Facts

Mauritius is known for rare birds that exist nowhere else in the entire world. The dutch introduced sugar and deer to the country They are resposible for the extinction of the dodo bird. Adult men hardlt ever shake hands with woman. The Mauritian economy has relied on sugarcane since the 19th century, but the industry has become less important in recent years due to an increase in earnings from textile exports and tourism. Malay and Arab sailors are thought to have visited the island in the 16th century. It appeared on a map as early as 1502. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to set foot on Mauritius. As a tribute to explorer Pedro Mascarenhas, the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, and French-owned Réunion are known as the Mascarene Archipelago. In September 1598, Dutch sailors arrived on the uninhabited island and named it Mauritius in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau. The Dutch began to settle the island in 1638, but they abandoned it in 1710 when sugarcane cultivation proved a failure. The Dutch are credited with introducing sugar (now a productive industry) and deer to the island, but they are also charged with causing the extinction of the dodo bird and destroying rich ebony forests. Guillaume Dufresne d'Arsel claimed Mauritius for France in September 1715 and named it Isle de France. From 1735 to 1746, Mauritius flourished and developed under the direction of François Mahé de Labourdonnais. The British won Mauritius from France in 1810. After the abolition of slavery in 1834, indentured laborers from India were brought to work in the sugarcane fields. While the British officially ruled Mauritius, they allowed French culture, language, and a Napoleonic law code to be maintained by the Franco-Mauritians, who remained the largest European ethnic group on the island. Mauritius gained independence from Britain in March 1968 through the leadership of Sir Seewoosager Ramgoolam, who became the nation's first prime minister. From 1982 to 1995, parliament was dominated by the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), led by Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth. After he attempted to change the constitution in order to override a Supreme Court ruling, opposition candidate Navin Ramgoolam (son of Sir Seewoosager Ramgoolam) won a landslide victory in 1995 elections. A coalition between his Mauritian Labor Party (MLP) and the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) completely dominated the balloting. Rivalries forced Ramgoolam's coalition to split in 1997, but the MLP remained the governing party. In 2000 elections, an alliance of the MSM and MMM captured parliament, ousting Ramgoolam. Jugnauth was voted back as prime minister. In keeping with an agreement between the two coalition parties, Jugnauth resigned in September 2003 and allowed MMM leader Paul Bérenger to take the prime ministership. Amid an increase in inflation and unemployment, Bérenger dissolved parliament and called for elections in July 2005. Ramgoolam's Social Alliance defeated the MSM-MMM coalition by taking 38 of 62 parliamentary seats. Because of its political stability, Mauritius has been able to better develop its health, education, and economic resources and strategically plan how to build its infrastructure. Historically dependent on sugar production, Mauritius has successfully diversified its economy since independence to include major textile, tourism, and banking industries. It is now one of Africa's most prosperous nations. Mauritius, a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, covers 718 square miles (1,860 square kilometers) and lies 690 miles (1,110 kilometers) east of Madagascar. The country includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, and several smaller, uninhabited islands. Lush vegetation covers Mauritius throughout the year. The landscape is marked by deep extinct volcanic craters, rivers, streams, waterfalls, and impressive mountains that rim a central plateau. Surrounded almost entirely by coral reefs, Mauritius has a continuous belt of beaches with lagoons and clear waters that are perennially warm (70–80°F, or 21–27°C). Arable land is planted mostly with sugarcane. Forests are found in the southwest. Winter (May–November) is warm and relatively dry, while summer (November–May) is hot, wet, and humid. Cyclones can occur during much of the summer. Mauritius is known for its many species of rare birds and plants, some of which exist nowhere else in the world. Scientists and bird watchers come from all over the world to try to see the Mauritian kestrel, the echo parakeet, and the pink pigeon—three of the world's rarest birds. All are nearly extinct, though captive breeding and release has begun to help the kestrel population. Mauritius is also known for being the home of the extinct (for more than three hundred years) dodo bird, a member of the pigeon family. The dodo is a popular theme for tourist souvenirs today. Several plant species unique to the islands are close to disappearing.
 * __Important facts__**
 * __History__**
 * __Land and Climate__**