ABOUT MY COUNTRY
Location
Mauritius is an island of approximately 1 865 square kilometres with 330 kms of coastline almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs, a central plateau and impressive mountains. It is situated in the South West Indian Ocean at latitude 20° South and longitude 57.5° East. The Central plateau rises to a level of some 600 metres marked by deep extinct volcanic craters, crisscrossed by rivers, sreams and waterfalls. Bordering this tableland are three mountain ranges with fantastically-shaped masses of basalt which testify to the volcanic origin of the island. From these mountains, several peaks emerge: Piton de la Rivière Noire (828 mts), Pieter Both (823 mts), Le Pouce (812 mts).
Temperature
The air temperature along the coast averages 22°C in winter and 31°C in summer. The water temperature varies between 22°C and 27°C. Like most tropical islands, there is only a slight difference in temperature between the dry and the wet seasons. The island is covered all year round with a lush and colourful vegetation.
Languages
English is the official language and is widely understood. French and Creole predominate in everyday life. A number of oriental languages are also spoken.
Time zone
Mauritius Time is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and 3 hours ahead of mid-European time.
History and Constitution
The island was known to the Arabs in the 10th century. Discovered in 1505 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenna the island was occupied sucessively by the Dutch (1638-1710), the French (1715-1810), and ceded to Great Britain in 1814 by the Treaty of Paris. On March 12, 1968 Mauritius acceded to Independence. Republic was proclaimed on 12 March 1992. The Constitution is based on the Westminster pattern, where power rest with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
Population
On the 31st December 1994, the population of the island of Mauritius was estimated at 1,082,998 comprising Indo-Mauritians, Creoles, i.e people of mixed European and African origin and Sino-Mauritians.
Currency
The Monetary Unit is the Mauritian Rupee (MUR or Rs.) which is divided into 100 cents (cs.) There are 1- rupee pieces, 5 rupee-pieces,10 rupee-pieces, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50 cent-pieces. Notes come in the following denomiations: Rs 5, 10, 20, 50, 200, 500, and 1000.
Some pictures of Mauritius
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge pictures
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