Mauritius is located in the southwestern Indian Ocean about 800 km east of Madagascar and belongs with Reunion and Rodrigues to the archipelago of the Mascarene Islands.

Mauritius has an area of ​​1,865 km / 2 and is densely populated with about 1.074 million inhabitants.

Capital: Port Louis.

Phone:
Area code of Germany: 00230 / phone number
Area code to Germany: 0049 / local area network without 0 / phone number

Language: The national language in Mauritius is English and French

Currency: 1 Mauritian Rupee (MUR) = 100 cents (c) /
100 MUR = approx. € 4.00

Traffic:
Left-hand traffic / An international driver’s license is required

Tourist information:
Mauritius Information Office
c / o GCI
PO Box 18 02 70
60083 Frankfurt
Tel. 0700- 628748487
Fax 069-92187431
Internet: http://www.mauritius.net/

Mauritius has no message in Germany. Responsible is the Embassy of Mauritius in Brussels
Embassy of the Republic of Mauritius
Rue de Bollandistes 68
B-1040 Brussels
Tel .: 00322-7339988 / Fax .: 00322-7344021

Embassies:
Germany has no embassy in Mauritius, therefore it is responsible:
Honorary Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany
32 bis, Rue Saint Georges
Port Louis / Mauritius
Tel. 00230 – 2114111

The island is of volcanic origin and almost completely surrounded by a coral reef.

To the territory of Mauritius still belong the islands Rodigues, St. Brandon, Agalega Islands and other smaller islands.

Mauritius has been an independent state since 1968.

The sugar industry is the biggest economic force in the country. This can be seen on trips across the island only too clear. Some parts of the country are completely covered in monoculture.

Other key economic factors are the textile industry and, of course, tourism.

The climate in Mauritius is pleasant all year round, with the months April to July and September to October being the most beautiful.

Rainfall is lowest during this time and temperatures are not too high. However, if you do not want to do without the flowers of the Flamboyant trees and fresh exotic fruits like Lytchees, you should definitely prefer the Mauritian summer; Also in this season in the lagoons there is a very pleasant water temperature.

From November to March Mauritius is the summer season with average temperatures ranging from 23 ° C to 25 ° C in the morning, rising to 30 ° C to 32 ° C during the day.

In winter (April to October) the temperatures are about 7 ° C lower. The water temperatures are around 25 ° C. The proximity to the equator, the seasons are not significantly different from each other, and even the rainfall during the rainy season between November and April never last long. Cyclones occasionally appear between January and March, hurricanes that arise on the open sea.

Mauritius as a holiday destination is a year-round destination with mild temperatures. In the Mauritian winter (April – October) there are stronger winds on the east coast, where it can also be a bit cooler.

The fauna and flora of the islands of Mauritius and the habitat of the species have suffered greatly from human habitation. The deforestation of the lush forests has destroyed the habitat for the original fauna. Many species died out. Particularly affected here was the native bird life. Many birds landed in the cooking pots or fell victim to imported monkeys and rats. Except for some bat and bird species, the original fauna of Mauritius is completely eradicated.
The Dronte (Dodo)
The most famous animal and symbol of Mauritius is the Dronte, popularly also called Dodo. It has been extinct for centuries. The Natural History Museum of Port Louis has one of the rare skeletons completely preserved and a reconstruction of this run bird. Particularly striking features were the short stubby legs, a crooked beak, feathers that began only behind the eyes, and the flight disability.

The animal grew to 20 – 25 kg. In the course of evolution, it had reduced its wings and tail to small tufts. Since the Dodos had no natural enemies, they had lost their flying ability. However, with the arrival of humans, enemies came to the island.

Up to this point, the eggs and young birds never threatened danger, the Erdbrüter could thus get along with one offspring per year. With the foreign settlement in the 16th century, predators such as rats, pigs, goats and monkeys, which also fed on eggs and young birds, were brought to the island. Likewise, the tasty meat was preferred by the people.
birdlife
When there were still rainforests in Mauritius, a large number of colorful birds lived on the island. Many of these species have fallen victim to human habitat changes. In place of the eradicated animals, other species became indigenous. In the last remnants of the original forest ecosystems in the southwest of Mauritius, some of the endemic bird species such as the Kestrel, the Rosata, the Mauritius and the Mauritius caterpillars have found a last resort. The Mauritius Kestrel or Kestrel is the only bird of prey in Mauritius and the rarest hawk on earth. By 1970, only four animals of this species existed in Mauritius. Thanks to an intensive conservation program, it was possible to increase the population to more than 400 animals. However, the Mauritius Falcon remains on the Red List of Endangered Species.
Reptiles and lizards
In Mauritius one finds only smaller reptiles. Chameleons and lizards live mainly in the extensive and extensive sugar cane plantations. There are no poisonous snakes on the island.

Often there are small geckos in Mauritius. The harmless animals live on the walls and ceilings and are important insect exterminators in the homes of the natives.

As in the Galapagos Islands, you will also find a rich population of giant tortoises in the Indian Ocean. The Mauritian giant tortoise was helpless at the mercy of man. Because the animals could survive for months without food, they were a welcome meat reserve on the ships. The giant tortoises exhibited today on the island belong to a species that was native to the Atoll Aldabra, which is located about 400 km north of Madagascar. The only three surviving specimens of the Mauritian species are protected on the Ile-Aux-Aigrettes in a natural park.
mammals
The mammals were represented before the settlement of Mauritius only by a few species. There are two endemic species of bats on the island. Already in the 16th century rats came to Mauritius with the first ships, which destroyed many other species. For the control of the rodents were settled on the island Indian Mungos. Today they live in many regions and are often seen on the streets around the vast sugarcane fields.

The Dutch introduced red deer from Java. In the pasture areas, the stock is estimated at over 25,000 animals.

400 years ago, Portuguese introduced small macaques from Asia to the island. The monkeys come out of the woods into flat land and browse plantations and settlements for food. They robbed eggs from nests, so that it came through the macaques already to the eradication of many species of birds. In the population they are highly regarded and serve by their tasty meat as food.
Underwater World
Canada’s climate is divided by the continental location into Arctic and temperate zones. The largest part of the country has pronounced and dry-hot summers and very cold but mostly sunny winters. These times last at least five months.

If you go further north, the seasons of spring and autumn are shorter and the further you go north. Here, these seasons are limited to two to three months. In winter, the arctic climate with its cold air fronts makes itself felt far into the southern parts of the country.

In the summer, temperatures in the southern regions of Canada are often up to + 35 ° Celsius due to the warm air fronts from the Gulf of Mexico. In the northern parts of the country, however, summer temperatures average + 15 ° during the day. These can sink at night to below freezing.

In winter, the temperatures fall on average -5 ° to + 10 ° in the south and + 5 ° to -40 ° in the north of the country.

Temperatures on the milder southern Pacific coast of British Columbia are usually above freezing. In winter, heavy snowfall occurs in all parts of the country except Nova Scotia.

The sea is a formidable barrier that can be overcome in various ways by plants and animals: by their own power or by passive transport such as ocean currents, winds and plumage, in the body and on the feet of birds.

The successful colonization of plants depends on three factors: reaching the island, finding a suitable habitat and ensuring reproduction. The settlement of the islands Mauritius and Réunion took place in an expected order: The first living beings were sea plants and larvae of sedentary sea fauna; later, the bare rock was covered with lichen, and as the soil began to form on the islands, plants planted by wind, sea and birds could take root.

The frequent rains and the warm climate quickly caused a dense vegetation of the islands. Both Mauritius and Réunion show two island-specific characteristics: Species poverty is the result of random colonization. The high endemic rate is due to a particularly rapid evolutionary process, characterized by the rapid enforcement of mutations in small, isolated societies.

Here, new species have prevailed that are nowhere else on earth. Alone 500 flowering plants are endemic to the mascarene. However, the very limited habitat is also a disadvantage for the islands, as their biological balance is highly susceptible to disturbance.

The endemic plants include ebony trees, bois d’olive, bois de natte, bois de fer, bois puant, bois d’eponge, bois de rat, bois colophane, makak, tambalacoqu, bottle palm, hurricane palm and the national flower Trochetia boutoniana (French: boucle d’oreille, in German earring tree). The national flower is a widely branched bush or lower tree with oval, leathery leaves with dense hairs on the underside. Their bell-shaped red flowers are 5 – 6 cm long.

Agricultural crops include sugarcane, potatoes, corn, peanuts, fruits (pineapple, bananas, papayas, mangoes, lychees, citrus fruits, coconuts), vegetables (beans, tomatoes, avocados), ylang-ylang perfume and cut flowers.

The history of Mauritius is relatively young and first drawn in 1500 on Arab maps.

In 1598 the Dutch took possession of the island and gave it the name Mauritius.

In 1638, the first settlers landed on the island for only two decades. Several other attempts to settle the island failed, so that the Dutch left the island in 1710.

In 1715, the island was taken by the French in order to secure their ship routes to India.

The settlement began in 1721.

The development of the country begins in 1735 with the arrival of Governor Mahé de Labourdonnais, whose work can still be seen today:

Construction of Port Louis as military port and shipbuilding center / Château de Mon Plaisir at Pamplemousses / Line Barracks in Port Louis / Parts of today’s Government House.

The administration of the island took over until 1767 the French East India Company.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Mauritius was the location of the Corsairs.

1810 Great sea battle between England and France at Grand Port. In August 1810, the English land in the north (Cap Malheureux) and displace the French.

In the course of it came to large social and economic upheavals. The highlight in 1835 was the abolition of slavery.

As a result, the immigration of Indian workers, Hindus and Muslims is seen, who now took over the work on the sugar cane fields. Due to their large number, the culture of the island was strongly influenced. Chinese traders move in

The well-developed sugar industry brings Mauritius to prosperity.

Mauritius has been an independent state since 1968 and has been a republic since 12.03.1992.

The immigration has made Mauritius a society of different races, cultures and religions. In a small space, people of African, Indian, European and Chinese descent live here with different cultures, customs and languages ​​in a peaceful and harmonious way. Mauritius can thus be regarded as a model for other societies in the world.

There are a few different types of local cuisine to name:

– Creole (spicy)
– Chinese
– Indian (seasoned)
– European
– Fish dishes – everything that the local sea has to offer.

Definitely recommendable is the national dish curry.

It is eaten with chicken, beef or fish. Served for this is a large portion of rice.
beverages

The soft drinks Coca Cola or Pepsi are bottled in Mauritius and they are available at every turn. The Mauritians prefer still water, but there is also sparkling water.

Beer is brewed in Mauritius as it is everywhere in the world. There are the Mauritian species such as the Phoenix beer and the slightly stronger Blue Marlin.

Recently, however, also obtained in Mauritius brewed Warsteiner.

Wine is very expensive in Mauritius because it is not grown in the country and must be imported. One drinks here lighter wines from South Africa or France.

The main drink of the inhabitants is the rum made in Mauritius. There are the simple (goodwill), but also the nobler (Green Island). Rum is drunk neat, with coke (preferred by the locals) or as various cocktail preparations.

Alcoholic beverages imported from other countries are extremely expensive because of very high import duties.