Eastern Africa · AfricaMauritius
Discover Mauritius - the Indian Ocean paradise where African, Indian, Chinese, and European cultures blend, the dodo once roamed, and underwater waterfalls trick your eyes.
Where Is Mauritius?
Mauritius is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Port Louis.
- Capital Port Louis
- Population 1.24M
- Area 2,040 km²
Mark Twain supposedly said that God created Mauritius first, and then made a copy as heaven. Whether he actually said it is debatable, but the sentiment is not. This volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, about 2,000 kilometers off the southeast coast of Africa, is almost unreasonably beautiful. Turquoise lagoons ringed by coral reefs, black volcanic peaks draped in green, and the famous underwater waterfall illusion off the southwestern coast where sand and silt create the appearance of a cascade plunging into the ocean depths.
But Mauritius is far more interesting than a postcard. It had no indigenous human population - the Dutch, French, and British arrived in succession, bringing enslaved people from Africa and Madagascar, and later indentured laborers from India and China. The result is one of the most genuinely multicultural societies on Earth, where Hindu temples sit next to mosques and Catholic churches, Creole and Bhojpuri are spoken alongside French and English, and the food is a glorious collision of all of the above. The dodo, of course, lived here and only here before being driven to extinction in the late 17th century, making Mauritius the global symbol of what happens when humans meet isolated island species.
At a glance
Largest cities in Mauritius
Port Louis
Beau Bassin-Rose Hill
Vacoas-Phoenix
Curepipe
Famous people from Mauritius
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
PoliticsFather of the nation who led Mauritius to independence in 1968 and guided its transformation from sugar colony to diverse economy
J.M.G. Le Clezio
LiteratureNobel Prize-winning French-Mauritian author whose works explore displacement and cultural identity, deeply rooted in his Mauritian heritage
Ananda Devi
LiteratureNovelist and poet whose visceral, lyrical fiction explores the darker undercurrents of Mauritian society and the lives of marginalized women
Bruno Julie
SportWon Mauritius's first Olympic medal, a bronze in boxing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming a national hero overnight
Traditional cuisine of Mauritius
- Dholl Puri
- Thin flatbread stuffed with ground split peas and served with curry and chutneys, the undisputed king of Mauritian street food
- Gateau Piment
- Deep-fried chili cakes made from split peas, an addictive snack sold at every street corner and perfect with a cold drink
- Bol Renverse
- Upside-down bowl of rice topped with stir-fried vegetables, meat, and a fried egg, a Sino-Mauritian comfort food classic
- Mine Frite
- Mauritian-style fried noodles with vegetables, soy sauce, and the island's own blend of spices, found at every roadside stall
Nature and landmarks in Mauritius
- Le Morne BrabantMountain
- UNESCO World Heritage basaltic monolith where escaped enslaved people took refuge, now a symbol of freedom rising above pristine lagoons
- Black River Gorges National ParkNational Park
- The island's largest protected area with endemic ebony forests, the rare Mauritius kestrel, and pink pigeons brought back from near-extinction
- Chamarel Seven Coloured EarthsLandmark
- Surreal geological formation of sand dunes in seven distinct colors that never mix despite tropical rains, a natural curiosity
- Underwater WaterfallCoast
- Dramatic optical illusion off Le Morne where ocean currents carry sand and silt off the continental shelf, creating the appearance of a submarine waterfall
Sports in Mauritius
- Football
- The Club M competes in Indian Ocean island championships and AFCON qualifiers, with a passionate domestic league
- Horse Racing
- The Champ de Mars in Port Louis is the second-oldest racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere (1812), and race days are a national social event
Did you know?
The dodo was found only on Mauritius and went extinct around 1681, less than a century after humans first arrived on the island
Mauritius had no indigenous human population - every person on the island descends from immigrants who arrived in the last 400 years
The Mauritian rupee features a dodo on its coins, keeping the island's most famous former resident in daily circulation
Mauritius is one of Africa's wealthiest countries per capita, having transformed from a sugar monoculture to a diversified economy in a single generation
The island's underwater waterfall is an optical illusion visible from the air, where sand and silt cascading off the coastal shelf create the appearance of a waterfall beneath the sea
Mauritius has four major religions coexisting peacefully - Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism - with public holidays for all
Read more about Mauritius
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Zeus disguised as a bull, a Florentine explorer who stole Columbus's credit, and a southern land imagined centuries before it was found. The surprising origins of all seven continent names.
Why Do Some Countries Drive on the Left?
From medieval swordfighters to Napoleon's conquests - the surprising history behind why 76 countries drive on the left while the rest of the world drives on the right.
Can you find Mauritius on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Mauritius and its neighbours without a second thought.
