Here are some interesting Mauritius Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Population: roughly 1.2 million people live in the country (2015)
Capital: Port Louis with 150,000 inhabitants
Name: Republique de Maurice (Republic of Mauritius)
Motto: 'Star and Key of the Indian Ocean'
Government: Democracy
Language: English, French, Creole
Religion: mainly Hindus (49%)
Currency: 1 Rupee=100cents
History: The first settlements were established by the Dutch in 1638. Later the French and British arrived on the island. Mauritius became independent from Britain only in 1968.
National Animal: The legendary extinct 'dodo'
Mauritius Island
Dream Island in the Indian Ocean
Mauritius Map and Geography
Mauritius is a small island situated in the Indian Ocean to the east of the African continent.
To reach Mauritius, it take a 4 hours flight from Johannesburg/South Africa, 12 hours flight from Paris/France or 13 hours from London/UK.
Mauritius Map: Mauritius and Rodrigues belong to the Mascarene islands in the Indian Ocean
Mauritius is the second biggest island belonging to the group of islands called the Mascarenes or 'Mascareignes' as they are called in French. Rodrigues island and some other smaller islands belong to Mauritius too.
The biggest island of the Mascarenes islands group is La Reunion (which belongs to France).
Mauritius has a coastline of about 150km/93miles in length.
The island was created by volcanic activity more than 8 million years ago. There are many scenic waterfalls especially in the south west of the island.
The island's highest mountain is the 'Peak of the Little Black River', Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire, with 828m or 2,717ft.
Port Louis - the capital city of Mauritius
Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius. It is the most populous city with roughly 150,000 inhabitants.
Mauritius is the most densely populated country on the African continent and also one of the most prosperous and rich countries on the continent.
Mauritius Facts:
Tourist Attractions in Mauritius
Visit Port Louis: Caudan Waterfront as the main shopping and entertainment centre. A visit to the Post Office Museum is highly recommended. There you can see the famous 'Blue Mauritius' stamp, which is the first stamp issued. It shows Queen Victoria on a blue background.
Admire the 'Seven Coloured Earths' in the Chamarel plains
Coloured Earths
Le Morne Brabant: Climb the mountain in the southwest of the island
Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens: Explore the tropical gardens and see the giant waterlillies in the pond and stroke the giant tortoises
Giant Turtles
Go swimming with dolphins in Tamarin Bay
Cap Malheureux: Explore the fishing village in the north
Visit the Hindu temples: Hinduism is the main religion on the island with almost half of the population of Mauritians belonging to this religion
Mauritius temple by Evgenia Bolyukh/Shutterstock.com
Mauritius Hindu Temple
There are so many exciting places, amazing white sandy beaches, picturesque towns and villages, ancient military ruins to visit, please make sure you come back to this site again, as we will add more information on places to visit here soon.
Interesting Mauritius Language Facts
French, English and Creole are the main languages in Mauritius. English is considered by many as the main business language, however newspapers and TV and radio news are mainly in French.
Mauritius Advertisement Board
Roadside Advertisement Board in Mauritius
In fact, most people speak Mauritian Creole at home. Further various Asian languages such as Tamil, Urdu, Hindi or Mandarin are spoken by the Indian and Chinese population.
Mauritius Facts:
Famous Mauritian People
Mauritians are friendly and welcoming people. The Mauritian people form a multiethnic society which means they are mainly of mixed races and have ancestors of Asian, Indian, French, British and Chinese origins. The majority are descendants from Indian people and are referred to as Indo-Mauritians.
Almost half of the population practise Hinduism, other dominant religions are Roman Catholicism and Islam. Mauritians love to celebrate their religious traditions and also are famous for their love of dancing the sega.
Mauritian segadancer
The Mauritian folk dance is the sega dance. It has many influences from the Indian dance style, where the whole body moves with the music, interestingly however, the feet never leave the ground. The sega dance is also popular on the Seychelles islands and La Reunion.
The most popular Mauritians are probably 'Paul et Virginie', in English 'Paul and Virginia'. These are characters in a French novel by Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre dating back to the late 18th century. The tragic love story of the two is very famous on the island.
Mauritius Facts: Food in Mauritius
Sugarcane is the main agricultural product in Mauritius. Pineapple plantations can also be seen all over the island.
Sugarcane field in Mauritius
Sugarcane field
Mauritian main dishes contain: fresh vegetables, fruits and fish. The cuisine is well known for its freshness and exotic spices.
Pineapples grow in bushes
Did you know pineapples grow in bushes?
Papaya fruits
The Mauritian cuisine has many influences. Asian, Indian, European specialties all can be found in the local cuisine. Here is some typical Mauritius food:
Curry: spicy stews made with chicken, fish, squid
Palm Hearts: expensive delicacy, using the inner parts of a palm tree trunk, quite tasteless, but often used in salads.
Coconuts: try a fresh coconut. Did you know that coconut 'milk' liquid looks transparent like water but has a sweet taste.
Dim Sum: steamed filled dumplings, originating from the Chinese cuisine
Sugar: for tasting the many different variations of sugar, go to 'L'Aventure du Sucre', a still working sugar factory with a wonderful museum with lots of interactive displays
Tea: There are several tea plantations on the island. Bois Cheri plantation has an amazing Vanilla Tea!
Read more about great Mauritian specialties here
Try to visit also the food markets in the major towns such as Port Louis or Flaqc. Here is a good picture of a farmer selling his colourful harvest at a typical market in Mauritius.
Market in Mauritius
Did you know?
Dodo - The extinct flightless bird
The Dodo, which is an extinct bird which was living on the island, is still used in many artefacts and souvenirs as it is the islands national animal!
Picture Credits on Mauritius Facts: All Pictures, own photos and if not otherwise mentioned from sxc.hu and shutterstock.com
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