| Republic of Mauritius Origin of Name The main
island was named by Dutch explorers in honor of Prince
Maurice of Nassau. The French claimed Mauritius in 1715
and renamed it Ile de France. In 1810, Mauritius was
captured by the British and renamed back to Mauritius.
Location about 500
miles east of Madagascar
Area 790 sq mi (2,045
sq km)
Coastline 100 mi (161 km)
Highest Point Mont Piton; 2,711 ft (826
m)
Lowest Point Indian Ocean coast; sea
level
Natural Resources arable land, fish
Nationality Mauritian
Population (July 2015) 1,339,827
Largest Cities Port Louis
Ethnic Groups Indo-Mauritian,
Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian
Religions Hindu, Roman Catholic, Muslim
Languages Creole, Bhojpuri, French,
English (official)
Capital Port Louis
Form of Government parliamentary
democracy
Current Constitution Adopted March 12, 1968
Chief of State President Ameenah
Gurib-Fakim (since June 5, 2015)
Head of Government Prime Minister Sir
Anerood Jugnauth (since December 17, 2014)
Cabinet Council of MInisters appointed by the
President
Legislature unicameral National Assembly
Judiciary Supreme Court
Local Administration 9 districts, 3 dependencies
Currency Mauritian
Rupee (MUR)
Per Capita Income $18,600
Principal Industries food processing
(largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining,
chemicals, metal products, transport equipment,
nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Agricultural Products sugarcane, tea,
corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Principal Exports clothing and textiles,
sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish
Principal Imports manufactured goods,
capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products,
chemicals
Independence Achieved
March 12, 1968
From Great Britain
National Holiday Independence Day; March 12
Flag four equal horizontal bands of red,
blue, yellow, and green; red represents
self-determination and independence, blue the Indian
Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted
as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the
bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture
or the lush vegetation of the island
SEE ALSO
Madagascar
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