}}Port Louis| pop_1 = 155,226| img_1 = Port Louis Waterfront (4717482626).jpg

| city_2 = Vacoas-Phoenix| div_2 = Plaines Wilhems| pop_2 = 115,289| img_2 = Bureau CEB Vacoas.jpg

| city_3 =Beau Bassin-Rose Hill| div_3 =Plaines Wilhems| pop_3 = 111,355| img_3 =Plaza (Mauritius).jpg

| city_4 = Curepipe| div_4 = Plaines Wilhems| pop_4 = 78,618| img_4 =Curepipe police station, Sir Winston Churchill Street.JPG

| city_5 = Quatre Bornes| div_5 = Plaines Wilhems| pop_5 = 77,308

| city_6 = Triolet, Mauritius{{!}}Triolet| div_6 = Pamplemousses District{{!}}Pamplemousses | pop_6 = 23,269

| city_7 = Goodlands, Mauritius{{!}}Goodlands| div_7 = Rivière du Rempart District{{!}}Rivière du Rempart| pop_7 = 20,910

| city_8 =Centre de Flacq| div_8 = Flacq| pop_8 = 17,710

| city_9 = Bel Air Rivière Sèche| div_9 =Flacq| pop_9 = 17,671

| city_10 = Mahébourg| div_10 = Grand Port| pop_10 = 17,042

}}

File:Mauritius_single_age_population_pyramid_2020.png (2020)]]

Mauritius had a population of 1,235,260 (608,090 males, 627,170 females) according to the final results of the 2022 Census. 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 total population of 330 (170 males and 160 females). Mauritius has the second highest population density in Africa. According to the 2022 census, the average age of the population was 38 years. The 2022 Census indicated that the proportion of children 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.

Subsequent to a Constitutional amendment in 1982, the census does not compile data on ethnic identities anymore but still does on religious affiliation. The 1972 census was the last one to measure ethnicity.{{Cite news|date=5 June 2008|title=A critical appraisal of the Best Loser System|work=L'Express (Mauritius)|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/critical-appraisal-best-loser-system|access-date=11 November 2017}}{{Cite web|first=M. Rafic|last=Soormally|date=10 September 2012|title=Debate on Best Loser System|url=http://www.defimedia.info/blog/item/18524-debate-on-best-loser-system.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121084740/http://www.defimedia.info/blog/item/18524-debate-on-best-loser-system.html|archive-date=21 January 2015|access-date=21 January 2015|publisher=Le Défi Media Group}} Mauritius is a multiethnic society, drawn from Indian, African, Chinese and European (mostly French) origin. Mauritian Creoles carry the Bantu haplotype and their mitochondrial genetics show significant ancestry with enslaved populations from East Africa and Madagascar while Indo-Mauritians carry genes associated with the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Ranchi District, Jharkhand.{{cite journal |last1=Fregel |first1=Rosa |last2=Seetah |first2=Krish |last3=Betancor |first3=Eva |last4=Suárez |first4=Nicolás M. |last5=Calaon |first5=Diego |last6=Čaval |first6=Saša |last7=Janoo |first7=Anwar |last8=Pestano |first8=Jose |title=Multiple Ethnic Origins of Mitochondrial DNA Lineages for the Population of Mauritius |journal=PLOS ONE |date=March 2014 |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=e93294 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0093294 |doi-access=free |pmid=24676463 |pmc=3968120 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...993294F |hdl=10553/46959 |hdl-access=free }}

According to the Constitution of Mauritius, there are 4 distinct communities on the island for the purposes of representation in the National Assembly. Schedule I, Paragraph 3(4) of the Constitution states that The population of Mauritius shall be regarded as including a Hindu community, a Muslim community, and a Sino-Mauritian community, and every person who does not appear, from his way of life, to belong to one or other of those three communities shall be regarded as belonging to the General Population, which shall itself be regarded as a fourth community.{{Cite web|last=Mathur|first=Raj|title=Party cooperation and the electoral system in Mauritius|url=http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p215941/pdf/ch052.pdf|access-date=26 September 2020|publisher=Australian National University}} Thus each ethnic group in Mauritius falls within one of the four main communities known as Hindus, General Population, Muslims and Sino-Mauritians.{{Cite book|last=Thi Keng Lau|first=Jean Claude|title=Inter-ethnicité et politique à l'île Maurice|date=1991|publisher=L'Harmattan|isbn=2-7384-1046-4|s2cid=175282041}}{{Cite web|last=Virahsawmy|first=Dev|title=Testament of A Hindocreole or Who Are We Really?|url=https://defimedia.info/testament-hindocreole-or-who-are-we-really|access-date=16 November 2018|publisher=Defimedia}}

As per the above constitutional provision, the 1972 ethnic statistics are used to implement the Best Loser System, the method used in Mauritius since the 1950s to guarantee ethnic representation across the entire electorate in the National Assembly without organising the representation wholly by ethnicity.{{Cite web|last=Dobson|first=Reena Jane|title='The Most Cosmopolitan Island under the Sun'? Negotiating Ethnicity and Nationhood in Everyday Mauritius|url=https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws%3A8256/datastream/PDF/download/citation.pdf|access-date=15 December 2009|publisher=Centre for Cultural Research University of Western Sydney}}

{{Main|Religion in Mauritius}}

{{Pie chart

|radius = 82

|thumb = right

|caption = Religion in Mauritius (2022){{cite web|url=https://statsmauritius.govmu.org/Documents/Census_and_Surveys/HPC/2011/HPC_TR_Vol2_Demography_Yr11.pdf|website=Statistics Mauritius|page=68|title=Resident population by religion and sex|access-date=19 November 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221006195313/https://statsmauritius.govmu.org/Documents/Census_and_Surveys/HPC/2011/HPC_TR_Vol2_Demography_Yr11.pdf| archive-date = 6 October 2022}}

|label1 = Hinduism

|value1 = 47.87

|color1 = DarkOrange

|label2 = Christianity

|value2 = 32.29

|color2 = DodgerBlue

|label3 = Islam

|value3 = 18.24

|color3 = Green

|label4 = No Religion

|value4 = 0.63

|color4 = Gold

|label5 = Other/Not stated

|value5 = 0.97

|color5 = DarkRed

}}

File:Maurice religions 2011.png

According to the 2022 census conducted by Statistics Mauritius, 47.87% of the Mauritian population follows Hinduism; 32.29% follows Christianity, with more than three-fourths of that number practicing Catholicism; Islam (18.24%){{rp|138}} and other religions (0.86%) (including Chinese ethnic religions). 0.63% reported themselves as non-religious and 0.11% did not answer.

The constitution prohibits discrimination on religious grounds and provides for freedom to practice, change one's religion or not have any. The Catholic Church, Church of England, Presbyterian Church of Mauritius, Seventh-day Adventists, Hindu Temples Associations and Muslim Mosques Organisations enjoy tax-exemptions and are allocated financial support based on their respective share of the population. Other religious groups can register and be tax-exempt but receive no financial support.{{Cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report for 2015|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2015&dlid=256049|access-date=25 November 2016|website=United States State Department}} Public holidays of religious origins are the Hindu festivals of Maha Shivaratri, Ougadi, Thaipoosam Cavadee, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Diwali; the Christian festivals of All Saints Day and Christmas; and the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.{{Cite news|date=4 February 2016|title=Public Holidays|language=en-ind|work=Mauritius|url=http://www.tourism-mauritius.mu/en-ind/plan/public-holidays|access-date=25 November 2016|archive-date=25 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125174843/http://www.tourism-mauritius.mu/en-ind/plan/public-holidays}} The state actively participates in their organisation with special committees presiding over the pilgrimage to Ganga Talao for Maha Shivaratri and the annual Catholic Procession to Jacques-Désiré Laval's resting place at Sainte-Croix.{{Cite press release|title=Mauritius: Maha Shivratree 2022 – the Prime Minister Chairs the National Task Force|date=25 November 2021|publisher=Government of Mauritius|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202111260112.html|via=AllAfrica.com|place=Port Louis}}

{{Main|Languages of Mauritius}}

The Mauritian constitution makes no mention of an official language. It only mentions that the official language of the National Assembly is English; however, any member can also address the chair in French.{{Cite web|title=Constitution of Mauritius – 49. Official language|url=http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/English/constitution/Pages/Constitution-Contd1.aspx#assembly|access-date=11 November 2017|website=National Assembly}} English and French are generally considered to be de facto national and common languages of Mauritius, as they are the languages of government administration, courts, and business.{{Cite web|title=Language|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Geography-People/Pages/Language.aspx|access-date=11 November 2017|website=Government of Mauritius|archive-date=21 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521095341/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Geography-People/Pages/Language.aspx}} The constitution of Mauritius is written in English, while some laws, such as the Civil and Criminal codes, are in French. The Mauritian currency features the Latin, Tamil and Devanagari scripts.

The Mauritian population is multilingual; while Mauritian Creole is the mother tongue of most Mauritians, most people are also fluent in English and French; they tend to switch languages according to the situation.{{Cite web|url=https://peoplemauritius.blogspot.com/|title=People and languages on Mauritius}} French and English are favoured in educational and professional settings, while Asian languages are used mainly in music, religious and cultural activities. The media and literature are primarily in French.

The Mauritian Creole language, which is French-based with some additional influences, is spoken by the majority of the population as a native language.{{Cite web|title=Demographics|url=http://mauritiusgovernment.com/demographics.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425080648/http://mauritiusgovernment.com/demographics.htm|archive-date=25 April 2012|access-date=7 November 2013|publisher=mauritiusgovernment.com}} The Creole languages spoken in different islands of the country are more or less similar: Mauritian Creole, Rodriguan creole, Agalega creole and Chagossian creole are spoken by people from the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga and Chagos. The following ancestral languages, also spoken in Mauritius, have received official recognition by acts of parliament:{{cite web|url=https://adsdatabase.ohchr.org/IssueLibrary/MAURITIUS_Contribution%20to%20A_HRC_46_27.pdf|title=Inputs on Human Rights Council Resolution 46/27 on Combatting intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons, based on religion or belief|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade (Human Rights Division)|access-date=14 July 2023}} Bhojpuri,{{Cite web|title=Bhojpuri-Speaking Union Act – 2011|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English/Documents/legislations/Bhojpuri%20Speaking%20Union%20Act%202011.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} Chinese,{{Cite web|title=Chinese-Speaking Union Act – 2011|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English/Documents/legislations/Chinese%20Speaking%20Union%20Act%202011.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} Hindi,{{Cite web|title=The Hindi-Speaking Union Act – 1994|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English/Documents/legislations/The%20Hindi%20Speaking%20Union%20%20Act%201994.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} Marathi,{{Cite web|title=Marathi-Speaking Union Act – 2008|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English/Documents/legislations/Marathi%20Speaking%20Union%20Act%202008.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} Sanskrit,{{Cite web|title=Sanskrit-Speaking Union Act – 2011|url=https://culture.govmu.org/Pages/Legislations/Sanskrit%20Speaking%20Union%20Act%202011.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} Tamil,{{Cite web|title=Tamil-Speaking Union Act – 2008|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English/Documents/legislations/Tamil%20Speaking%20Union%20Act%202008.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} Telugu{{Cite web|title=Telugu-Speaking Union Act – 2008|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English/Documents/legislations/Telugu%20Speaking%20Union%20Act%202008.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} and Urdu.{{Cite web|title=The Urdu-Speaking Union Act – 2002|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English/Documents/legislations/The%20Urdu%20Speaking%20Union%20Act%202002.pdf|access-date=20 January 2019|publisher=Ministry of Arts and Culture}} Bhojpuri, once widely spoken as a mother tongue, has become less commonly spoken over the years. According to the 2022 census, Bhojpuri was spoken by 5.1% of the population compared to 12.1% in 2000.{{Cite web|author-link=Statistics Mauritius|title=2011 Population Census – Main Results|url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/CensusandSurveys/Documents/ESI/pop2011.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111152858/http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/CensusandSurveys/Documents/ESI/pop2011.pdf|archive-date=11 November 2017|access-date=11 November 2017|website=Statistics Mauritius}}

School students must learn English and French; they may also opt for an Asian language or Mauritian Creole. The medium of instruction varies from school to school but is usually English for public and government subsidised private schools and mainly French for paid private ones. O-Level and A-Level Exams are organised in public and government subsidised private schools in English by Cambridge International Examinations while paid private schools mostly follow the French Baccalaureate model.

{{Main|Education in Mauritius}}

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 government of Mauritius provides free education to its citizens from pre-primary to tertiary level. In 2013 government expenditure on education was estimated at ₨ 13,584 million, representing 13% of total expenditure.{{Cite web|year=2013|title=Education statistics|url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/ei1063/edu.pdf|access-date=22 January 2015|website=Statistics Mauritius}} As of January 2017, the government has introduced changes to the education system with the Nine-Year Continuous Basic Education programme, which abolished the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE).{{Cite web|date=18 December 2016|title=Nine-Year Continuous Basic Education: What are the major changes brought to the system?|url=https://defimedia.info/nine-year-continuous-basic-education-what-are-major-changes-brought-system|publisher=Défi Media}}

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. The tertiary education sector includes universities and other technical institutions in Mauritius. The two main public universities are the University of Mauritius and the University of Technology, in addition to the Université des Mascareignes, founded in 2012, and the Open University Mauritius. These four public universities and several other technical institutes and higher education colleges are tuition-free for students as of 2019.{{Cite web|title=Communiqué- Free Education in Tertiary Education Institutions|url=http://ministry-education.govmu.org/English/educationsector/Documents/2019/Communique%20250119.pdf |year=2019 | work= Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214140421/http://ministry-education.govmu.org/English/educationsector/Documents/2019/Communique%20250119.pdf | archive-date= 14 February 2019 | url-status=deviated}}

The adult literacy rate was at 91.9% in 2022 with 8.8% of the total population holding a tertiary level qualification. Mauritius was ranked 55th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024, 1st in Africa.{{Cite book |year=2024 |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |page=18 |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.50062 |author1=World Intellectual Property Organization. |last2=Dutta |first2=Soumitra. |last3=Lanvin |first3=Bruno. |last4=Rivera León |first4=Lorena. |last5=Wunsch-Vincent |first5=Sacha. |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |isbn=978-92-805-3680-5 }}

{{Main|Economy of Mauritius|International rankings of Mauritius}}

Mauritius is often described as Africa's most developed country.{{Cite web|date=8 September 2022|title=Human Development Report 2021/2022|url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf|access-date=8 September 2022|publisher=United Nations Development Programme|language=en}}{{cite web|last1=Abara Benson|first1=Emmanuel|title=These are the 10 most developed countries in Africa based on UN's Human Development Index|url=https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/10-most-developed-countries-in-africa-according-to-latest-stats/dt5fx7v|website=Business Insider Africa|date=24 July 2022 |access-date=10 October 2023}} Since independence from Britain in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculture-based economy to a high-income diversified economy, based on tourism, textiles, sugar, and financial services. The economic history of Mauritius since independence has been called "the Mauritian Miracle" and the "success of Africa" (Romer, 1992; Frankel, 2010; Stiglitz, 2011).{{Cite web|title=Mauritius: The Drivers of Growth – Can the Past be Extended?|url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2014/wp14134.pdf|type=IMF Working paper 2014}}

In recent years, information and communication technology, seafood, hospitality and property development, healthcare, renewable energy, and education and training have emerged as important sectors, attracting substantial investment from both local and foreign investors. Mauritius has one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world, and in 2012 the government announced its intention to develop the marine economy.{{Cite web |title=Moving the Nation Forward |url=http://www.movingthenationforward.com/pdf/Govt-Address-2012.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413151110/http://www.movingthenationforward.com/pdf/Govt-Address-2012.pdf |archive-date=13 April 2019 |access-date=21 April 2012 |website=Government of Mauritius}}

Mauritius has no exploitable fossil fuel reserves and so relies on petroleum products to meet most of its energy requirements. Local and renewable energy sources are biomass, hydro, solar and wind energy.{{Cite web|first=Joseph E.|last=Stiglitz|author-link=Joseph E. Stiglitz|date=7 March 2011|title=The Mauritius Miracle|url=http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-mauritius-miracle|access-date=21 April 2012|website=Project Syndicate}} Mauritius contributes approximately 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions.{{Citation |last1=Jones |first1=Matthew W. |title=National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide |date=2024-11-13 |url=https://zenodo.org/records/14054503 |access-date=2025-03-17 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.14054503 |last2=Peters |first2=Glen P. |last3=Gasser |first3=Thomas |last4=Andrew |first4=Robbie M. |last5=Schwingshackl |first5=Clemens |last6=Gütschow |first6=Johannes |last7=Houghton |first7=Richard A. |last8=Friedlingstein |first8=Pierre |last9=Pongratz |first9=Julia}} The country has pledged to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to projected levels without intervention, with a goal of reaching net zero by 2070.{{Cite web |last=Climate Watch Data |title=Mauritius Climate Change Data {{!}} Emissions and Policies |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/MUS?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}} As part of its climate change strategy, Mauritius plans to eliminate coal from electricity generation by 2030, reduce landfill waste by diverting 70% of it through a circular economy approach, and increase the share of electric vehicles to 15% by the same year.{{Cite book |author=Department of Climate Change, Republic of Mauritius |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/BTR1_Mauritius_Final%202.pdf |title=Mauritius' First Biennial Transparency Report |date=December 2024 |publisher=Republic of Mauritius }}

Mauritius is ranked high in terms of economic competitiveness, a friendly investment climate, good governance and a free economy.{{Cite news|title=Mauritius|publisher=The Heritage Foundation|url=http://www.heritage.org/index/country/mauritius|access-date=16 April 2012|archive-date=10 April 2012|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410125621/http://www.heritage.org/index/country/mauritius}}{{Cite web|date=June 2012|title=2012 Investment Climate Statement – Mauritius|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/e/eb/rls/othr/ics/2012/191196.htm|access-date=8 August 2012|website=U.S. Department of State}}{{Cite web|title=Economy Rankings|url=http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025055932/http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings|archive-date=25 October 2012|access-date=24 October 2012|website=Doing Business}} The Gross Domestic Product (PPP) was estimated at US$29.187 billion in 2018, and GDP (PPP) per capita was over US$22,909, the second highest in Africa.

Mauritius has a high-income economy, according to the World Bank in 2019.{{Cite web|title=World Bank Country and Lending Groups|url=https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups|access-date=1 July 2020|publisher=World Bank}} The World Bank's 2019 Ease of Doing Business Index ranks Mauritius 13th worldwide out of 190 economies in terms of ease of doing business. According to the Mauritian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country's challenges are heavy reliance on a few industry sectors, high brain drain, scarcity of skilled labour, ageing population and inefficient public companies and para-statal bodies.{{Cite web|title=UNCTAD|url=http://unctad.org/meetings/en/Presentation/ditc_tncd_2015_d12_Bhuglah.pdf}}

Mauritius has built its success on a free market economy. According to the 2019 Economic Freedom of the World report, Mauritius is ranked as having the 9th most free economy in the world.{{Cite web|title=Economic Freedom of the World: 2019 Annual Report|url=https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/economic-freedom-of-the-world-2019.pdf|access-date=26 October 2019}}

Mauritius has historically relied on external financial inflows like tourism revenue, offshore finance and foreign aid{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/chagos-islands-how-mauritius-can-turn-a-diplomatic-triumph-into-real-economic-growth-257774 |title=Chagos islands: how Mauritius can turn a diplomatic triumph into real economic growth |work=The Conversation |date=2 June 2025 |access-date=8 June 2025}}.

File:Mauritius port louis.jpg, the capital of Mauritius]]

According to the Financial Services Commission, financial and insurance activities contributed to 11.1% of the country's GDP in 2018.{{Cite web|title=Contribution to GDP|url=https://www.fscmauritius.org/en/statistics/contribution-to-gdp|access-date=31 March 2019|website=Financial Services Commission (Mauritius)}} Over the years, Mauritius has been positioning itself as the preferred hub for investment into Africa due its strategic location between Asia and Africa, hybrid regulatory framework, ease of doing business, investment protection treaties, non-double taxation treaties, highly qualified and multilingual workforce, political stability, low crime rate coupled with modern infrastructure and connectivity. It is home to a number of international banks, legal firms, corporate services, investment funds and private equity funds. Financial products and services include private banking, global business, insurance and reinsurance, limited companies, protected cell companies, trust and foundation, investment banking, global headquarter administration.{{Cite web|title=Overview of the Financial Services Sector|url=http://www.edbmauritius.org/opportunities/financial-services/fs-overview/#tabname-3901-2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331181342/http://www.edbmauritius.org/opportunities/financial-services/fs-overview/#tabname-3901-2|archive-date=31 March 2019|access-date=31 March 2019|website=Economic Development Board}}{{Cite web|title=Africa Strategy|url=http://www.edbmauritius.org/africa-strategy/africa-strategy/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131530/http://www.edbmauritius.org/africa-strategy/africa-strategy/|archive-date=31 March 2019|access-date=31 March 2019|website=Economic Development Board}}

Corporate tax rate ranges from 15% to 17% and individual tax rate ranges from 10% to 25%.{{Cite web|date=31 August 2020|title=Mauritius Personal Tax: Solidarity Levy|url=https://www.dtos-mu.com/mauritius-personal-tax-solidarity-levy/|access-date=9 August 2021|website=DTOS}}{{Cite web|title=Corporate – Taxes on corporate income|url=https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/mauritius/corporate/taxes-on-corporate-income|access-date=9 August 2021|website=PWC}} While the country also offers incentives such as tax holidays and exemptions in some specific sectors to boost its competitiveness, the country is often tagged as a tax haven by the press due to individuals and companies who engaged in abusive practices in its financial sector.{{Cite web|date=23 July 2019|title=Treasure Island: Leak Reveals How Mauritius Siphons Tax From Poor Nations to Benefit Elites|url=https://www.icij.org/investigations/mauritius-leaks/treasure-island-leak-reveals-how-mauritius-siphons-tax-from-poor-nations-to-benefit-elites/|access-date=9 August 2021|website=ICIJ}} The country has built up a solid reputation by making use of best practices and adopting a strong legal and regulatory framework to demonstrate its compliance with international demands for greater transparency.{{Cite web|date=August 2019|title=Mauritius: Not a tax haven but a competitive and attractive cross-border investment platform|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/node/358225|access-date=9 August 2021|website=L'Express (Mauritius)}} In June 2015, Mauritius adhered to the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, and has an exchange information mechanism with 127 jurisdictions. Mauritius is a founding member of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti Money Laundering Group and has been at the forefront in the fight against money laundering and other forms of financial crime. The country has adopted exchange of information on an automatic basis under the Common Reporting Standard and the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act.{{Cite web|title=Prime Minister denies Mauritius being a tax haven|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/News/Pages/-Prime-Minister-denies-Mauritius-being-a-tax-haven.aspx|access-date=31 March 2019|website=Government of Mauritius|archive-date=31 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131526/http://www.govmu.org/English/News/Pages/-Prime-Minister-denies-Mauritius-being-a-tax-haven.aspx}}

{{Main|Tourism in Mauritius}}

File:Fine sand at Le Morne Beach in Mauritius (53697781831).jpg]]

Mauritius is a major tourist destination, and the tourism sector is one of the main pillars of the Mauritian economy. The island nation enjoys a tropical climate with clear warm sea waters, beaches, tropical fauna and flora, complemented by a multi-ethnic and cultural population.{{Cite web|title=Code of ethics of tourism for Mauritius|url=http://www.tourism-mauritius.mu/documents/ethic_code.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121054348/http://www.tourism-mauritius.mu/documents/ethic_code.pdf|archive-date=21 January 2012|access-date=28 January 2012|publisher=MTPA}} The forecast of tourist arrivals for the year 2019 is maintained at 1,450,000, representing an increase of 3.6% over the figure of 1,399,408 in 2018.{{Cite web|title=International Travel and Tourism Year 2018|url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/Publications/Pages/Tourism_Yr18.aspx|access-date=6 April 2019}}

Mauritius currently has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely, Aapravasi Ghat and Le Morne Cultural Landscape. Additionally, Black River Gorges National Park is currently in the UNESCO tentative list.{{Cite web|title=Mauritius|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/mu/|access-date=20 May 2019|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}

{{Main|Transport in Mauritius}}

File:Metro Express Mauritius.jpg at Rose Hill Central Station]]

Since 2005 public buses, and later trains, in Mauritius have been free of charge for students, people with disabilities, and senior citizens.{{Cite web|title=Rs 32 M de plus pour le transport gratuit|url=http://www.lematinal.com/economie/3558-rs-32-m-de-plus-pour-le-transport-gratuit.html|access-date=22 August 2014|publisher=Le Matinal|language=fr}} The Metro Express railway currently links all five cities and the University of Mauritius at Réduit with planned expansion to the east and south. Former privately owned industrial railways have been abandoned since the 1960s. The harbour of Port Louis handles international trade as well as a cruise terminal. The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, the largest one in the Indian Ocean, is the main international airport and serves as the home operating base for the national airline Air Mauritius.{{Cite web|title=Mauritius airport inaugurates US$305m terminal|url=http://www.passengerterminaltoday.com/viewnews.php?NewsID=51796|access-date=22 August 2014|publisher=Passenger Terminal Today}} The Plaine Corail Airport operates from Rodrigues ensuring air link with the main island of Mauritius and international flights with Réunion.

The information and communications technology (ICT) sector has contributed to 5.7% of its GDP in 2016.{{Cite web|title=Statistics Mauritius – ICT Statistics Year 2016|url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/Publications/Pages/ICT_Stats_Yr2016.aspx|access-date=13 November 2018|website=statsmauritius.govmu.org|language=en-US}}

Additionally, the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) – the regional Internet registry for Africa – is based in Ebene.

Mauritius is also connected to global Internet infrastructure via multiple optical fibre submarine communications cables, including the Lower Indian Ocean Network (LION) cable, the Mauritius–Rodrigues Submarine Cable, and the South Africa Far East (SAFE) cable.

{{Main|Culture of Mauritius}}

Prominent Mauritian painters include Henri Le Sidaner, Malcolm de Chazal, Raouf Oderuth and Vaco Baissac while Gabrielle Wiehe is a prominent illustrator and graphic designer.{{Cite magazine|title=Experience Mauritius Through Vaco Baissac|magazine=Kreol International Magazine|url=https://kreolmagazine.com/culture/art/experience-mauritius-through-vaco-baissac/}}

[[File:Place D’Armes, Port Louis, Mauritius 1930s.jpg|thumb| alt= Vintage Mauritius|

Historical Mauritius. A scene from the 1930s]]

File:Chinatown, Port Louis, Mauritius 1860s.jpg

File: View_of_Ebene.jpg

The Mauritius "Post Office" stamps, the first stamps produced outside Great Britain, among the rarest postage stamps in the world, are widely considered "the greatest item in all philately".David Feldman SA, Mauritius: Classic Postage Stamps and Postal History, Switzerland (1993), Prices Realized supplement.

The distinctive architecture of Mauritius reflects the island nation's history as a colonial trade base connecting Europe with the East. Styles and forms introduced by Dutch, French, and British settlers from the seventeenth century onward, mixed with influences from India and East Africa, resulted in a unique hybrid architecture of international historic, social, and artistic significance. Mauritian structures present a variety of designs, materials, and decorative elements that are unique to the country and inform the historical context of the Indian Ocean and European colonialism.{{Cite web|title=Traditional Architecture of Mauritius|url=https://www.wmf.org/project/traditional-architecture-mauritius|website=World Monuments Fund}}

Decades of political, social, and economic change have resulted in the routine destruction of Mauritian architectural heritage. Between 1960 and 1980, the historic homes of the island's high grounds, known locally as campagnes, disappeared at alarming rates. More recent years have witnessed the demolition of plantations, residences, and civic buildings as they have been cleared or drastically renovated for new developments to serve an expanding tourism industry. The capital city of Port Louis remained relatively unchanged until the mid-1990s, yet now reflects the irreversible damage that has been inflicted on its built heritage. Rising land values are pitted against the cultural value of historical structures in Mauritius, while the prohibitive costs of maintenance and the steady decline in traditional building skills make it harder to invest in preservation.

The general populace historically lived in what are termed creole houses.{{Cite web|date=6 June 2014|title=Old Colonial and Creole-Style Houses in Mauritius – Part 1 – Vintage Mauritius|url=http://vintagemauritius.org/vintage-houses/old-colonial-creole-style-houses-mauritius-part-1/}}

{{Main|Mauritian literature}}

Mauritius is remembered in literature mostly for the novel Paul et Virginie, a classic of French literature, by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre and for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland's Dodo

Jean-Marie Le Clézio, Ananda Devi, Nathacha Appanah, Malcolm de Chazal, Eugénie Poujade, Marie-Thérèse Humbert, Shenaz Patel, Khal Torabully, Aqiil Gopee, South-African born Lindsey Collen-Seegobin writing in English and French, Dev Virahsawmy writing mostly in Mauritian Creole and Abhimanyu Unnuth writing in Hindi are some of the most prominent Mauritian writers. Le Clézio, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2008, is of Mauritian heritage and holds dual French-Mauritian citizenship. The island plays host to the Le Prince Maurice Prize. In keeping with the island's literary culture the prize alternates on a yearly basis between English-speaking and French-speaking writers.

{{Main|Mass media in Mauritius}}

{{Main|Music of Mauritius|Sega (genre)}}

The major musical genres of Mauritius are Sega and its fusion genre, Seggae, Bhojpuri folk songs, Indian movie music especially Bollywood, and Classical music mainly Western classical music and Indian classical music.

{{Further|Mauritian cuisine}}

File:Bol-renverse.jpg

Mauritian cuisine is a combination of Indian, Creole, French and Chinese cuisines, with many dishes unique to the island. Local variants of Asian and European cusines include vegetarian and non vegetarian curries, parathas locally known as farata, the potato rich briani, wok prepared mines frires and diriz frires, a chop suey dish known as bol renversé (upside-down bowl), sausage and tomato based rougaille and Mughlai-origin alouda, a cold beverage, amongst others. Locally made French pastry and bread are sold in most localities with locally unique desserts like "napolitaine", a local version of sablé coated with a pink icing, coconut based gâteau coco and macacha coco and iced kulfi.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvSjmNljMfQC | title=Le cari partagé: Anthropologie de l'alimentation à l'ile de la Réunion | isbn=978-2-84586-017-9 | last1=Cohen | first1=Patrice | date=January 2000 | publisher=KARTHALA Editions }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.academiedugout.fr/recettes/comme-un-bol-renverse_11761_4|title=Comme un bol renversé par Académie du Goût|website=L'Académie du Goût}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.reunionsaveurs.com/cuisine-et-gastronomie-reunion/accompagnements/le-rougail-de-la-reunion-pilon-ou-marmite.php|title=rougail de la réunion: recette 974 des rougails pilon et marmite|date=1 December 2011|website=Réunion saveurs : Recette cuisine réunionnaise 974}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.infoilemaurice.com/alouda/|title=Alouda, la boisson de l'Ile Maurice par excellence |date=23 March 2019|website=République de Ile Maurice |language=fr}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/alouda|title=Alouda |website=TasteAtlas}}

Masala spices, dals, zassar from Indian-origin achar and leaf vegetables known as brèdes are commonly consumed in all households. Street food sold by hawkers include popular wraps dholl puri and roti, local versions of Indian pakoras like gâteau piment and chana puris.{{Cite web|last=Roberts|first=Darlene|date=20 October 2016|title=Mauritius Dholl Puri (Yellow Split Pea Wrap)|url=https://www.internationalcuisine.com/mauritius-dholl-puri/|access-date=20 October 2016|publisher=International Cuisine}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.supertoinette.com/glossaire-cuisine/519/culinaire/achards.html|title=Achards - définition de "Achards"" - dictionnaire de cuisine|website=Supertoinette}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.jardinsdefrance.org/les-bredes-legumes-feuilles-des-pays-tropicaux/|title=Les brèdes: légumes feuilles des pays tropicaux}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KDBuDwAAQBAJ&dq=Chapati+eastern+africa&pg=PA239 | title=Knowledge and the Indian Ocean: Intangible Networks of Western India and Beyond | isbn=978-3-319-96839-1 | last1=Keller | first1=Sara | date=11 September 2018 | publisher=Springer }}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XCjAQAAQBAJ&dq=Chapati+eastern+africa&pg=PA124 | title=Street Food around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture | isbn=978-1-59884-955-4 | last1=Kraig | first1=Bruce | last2=Colleen Taylor Sen Ph | first2=D. | date=9 September 2013 | publisher=Abc-Clio }}

The public holidays of Mauritius involve the blending of several cultures from Mauritius's history. There are Hindu festivals, Christian festivals, Chinese festivals, and Muslim festivals.{{Cite web|title=Public Holidays - 2020.pdf|url=http://pmo.govmu.org/English/Documents/Communiqu%C3%A9%20and%20Reports/Public%20holidays%20-%202020.pdf|access-date=4 November 2019}} There are 14 annual public holidays in Mauritius with New Year celebrated over two days if it falls on a weekend. All the public holidays related to religious festivals have dates that vary from year to year except for Christmas. Other festivals such as Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Durga Puja,{{Cite web|date=20 September 2017|title=Mauritius: Celebration of Durga Puja over nine days for Hindu devotees of the island|url=https://mauritiushindinews.com/mauritius-hindu-festival/mauritius-celebration-durga-puja-nine-days-hindu-devotees-island/|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125034911/https://mauritiushindinews.com/mauritius-hindu-festival/mauritius-celebration-durga-puja-nine-days-hindu-devotees-island/|archive-date=25 November 2022|access-date=25 November 2022|website=Hindi Pracharak|language=en-US}}{{cbignore}} Makar Sankranti and Père Laval Pilgrimage also enrich the cultural landscape of Mauritius.

File:Maiden Cup 2006, Champ de Mars Racecourse, Port Louis, Mauritius - 20060910.jpg

{{see also|Football in Mauritius}}

The most popular sport in Mauritius is footballRichards, Alexandra.Mauritius: Rodrigues, Réunion. Bradt Travel Guides, 2009, p. 90 and the national team is known as The Dodos or Club M. Other popular sports in Mauritius include cycling, table tennis, horse racing, badminton, volleyball, basketball, handball, boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, bodybuilding and athletics. Water sports include swimming, sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Kim le Court is a successful professional cyclist. With multiple podium places in the African Road Championships, she is the 2024 national road race and time trial champion. She won stage 8 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia Women. In 2025, she won Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femmes, came 3rd overall in the UAE Tour Women and 5th in the Tour of Flanders for Women.

Horseracing, which dates from 1812 when the Champ de Mars Racecourse was inaugurated, remains popular. The country hosted the second (1985), fifth (2003) and tenth editions (2019) of the Indian Ocean Island Games. Mauritius won its first Olympic medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing when boxer Bruno Julie won the bronze medal.

In golf, the former Mauritius Open and the current AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open have been part of the European Tour.

{{Portal|Africa|Islands}}

• Outline of Mauritius

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book|last=Macdonald|first=Fiona|title=Peoples of Africa|pages=340–341|chapter=Mauritius|display-authors=etal}}
• This article incorporates public domain text from the websites of the [http://www.govmu.org/ Government of Mauritius] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022022534/http://www1.govmu.org/ |date=22 October 2018 }}, the United States Department of State, the U.S. Library of Congress, and the CIA World Factbook.

{{refend}}

• {{Cite book|last=Bahadur|first=Gaiutra|title=Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture|publisher=The University of Chicago|year=2014|isbn=978-0-226-21138-1}}
• {{Cite book|last=Moree|first=Perry J.|title=A Concise History of Dutch Mauritius, 1598–1710: A Fruitful and Healthy Land|publisher=Routledge|year=1998}}
• {{Cite journal|last=Vink|first=Markus|year=2003|title='The World's Oldest Trade': Dutch Slavery and Slave Trade in the Indian Ocean in the Seventeenth Century|journal=Journal of World History|volume=14|issue=2|pages=131–177|doi=10.1353/jwh.2003.0026|s2cid=145450338}}

Novels

• Geneviève Dormann, Le bal du dodo, Albin Michel, 2000, {{ISBN|978-2-226-03656-8}}.
• J. M. G. Le Clézio, La quarantaine, Gallimard, 1997, {{ISBN|978-2-07-040210-6}}.
• Nathacha Appanah, Les rochers de poudre d'or, Gallimard, 2006.
• Shenaz Patel, Le silence des Chagos, éditions de l'Olivier, 2005, {{ISBN|978-2-87929-454-4}}.

{{Sister project links|Mauritius|voy=Mauritius}}

• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13882233 Country Profile] from BBC News
• [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=MU Key Development Forecasts for Mauritius] from International Futures
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607053434/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/mauritius.htm Mauritius] at UCB Libraries GovPubs
• [https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/370153/Mauritius Mauritius] entry at Encyclopædia Britannica
• [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mauritius/ Mauritius]. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120101020658/http://www.boimauritius.com/ Board of Investment]
• [http://www.govmu.org/ Mauritius Government portal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022022534/http://www1.govmu.org/ |date=22 October 2018 }}
• [http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/ Statistics Mauritius]

• {{osmrelation-inline|1=535828#map=10/-20.2963/57.6727}}
• {{Wikiatlas|Mauritius}}
• [http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=-20.2544671&lon=57.5614929&z=10&l=0&m=b&search=mauritius WikiSatellite view of Mauritius at WikiMapia]

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