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| Republic of Mauritius République de Maurice Repiblik Moris | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
.svg) | |
| Capital and largest city | Port Louis |
| Demonym(s) | Mauritian |
| Dominant mode of production | Capitalism |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic under a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie |
• President | Dharam Gokhool |
• Vice-President | Robert Hungley |
• Prime Minister | Navin Ramgoolam |
• Deputy Prime Minister | Paul Bérenger |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,040 km² |
| Population | |
• 2022 census | 1,235,260 |
| Currency | Mauritian rupee (MUR) |
| Calling code | +230 |
| ISO 3166 code | MU |
| Internet TLD | .mu |
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an African island country situated in the Indian Ocean approximately 1,100km east of Madagascar. The country consists of the main island of Mauritius and several smaller islands, most notably the Chagos Archipelago which is currently under British occupation.
History[edit | edit source]
Early colonization[edit | edit source]
Mauritius was first discovered by Arab explorers in the 10th century but remained uninhabited until the 16th century. The first Europeans in Mauritius were the Portuguese in the early 16th century but the first major settlement was established by the Dutch in 1598. The Dutch named the island Mauritius after Prince Maurice of Nassau and brought slaves from East Africa to exploit the island.[1]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Z. I. Tokareva (1979). The Great Soviet Encyclopedia: 'Mauritius; Historical survey'.