| "> | | | | nutrition to employment. In 1997 Mauritius ranked 61 of |
| A Multiracial Society | | | | 170 countries in the United Nations Human |
| The Dodo | | | | Development Index. Ironically, this English-speaking |
| Did you know- Inspired by the Dodo, a rare bird found | | | | country is not blessed with natural resources, such as |
| only on Mauritius in the 17th century, Lewis Carroll | | | | oil, diamonds and gold. The tourism and sugar industries |
| published his famous book " Alice's Adventures in | | | | have transformed the Island into a middle-income |
| Wonderland" in 1865. This unique bird is the symbol of | | | | country in the world. |
| Mauritius, one of the most beautiful Islands on Earth. | | | | African Wonders |
| Geography | | | | Did you know-There are at least two World Heritage |
| Did you know- Mauritius is a leaf-shaped island in the | | | | Sites on Mauritius: |
| south west Indian Ocean. The country covers 700 | | | | -Aapravasi Ghat |
| square miles (2,045 square kilometers). The Island - a | | | | -Le Morne Cultural Landscape |
| nation slightly smaller than Delaware-- is dominated by | | | | Entertainment |
| mountains, rain forests, valleys and two lakes (Grand | | | | Did you know- By the end of 1975, at the 24th Miss |
| Bassin and the Mare aux Vacoas).Finally, the Republic | | | | World Pageant in the United Kingdom, Miss Mariella |
| of Mauritius has an exceptional natural beauty. | | | | Tse-Sik -Sun, the Island's contestant, caught the eyes |
| Life Expectancy | | | | of the international judges and was one of the top 15 |
| Did you know- Life expectancy is 73 years (among | | | | semi-finalists. |
| the highest of the world's developing countries). | | | | Democracy |
| Tourism | | | | Did you know- By the 1970s and 1980s, while Latin |
| Did you know- Mauritius -- with African, British, French | | | | America had a host of dictatorships, from Brazil, Bolivia |
| (the island's earliest known inhabitants), Chinese and | | | | and Argentina to Panama and Paraguay, Mauritius |
| Indian roots-- is blessed with one of the world's most | | | | became a democratic society on the continent of |
| beautiful beaches. It is a tropical Eden surrounded by | | | | Africa. In addition to being one of the Continent's oldest |
| golden beaches and world-class resorts. Because of | | | | democracies, the Island is one of the world's longest |
| this, among others reasons, thousands of visitors, from | | | | continuous democracies, along with India, America, |
| the United States, France, South Africa to Sweden | | | | France, Canada, and Great Britain. This |
| and Japan, came to the country, one of the most | | | | English-speaking country also has a good human rights |
| amazing islands on the planet, along with Hawaii, Bali, | | | | record. |
| Okinawa, and The Bahamas. In addition to having | | | | Economics |
| spectacular beaches, Mauritius offers other attractions, | | | | Did you know- The main economic sectors are sugar |
| from excellent French cuisine to national parks, | | | | cane (its top money earner), offshore services, tourism |
| multicultural traditions, historic sites, African gardens, | | | | (a top-priority), clothing, tea, and jewellery. About 35 |
| museums, and wildlife refuges (a number of wild | | | | percent of the nation's total exports to the world are |
| animals and vegetation exist nowhere else in the | | | | to Britain; meanwhile about 12 percent of the world's |
| world). Over 10 percent of the Island's territory consists | | | | total exports to Mauritius are from France. On the |
| of protected areas. There are also free-trade zones. | | | | other hand, in recent decades, the government has |
| Finally, the Island, since then, is famous for its hospitality. | | | | stepped up efforts to reduce its economic |
| World-famous Visitors | | | | dependence on sugar (an important source of income). |
| Did you know- By 1912 Mahatma Gandhi - one of the | | | | All Africa Games |
| biggest names in modern history-- visited the Island. | | | | Did you know- The Olympic team finished 38th in the |
| Port Louis | | | | medals table at the 2007 African Games in Algiers, the |
| Did you know- Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius. It | | | | capital of Algeria. |
| was set up in 1736 by France. The capital is home to | | | | Diplomatic Relations |
| up to 40 percent of the Island's population. The | | | | Did you know- Since the 1960s, the Island has |
| country's other cities include Beau Bassin/Rose Hill, | | | | maintained cordial ties with France, America, and the |
| Quatre Bornes, and Vacoas-Phoenix. | | | | United Kingdom. Mauritius also maintains good relations |
| Human Development | | | | with India and East Africa, as well as with South |
| Did you know- In the last decades, the Island --a | | | | Africa, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and the People's |
| democratic society for over 40 years-- has moved | | | | Republic of China. From 1968 to 1990, this |
| from being one of East Africa's poorest nations to | | | | English-speaking country was an anti-apartheid leader |
| being one of the developing world's most prosperous | | | | in the Third World. Because of links between South |
| countries, outpacing Bolivia (a resource-rich South | | | | Africa and New Zealand, the Republic of Mauritius, |
| American country ), Indonesia (an oil-rich nation in Asia) | | | | along with other black states of Africa, boycotted the |
| and Myanmar (a timber-rich country in Southeast Asia). | | | | Games of the XXI Olympiad in the mid-1970s. |
| From the 1970s on, the national government has | | | | Major International Organizations |
| stepped up efforts to improve the human | | | | Did you know- The Island belongs to the United |
| development on the Island, from health, education, | | | | Nations (on April 24, 1968 ). |