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FrançaisMark Twain, who visited the island in 1896, was so impressed by its beauty that he said, “God first made Mauritius and from it, he created Paradise.” Mauritius has also been called “The Star of the Indian Ocean” and “The Island of Rainbows.”
Did You Know
Interesting Facts about Mauritius
Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Mauritius.
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Did You Know?
17 curious facts about Mauritius.
- Mauritius and its neighbouring islands, including Rodrigues and Réunion, were once known as the Mascarene Islands, after the Portuguese admiral Pedro Mascarenhas, one of the first Portuguese explorers of the area.
- The dodo, a large, flightless bird, once lived on Mauritius. It quickly became extinct, killed by the Dutch and the domestic animals they brought with them.
- Bertrand François Mahé de la Bourdonnais was the most famous French governor of Mauritius. He greatly improved living conditions on the island in the 18th century, ensuring a regular supply of food, encouraging the cultivation of sugar cane and expanding port facilities.
- Mauritius is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with about 600 people per square kilometre.
- Mauritius was one of the earliest centres in the southern hemisphere to have a printing press. Today there are 173 printing centres on the island. Records of printed material date back to 1768.
- Bagasse is a byproduct of sugar cane that is used to produce energy. The fibrous residue of crushed sugar cane can be burned as fuel. The sugar estates use this energy for their own consumption and sell the surplus to the electricity board.
- International paragliding competitions have been held in Mauritius. The first international paragliding event took place in November 1993, and 47 of the world's best paragliders took part.
- Mauritius once had a railway system that connected the island's towns. Today, the railway right-of-way has been turned into a path for hikers.
- Because of the elimination of malaria and improvements in health care in the 1950s, the population of Mauritius grew so quickly that the government decided to encourage contraception and family planning. Today, the birth rate has decreased.