Originally uninhabited, in the tenth century is visited by the Arabs (which they dubbed as Dina Arobi).
The Portuguese discovered its existence in 1505, during travel that brought them on routes to the far Indies.
True colonization starts with the coming of the Dutch at the end of the sixteenth century.
After them the island becomes French (1715-1810), then to be sold to the British in 1814.
The French colonization is the one that has left more tracks starting
from the name: the island has been christened Mauritius in honor of Prince Maurice de Nassau.
Under the British administration the most important was undoubtedly the elimination of slavery, which took place in 1835.
Mauritius independence dates back to
1968 while the advent of democracy happened only in 1992.
Here some essential info for those preparing to visit the island are inserted:
| Area |
1,865 sq km with 330 km of beaches. The island is 58 km long and 47 wide. |
| Capital City |
Port Louis with its 160,000 inhabitants |
| Language |
The majority of the population speaks French and English.
The French and Creole predominate in the newspaper |
| Population |
Mauritians consists of different ethnic groups: Indian (both Hindus as Muslims), Africans, Europeans and Chinese
|
| Government |
Mauritius government is a parliamentary democracy
|
| Economics |
tourism and textile industry
|
| Religion |
Hinduism (50%), followed by Christianity (31%), Islam (16%) and Buddhism (3%). |
| Climate | The climate is
subtropical type with a certain difference between summer and winter. The period is calculated with the winter European temperatures around 30° C, while the
cooler period is from July to September with temperatures about 20° C. Along the coastal areas temperatures are higher. From November to April the climate is
hot and humid; while longer dry between May and October. Like all tropical islands Mauritius does not have a rainy season well-defined.
The east coast is usually more humid and between January and March is affected by intense rainfall, while between July and September is pretty windy. |
| Vaccinations | No Vaccination
is required |
| Sports |
one can practice any kind of sports: golf, football, basketball, handball, horseback
riding, deep-sea fishing, waterskiing, sailing, windsurfing, diving, parasailing, usually feasible at the larger hotels and the main beaches of the island. |
|
