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Geography
Mauritius
is situated in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,400 kilometres (1,240
miles) off the South East Coast of Africa. The island, which is of volcanic
origin, covers an area of 1,865 square kilometres (720 square miles).
Coral reefs surround most of the coast except the south. The central plateau
is bordered by three mountain ranges giving rise to a landscape of striking
beauty.
Climate
Mauritius enjoys
a perenially sunny climate, in general. Midwinter occurs in June and July
with midday temperatures of 25 degrees Celcius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) on
the coast and 19 degrees Celcius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) on the plateau.
Midsummer occurs in January and February with midday temperatures around
25 degrees Celcius on the plateau and 31 degrees Celcius (88 degrees Fahrenheit)on
the coast.
Background
Dutch sailors
first visited the island in 1598 and named it Mauritius, after their
ruler Prince Maurice de Nassau. The island was inhabited until the 17th
century, although it has been visited by the Arabs and later by the Portuguese.
The first settlement was attempted by the Dutch in 1638. Since then, Mauritius
have witnessed the arrival of people from Europe, Africa, Madagascar, India
and China, resulting in a unique blend of races. Mauritius acceded to Independence
on 12 March, 1968 and became Republic on 12 March, 1992.
Population and Language
The population
numbers some 1 100 000 inhabitants. English, French and Creole are widely
spoken.
Government
The Republic
of Mauritius has a presidential democracy. The President is the  Head
of State and Commander-in-Chief. Full executive powers rests with the Prime
Minister, who is the Head of Government. Legislative power rests with a
unicameral 62-seat National Assembly which is elected by universal suffrage
for a five-year term.
Legal System
Mauritius enjoys
a hybrid legal system. The procedural law both in criminal and civil litigation
is mainly English, whilst the substantive law is mainly based on the French
Napoleonic Code.
Currency
The Mauritian
currency unit is the Rupee, denoted by the symbol Rs. Rs 1 = 100 cents.
Exchange
rates(approx.)
| US
$ 1 |
Rs
27.50 |
EURO
1 |
Rs 33.35 |
| United
Kingdom Pound 1 |
Rs 47.42 |
Japan
Yen 100 |
Rs 25.67 |
| Singapore
$ 1 |
Rs 16.30 |
Swiss
Franc 1 |
Rs 21.48 |
| South
African Rand 1 |
Rs 4.48 |
Austrialian
$ 1 |
Rs 20.32 |
Time Differences
Throughout
the year, Standard Time in Mauritius is four hours ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time, three hours ahead of Central Europe Winter Time and nine hours in
advance of Eastern Standard Winter Time, USA. |
