Travel Facts of Mauritius

Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Country name:
Republic of Mauritius

Government Type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Port Louis

Population:
1,220,481 (July 2004 est.)

Area
total: 2,040 sq km
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
water: 10 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km

Currency:
Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Time:
Mauritius Standard Time is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+4).

National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Country Code:
230

Languages:
English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri

Religions:
Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%

Climate:
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)