Together with Reunion and Rodrigues, Mauritius is part of the Mascarenes[?] islands. This archipelago were formed millions of years ago as a result of underwater volcanic eruoptions. The island of Mauritius itself is formed around a central plateau, with its highest peak in the southwest, Mont Piton[?] at 828 m. Around the plateau, the original crater can still be distinguished from several mountains.
The local climate is tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; there is a warm, dry winter from May to November and a hot, wet, and humid summer from November to May. The island's capital and largest city is Port Louis, in the northwest. Other important towns are Moka[?] and Belle Mare[?].
Main article: Economy of Mauritius
Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been of the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much improved infrastructure.
Sugar cane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. A record-setting drought severely damaged the sugar crop in 1999, however. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over USD 1 billion. Economic performance in 1991-99 continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment.
Main article: Demographics of Mauritius
The official languages of Mauritius are English and French, of which French is still the most widely used one, even though the French lost control over the island about 200 years ago. A Creole language, with influence from both European languages, is also widely spoken, as are several Asian languages, including Hindi and Urdu.
The latter are spoken by descendants of the labourers brought from India by the British - they form almost 70% of the population. Most of these Indo-Mauritians are Hindus and they constitute 50% of the religious population. The other major religions are Christianity and Islam. The remainder of the population are of African, French, Chinese or mixed descent.
Main article: Culture of Mauritius[?]
The mixed colonial past of Mauritius is reflected in its culture. For example, the cuisine of Mauritius is a blend of Dutch, French, Indian and Creole.
In 1847 Mauritius became the fifth country in the world to issue postage stamps. The two types of stamps issued then, known as the Red Penny[?] and the Blue Penny[?] are probably the most famous stamps in the world, being very rare and therefore also very expensive.
When discovered, the island of Mauritius was home to a previously unknown species of bird, which the Portuguese named the dodo (simpleton), as they appeared not too bright. However, by 1681, all dodos had been killed by settlers or their pets.
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