Mauritius is a small island country in the indian ocean about 2000 km off the SouthEastern coast of East Africa and over 1130km of the East of Madagascar. The main island of Mauritius wh East of Madagascar ere the population is concentrated is called Port Louis, the capital of the country.
A country popularly known for its water with different shades of blue and green, signatory powder-fine beaches, golden sands and its fantastic submarine world of coral reefs.
However, these are not all the things about Mauritius as there are still many fascinatiing things many don’t know about the country such as its rich history, how it is the most peaceful country in the world, its National “Dodo” bird .etc
Below Are Ten Fascinating facts about Mauritius You Need To Know
Discovered by Arab and Malay sailors
One major information about Mauritius is how and which it was discovered. Arab and Malay sailors discovered the country in the 10th century. Afterward, it was colonised by the Dutch (1598-1710), French (1715-1810) and the British ( 1810). It gained its independence from the British in 1968).
More Than One Island
Do you know that Mauritius is the only country in Africa with five islands? Its island comprises of the Mauritius Island, “the Rodrigues”, the two islands of “Cargados Carajos Shoals Archipelago” and “the Agalega Islands”. One of the reasons why it is arguably the best tourist center to visit on the continent.
However, the country is fighting the Great Britain over the “Chagos Archipelag” Island.
The Only known Habitat Of The Dodo
Mauritius was the main island of Dodo, flightless bird. The bird is considered as the national bird of the country, as it also represented in the country’s coat of arms. The long-extinct birds were said to have evolved from pigeons who lost their way.
Their extinction has been tied to the Dutch. The Dutch encountered many animals in 1598, amongst which were the birds. Two years after, they were no where to be found.
To buttress their suspection, it has been said that ‘Alice in Wonderland’ written by Lewis Carroll, got his inspiration on the book from a stuffed dodo he saw at the Oxford University Museum of Natural.
Le Morne Brabant significance
The historic and iconic Le Morne Brabant mountain played a surprising role during the 18th and 19th century the mountain was used as a shield by escaped slaves to form settlement as they lived there for years. The soilders came to tell them they have gained freedom but the people didn’t trust the soldiers as they thought the soilders were to get them back to their sugar plantations. As a result, they decided to jump into death as they felt it was better than the slave life.
Slave Trade Stopped But Continued
As it has been stated that the British was one of the colonizers of the island. The British stopped the slave trade of the country people in 1835 but went ahead to bring indentured labourers from India (between 1834 and 1920) to work on the sugar plantations. Over 500,000 people were brought from India for this course.
No official language
Another information about Mauritius is the unavailability of an official language. However, English Language is used as the common language in government and administrative purposes. But so is French Language popular among the citizens. In addition, a French local language , Creole, is spoken by 85.6% of the population.
Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Two historical places to visit when you are in Mauritius is their two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are Aapravasi Ghat and Le Morne Brabant.
Diversities In Religion
As there is no official language in Mauritius, so is there no common language in the country. It speaks the diversities the East African country is built on. The people are free to practise whichever way they deem fit to worship their gods. 48.5% of the population practise Hinduism, 26.3% are Roman Catholics, 17.3% of the population practise Islam. Moreover, other religions are also represented well in the country.
Mauritius has the highest population density in Africa
One of the highest population densities in the world. Monaco, Singapore, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Malta are more crowded than the island country. This is because two-third of the population are Pakistan, many of which are the descendants of indentured labourers. There is also a small population of Chinese descent and the mixture of French and African descent (Creole).
A peaceful country
Mauritius is the world’s most peaceful country in the world as regards ongoing conflict. According to Global Peace Index Report. It is also one of the few countries that doesn’t have a standing army.
In addition, the GPI report also ranks the East African country as the most peaceful country in the Subsaharan Africa. However, it has fallen to No. 28. in the world as a result of the rise in homicide result and the government mishandling of the oil spillage in 2020.
Conclusion
Aside the relaxation centre and a place for vacation or honeymoon it is widely known for, above are other major historical facts and things about the island country.
Therefore, you can visit Mauritius for many things like the other islands, the historical mountain, the Aapravasi Ghat. etc
