Mauritius
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Mauritius


Almost 9.500 kilometers as the crow flies and twelve hours of flight time separate Germany and the autonomous island republic of Mauritius. The 2.040 square kilometer archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean, about 1.000 kilometers east of Madagascar. The Republic of Mauritius also includes the 108 square kilometer island of Rodrigues and several other islands. Like the French overseas territory Réunion Mauritius is geographically assigned to the Mascarene Islands.

Article overview Mauritius

Mauritius - Chamarell waterfall

Mauritius - Chamarell waterfall


Mauritius – the distant island paradise

Mauritius' landscape of azure lagoons and dense rainforests is very attractive. White, fine sandy beaches stretch along the coast. The interior is characterized by rolling hills, sugar cane fields and picturesque villages. Worth mentioning is the 556 meter high mountain Le Morne Brabant, located in the southwest of Mauritius. It offers hikers and nature lovers unforgettable experiences.

Mauritius' landscape


Mauritius' landscape


Mauritius - Le Morne Brabant


Mauritius - Le Morne Brabant 


Mauritius – numbers and facts

According to the 2022 census, there were approximately 1,24 million people living in Mauritius and the island of Rodrigues. More than half of the residents are of Indian descent. The port city of Port Louis, located in the west of Mauritius, is the political, economic and social center of the country. Almost 146.000 people live in the capital. According to the 2022 census, the population density was 615 inhabitants per square kilometer. Mauritius is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

Mauritius - Port Louis skyline

Mauritius - Port Louis skyline


Mauritius' history

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas discovered the Mascarene Islands. The Dutch were the first to settle in Mauritius towards the end of the 16th century. They named the island after its governor, Prince Moritz (Maurice) of Nassau.

After a little more than 100 years, the Netherlands gave up Mauritius and the island was passed on to France. The French colonial rulers had a strong influence on the culture, language and architecture of the island. In 1810 Mauritius passed to the English Crown. Slavery under French rule ended in 1835. The slaves left, but work on the sugar cane plantations remained. Contract workers from India and China replaced the slaves. The Aapravas Ghat transit camp in Port Louis, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a reminder of the history of Mauritius' immigrants.

Mauritius - Port Louis - Aapravasi Ghat


Mauritius - Port Louis - Aapravasi Ghat


Mauritius - Port Louis - Aapravasi Ghat


Mauritius - Port Louis - Aapravasi Ghat 


The last important date in the island's chronicle was the achievement of independence in 1968. Mauritius is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Mauritius' climate

Mauritius has a tropical climate due to its proximity to the equator. The maximum daily temperatures are between 23 and 29 degrees throughout the year. Occasionally the country is hit by hurricanes.

Mauritius' economy

Under French rule, the economy flourished thanks to sugar cane cultivation and the slave trade. Under British rule, Mauritius acquired an important strategic importance in the Indian Ocean. Today, Mauritius' economy relies on agriculture, fishing, industrial production and, increasingly, the service sector. Real economic sectors include the cultivation of cane sugar, the production of wood and paper products and the production of textiles

Port Louis in the present

Port Louis is extremely attractive to tourists. The city is clean and clear. What stands out in the cityscape are the remarkably large office buildings of financial companies, which in and of themselves do not do justice to the international and economic importance of the country. The reason for this: Mauritius is a tax haven. The EU Commission put the republic on the black list of tax havens in 2016. A well-known Swiss lawyer even described Mauritius as the “Panama of Asia”.

Mauritius - Port Louis - modern business buildings


Mauritius - Port Louis - modern commercial buildings


Mauritius - Port Louis - Caudan Waterfront


Mauritius - Port Louis - Caudan Waterfront 


The means of payment is the Mauritanian Ouguiya. The widely accepted parallel currency is the US dollar.

Mauritius – destination for cruise ships

To the delight of cruise travelers, the island occasionally serves as a cruise destination on boat trips to destinations in the Indian Ocean. The ships' destination is Port Louis.

Mauritius - Port Louis

Mauritius - Port Louis


We recommend that cruise ship guests take enough time to see some of the highlights of the city and the island. Those of us below Mauritius sightseeing The goals shown are particularly suitable for this.