Facts about Mauritius

All the nitty gritty facts about Mauritius are here. It is possible that this page could have been very very long, so I have condensed all the facts into separate handy fact sheets and concise articles. These are listed further down the page.

If you have a question about Mauritius and you can’t find the answer on this page or in the fact sheets, then send me a message and I’ll be happy to provide some more Mauritius information

Mauritius is a small island off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch first colonized Mauritius with the first permanent settlement established in 1638. They didn’t stay for long though and abandoned the island several decades later.

France, which already controlled neighboring Reunion seized control of Mauritius in 1715 and promptly changed its name to Isle of France. Under the governance of the French the economy thrived, mostly because of the production of sugar.

At this time there were many pirates who frequently intercepted British boats as they sailed from India back to Britain, filled with valuable goods. So the British decided during the Napoleonic Wars (1893 – 1815) that they were going to take control of the island to stop the pirates.

The French surrendered in 1810 and handed over Isle of France on the condition that the inhabitants could keep their land and the continued use of the French language and French law.

Obviously the British were not happy with their new conquest being called Isle of France and changed the name back to the original Mauritius.

In 1965, Britain separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory. The most famous island in the Archipelaga is Diego Garcia and the reason for this separation? A deal with the US to clear the island of inhabitants and allow America to establish a military base.

Mauritius became independent in 1968 and has been a stable democracy with regular free elections. It has a considerable foreign investment base and currently one of the richest countries in Africa.

Overview of all Fact Sheets

Search all the factsheets on this site:

More Facts about Mauritius - - factsheet on Mauritius with hard data on the country, population, geography, politics, economy, health, communications, and more.

How's the Weather in Mauritius? - Being located close to the equator, the weather in Mauritius is sunny and warm throughout the year.

Mauritius Embassies Abroad - Here’s a list of Mauritius embassies and high commissions abroad – if you have any questions about Mauritius and need to speak to a real person, they are usually more than happy to help.

List of Embassies in Mauritius - Here’s a list of major foreign embassies in Mauritius – limited to those countries where most international travelers to Mauritius are from.