21 interesting facts about Mauritius

21 interesting facts about Mauritius

We share the most interesting facts about Mauritius, which we collected on our one -month trip through the breathtaking country

After traveling to the Maldives, Fiji and French Polynesia, we asked ourselves whether Mauritius would do justice to the established standard.

The vision, which is spread in brochures, is of course of large blue lagoons and powder white beaches, but in contrast to the places mentioned above, Mauritius consists of a main island and not from a large strip that is scattered over the ocean.

would be difficult to find true seclusion?

The country's capital, Port Louis, is lively and busy like capitals, while the resorts of the island are full of sun -hungry tourists. However, dare to go to the summit of Le Morne or Le Pouce or go diving in Blue Bay and you will find this hard -to -tact.

We spent a month with 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 on the go.

interesting facts about Mauritius

1. Mauritius is a volcanic island that rose from the waves for the first time eight million years ago. (Source: BBC)

alt = “”> Atlas & Boots The volcanic Mauritius is eight million years old

1. Mauritius was already known in the 10th century of Arab and Malay seafarers, was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and then inhabited by the Dutch, French and British in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In 1968 it finally achieved its independence. (Source: Cia World Factbook)

2. Mauritius is one of the few countries named after a person. It was named in honor of Prince Maurits van Nassau in the 17th century. (Source: Wikipedia)

3. The country includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and the outer islands of Cargados Carajos Shoals and Agalega Islands. Mauritius also claims sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago 2,000 km (1,250 miles) in the northeast, but this is contested by the UK. (Source: Britannica)

4. Mauritius is almost completely surrounded by coral reefs. There are 177 km (110 miles) coast, mostly covered with 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 could explain why Mauritius does not maintain a standing army. (Source: Cia World Factbook)

7. Mauritius was the only known habitat of the dodo. Dutch seafarers probably met the bird that was unable to fly for the first time in 1598. Within 100 years, ship rats and other imported animals had exterminated the species. The last confirmed sightings were in the 1660s. (Source: BBC)

alt = “”> Dream time Mauritius was the only known habitat of the dodos died today

1. The dodo is prominently represented in the state coat of arms of the country and provides one of the more moving interesting facts about Mauritius. (Source: Republic of Mauritius)

2. It is said that the author Lewis Carroll was partially inspired by a stuffed Dodo in the Museum of Natural History at the University of Oxford. (Source: BBC)

3. In the 18th and early 19th century, the mountain Le Morne Brabant served as a refuge for escaping slaves that founded settlements in the caves at the summit. Protected by the forested cliffs of the mountain, the slaves lived on the mountain for years. (Source: UNESCO)

alt = “hike on Mauritius le Morne”> Atlas & Boots Slaves escaped Le Morne Brabant as a refuge

1. Slavery was abolished in Mauritius in 1835. Between 1834 and 1920, British planters fought almost half a million forced laborers from India to work on the sugar cane fields. (Source: UNESCO)

2. Two thirds of the population in Mauritius are Indian-Pakistanic origin, most of which are contractor descendants. A quarter of the population is Creole (mixed French and African descent), and there are a small number of people of Chinese and French-Mauritic 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 based in France. (Source: Cia World Factbook)

4. Mauritius is the only African country with a Hindu majority (48.5 % of the population). Religious freedom is constitutional law and the country is home to a large number 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 & Boots Trou Aux Biches was chosen as the best beach destination in the world

1. With a resident population of around 1,263,000, Mauritius has the highest population density in Africa and one of the highest in the world. (Source: 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 is well above the average of the African countries. (Source: Britannica)

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

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

5. One of our most interesting facts about Mauritius is that it is the home of a spectacular underwater “waterfall”. It looks like a breathtaking gorge from the air, the meter from the peninsula. Unfortunately, the phenomenon is only an optical deception caused by the drainage of sand and silt. (Source: kuoni)

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The scary underwater "waterfall" on Mauritius

According to reports, Mark Twain is said to have said: "You come up with the idea that Mauritius was made first and then the sky, and that the sky was copied to Mauritius." (Source: The Writings of Mark Twain)

Lonely Planet Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles is a comprehensive travel guide for Mauritius, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights and take the less busy road.

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