Mauritius Land and People

Mauritius – Land and People provides information on the location and climate of the country, the lifestyle and habits of the people living there. Mauritius is surrounded by innumerable coral reefs. There is a central plateau, which is enveloped by a series of mountains belonging to the volcanic origin.

Mauritius is a South African country and is located as an archipelago over the eastern borders of Madagascar. The country is situated between 19º59' S and 20º32' S latitude and between 57º18' E and 57º49' E longitude. The total land area of Mauritius is 2,040 square kilometers. The natural resources of Mauritius are fish and the arable land. The land of Mauritius experiences a moderate climate, typical of the tropical regions. The climate remains warm and dry during winter between the months of May and November, while the summer stretching between November and May remain hot and humid.

The total number of people residing in the land of Mauritius is approximately 12,50,882 according to the statistics taken in July 2007. Among the people of Mauritius, 68% are of Indian origin. 27% of the population comes from Creole, with mixed African and French background. Remaining 3% are Sino-Mauritian and 2% are Franco-Mauritian. As per the 2000 census, the major religions observed at Mauritius are Hinduism (48%), Roman Catholicism (23.6%), Islam (16.6%) and Christianity (8.6%). The official language of Mauritius people is English. However, the language of Creole is also extensively spoken. Other major languages of Mauritian people are Hindi, French, Urdu, Bhojpuri and Hakka.

Mauritius is a parliamentary democracy, where parliament is given supreme authority in governing the country. The president is the chief of the state of Mauritius, who is elected by the national assembly. The president is elected for a span of 5 years. The prime minister is the head of the government and is appointed by the president. The unicameral legislature of Mauritius comprises of a national assembly with 70 seats, among which 62 are elected members, while 8 are representatives of the ethnic minorities.