21 interesting facts about Mauritius

21 interesting facts about Mauritius

We share the most interesting facts about Mauritius that we collected during our month-long journey through the stunning country

After traveling to the Maldives, Fiji and French Polynesia, we wondered whether Mauritius would live up to the established standard.

The vision spread in brochures is, of course, of large blue lagoons and powder-white beaches, but unlike the places mentioned above, Mauritius consists of one main island rather than a large strip scattered across the ocean.

Would true seclusion be hard to find?

The country's capital, Port Louis, is lively and busy as capital cities go, while the island's resorts are predictably full of sun-hungry tourists. However, venture further to the summit of Le Morne or Le Pouce or go diving at Blue Bay and you will find that elusive seclusion.

We spent a month hiking, diving and relaxing and fell in love with the country and its culture. Here are the most interesting facts about Mauritius that we collected along the way.

Interesting facts about Mauritius

1. Mauritius ist eine Vulkaninsel, die vor acht Millionen Jahren zum ersten Mal aus den Wellen aufstieg. (Quelle: BBC)

old=““>Atlas & BootsVolcanic Mauritius is eight million years old

1. Mauritius war bereits im 10. Jahrhundert arabischen und malaiischen Seeleuten bekannt, wurde erstmals im 16. Jahrhundert von den Portugiesen erkundet und anschließend im 17., 18. und 19. Jahrhundert von den Holländern, Franzosen und Briten besiedelt. 1968 erlangte es schließlich seine Unabhängigkeit. (Quelle: CIA World Factbook)
2. Mauritius ist eines von wenigen Ländern, die nach einer Person benannt sind. Es wurde im 17. Jahrhundert von den Niederländern zu Ehren von Prinz Maurits van Nassau benannt. (Quelle: Wikipedia)
3. Das Land umfasst die Inseln Mauritius, Rodrigues und die äußeren Inseln Cargados Carajos Shoals und Agalega Islands. Mauritius beansprucht auch die Souveränität über das Chagos-Archipel 2.000 km (1.250 Meilen) im Nordosten, aber dies wird von Großbritannien bestritten. (Quelle: Britannica)

4. Mauritius is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. There is 177 km (110 miles) of coastline, much of it covered in white sandy beaches. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

5. In 2017, Mauritius was named as one of only four countries in the world that was not involved in ongoing international or domestic conflicts and had no tensions with neighboring countries. The others were Botswana, Chile and Uruguay. (Source: p.13, Global Peace Index 2017)

6. The above may explain why Mauritius does not maintain a standing army. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

7. Mauritius was the dodo's only known habitat. Dutch sailors probably first encountered the flightless bird in 1598. Within 100 years, ship rats and other introduced animals had wiped out the species. The last confirmed sightings were in the 1660s. (Source: BBC)

old=““>DreamtimeMauritius was the only known habitat of the now extinct dodo

1. Der Dodo ist im Staatswappen des Landes prominent vertreten und liefert eine der ergreifenderen interessanten Fakten über Mauritius. (Quelle: Republik Mauritius)

2. It is said that author Lewis Carroll was partly inspired to write his famous book Alice in Wonderland by a stuffed dodo in the University of Oxford's Museum of Natural History. (Source: BBC)

3. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Le Morne Brabant mountain served as a refuge for escaped slaves who established settlements in the caves at the summit. Protected by the mountain's forested cliffs, the slaves lived on the mountain for years. (Source: UNESCO)

alt=“Hiking in Mauritius le morne”>Atlas & BootsEscaped slaves used Le Morne Brabant as a refuge

1. Die Sklaverei wurde 1835 auf Mauritius abgeschafft. Zwischen 1834 und 1920 holten britische Pflanzer fast eine halbe Million Zwangsarbeiter aus Indien, um auf den Zuckerrohrfeldern zu arbeiten. (Quelle: UNESCO)

2. Two-thirds of Mauritius' population is of Indian-Pakistani origin, most of whom are descendants of contract workers. A quarter of the population is Creole (mixed French and African descent), and there are small numbers of people of Chinese and French-Mauritian descent. (Source: Britannica)

3. This is not an official language in Mauritius, although English and French are the “national languages”. The vast majority of the population (85.6%) speaks Creole, a dialect language native to France. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

4. Mauritius is the only African country with a Hindu majority (48.5% of the population). Freedom of religion is a constitutional right and the country is home to large numbers of Catholics (26.3% of the population) and Muslims (17.3%). (Source: CIA World Factbook)

alt=“Our brochure worthy beach in Trou aux Biches”>Atlas & BootsTrou aux Biches was voted the best beach destination in the world

1. Mit einer Wohnbevölkerung von etwa 1.263.000 hat Mauritius die höchste Bevölkerungsdichte in Afrika und eine der höchsten der Welt. (Quelle: United Nations World Population Prospects)

2. Life expectancy in Mauritius - 70 years for men and 75 years for women - is higher than the world average and well above the average for African countries. (Source: Britannica)

3. Mauritius has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Aapravasi Ghat, a complex that represents the remains of the first buildings built by forced laborers from India, and the aforementioned Le Morne Brabant. (Source: UNESCO)

4. Trou aux Biches in Mauritius was named the world's best beach destination in 2011. The country is often voted the world's best honeymoon destination. (Source: World Travel Awards)

5. One of our most interesting facts about Mauritius is that it is home to a spectacular underwater “waterfall”. From the air it looks like a breathtaking gorge that opens meters from the peninsula. Unfortunately, the phenomenon is just an optical illusion caused by sand and silt runoff. (Source: Kuoni)

• alt=“Luftaufnahme von Le Morne Brabant“>
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The terrifying underwater “waterfall” in Mauritius

1. Berichten zufolge soll Mark Twain gesagt haben: „Sie kommen auf die Idee, dass Mauritius zuerst gemacht wurde und dann der Himmel, und dass der Himmel nach Mauritius kopiert wurde.“ (Quelle: The Writings of Mark Twain)

Lonely Planet Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles is a comprehensive travel guide to Mauritius, ideal for those who want to both explore the main attractions and take the road less traveled.

Mission statement: Dreamstime

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