Island Mauritius Independence Hotels Tourism Airport Port Louis Official Taxi

HISTORY OF MAURITIUS

Arab travelers discover Mauritius in the beginning of the century. Sulhiman gives Mascareignes archipelago the name of Tirakka.

1511

Discovery official of the island by the Portuguese Domingo Fernandez who called Ilha do Cirne.

1598

The Dutch landed in their turn on the island, they baptize Mauritius in honor of the Prince Maurice de Nassau.

1710

Departure of Dutch

1715

The French make the crossing from Réunion (Bourbon Island) nearby to take possession of Mauritius, which they renamed Isle de France.

1735

The appointment of Mahé de La Bourdonnais as governor of Mauritius.

3 December 1810

The British took possession Maurice from France - They renamed the Island Mauritius.

1835

End of Slavery in Mauritius.

Workers from coming from China and India to replace the former slaves.

1864

Death of pere Jacques-Desire Laval, Apostle of Mauritius.

1867

An outbreak of malaria killed half the population of Port Louis.

1901

The Mahatma Gandhi has advocated civil rights in the British colony.

1936

Establishment of the Labor Party.

1958

Introduction of universal suffrage.

1967

The Labor Party won the majority in the National Assembly,

"Sir Gaetan Duval, was a character out of the ordinary. "He was an exceptionally gifted person" Besides the compassion he showed to others, it doubles as a visionary. He liked to be surrounded himself with pleasant people. “

1967

The Labor Party won the majority of the National Assembly, forcing the United Kingdom considering the independence of the island.

12 March 1968

Mauritius becomes independent within the Commonwealth; Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam was elected Prime Minister.

In 1982, the Mouvement Militant Mauricien (MMM), created in 1969 by Paul Bérenger, won the legislative elections.

1992 - Mauritius officially became a republic on March 1. It is chaired by Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo until June 30 Cassam Uteem then became President of the Republic.

1995

Navin Ramgoolam, son of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, was elected Prime Minister of Mauritius.

1997

Cassam Uteem was re-elected President of the Republic of Mauritius.


2000

Election of Aneerood Jugnauth as Prime Minister of Mauritius.

2002

Karl August Offman became President of the Republic after the resignation of Cassam Uteem because of religious conflicts.

2003

Paul Berenger became the fourth Prime Minister in Mauritius since independence and the first non-Hindu, by the MedPointe agreement signed by the Mouvement Socialist Militant and the Mouvement Militant Mauricien.

2005 July

Navin Ramgoolam is re-elected Prime Minister.

2010 May

Navin Ramgoolam is re-elected Prime Minister.

Mauritius is an Island in the Indian Ocean. It was named after the Dutch Prince Maurice Van Nassau
and is located on Latitude 20º south of the equator, Longitude 57.5º east. It has an area of 2040 km sq
with a population of 1.2 million including Rodrigues and outer islands. Mauritius is located
approximately 2000 kilometres to the south eastern coast of Africa and lies east of Madagascar on
20°5, 57.5E. Its capital is Port Louis.

LANGUAGE

People from China, Africa, India, France and Britain, make up the population. The official languages are
English and French (with French being the more popular), the most commonly used are Creole (a
mixture of French and African languages), Hindi and Bhojpuri. Urdu and Chinese are also spoken.
Many hotel employees are fluent in German, Italian and Spanish.
The Mauritian literacy rate hovers around 90%.
However, the meetings will be conducted in English.

CLIMATE

The Mauritius weather is pleasant all year around, with mean temperatures ranging from 17.8°C to
27.6°C on the Central Plateau in the summer (November to April) and 19.1°C to 31.1°C on the Coast.
In the winter (May to October) the weather is still comfortable with mean temperatures on the Central
Plateau in August (the coolest month) ranging from 15.1°C to 21.8°C and on the north coast in July from
16.1°C to 25.7°C.

Time

Time zone
GMT +4 and +3 hours mid-European time.

VISAS

A valid passport and a return or onward ticket is a must for travelers entering Mauritius. Visas are not
required by those from a Commonwealth country, Japan, South Africa, the USA, the EU and the
Scandinavian countries. Those that do require a visa can usually obtain one for three months, and they
are renewable on request. Mauritian Embassies and High Commissions issue visas free of charge.
Passengers in transit require no visas but they must continue their journey within 72 hours of checking
in.

CURRENCY

The unit of currency is the Mauritian Rupee (Rs), which is made up of 100 cents. Travellers’ cheques can
be exchanged at hotels, banks and authorised dealers in foreign currency. Travellers’ cheques in Pounds
Sterling and French Francs are preferred. Major credit cards are accepted throughout the island, such as
Visa, Access MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club.

BANK

Generally the Banks are open from 09:00 hrs to 15.15 hrs each Monday to Thursday and on Friday
from 9.15hrs to 17.00 hrs.
Banks operate at the arrival and departure of international flights at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
International Airport
Due to the fact that Mauritius is a free port, Mauritius has a number of commercial, development and
offshore banks in addition to the central banks.

BUSINESS HOURS

The Business hours are generally from 09hrs to 16 hrs each Monday to Friday and a half-day on
Saturdays. On the Central Plateau, shops are open all day on Saturdays and half-day on Thursdays.
The

COMMUNICATION

The country telephone code is +230 and there are no area codes. Public telephone booths can be found at
the airport and larger hotels. Fax facilities are available at most hotels. E-communication is also
available.
International Direct Dialing facilities are available. International phone cards are available at retail
shops. The post offices also operate in most town and villages. Internet services are easily available at
Cybercafés and GSM networks. Most hotels also do provide postal and internet services.

WATER & ELECTRICITY

It is wise to stick to bottled water for drinking purposes.
The electrical supply is 220V AC, 50Hz. The plugs used in most hotels are three-pin, although two-pin
plugs are also used.

TOURISM, CULTURE AND ART

Culture

Due to the diversity of cultures in Mauritius, a number of colorful festivals and ceremonies take place
every year. In January or February the Tamil penitents, while celebrating Cavadee, pierce themselves
through their cheeks, tongues and backs with long skewers while walking on nail shoes. At the same
time they carry images of deities. In February or March the Hindus make a pilgrimage to Lake Grand
Bassin in honour of Lord Shiva as they take part in the Maha Shivaratree festival. The Muslim, Christian
and Chinese celebrations include Eid-Ul-Fitr (Muslim), Christmas (Christians) and the Spring Festival
(Chinese).

Religion

Christian, Muslim and Hindu faiths are all prevalent on the island, as well as old Chinese customs

Items to Bring

Beachwear is a popular form of dress in Mauritius. Otherwise, dress is casual although most hotels do not
allow guests to wear shorts or T-shirts in the restaurants or bars in the evenings. Between June and
October, a jacket or tracksuit top is recommended. Dress appropriately when visiting religious shrines
and remove shoes when entering mosques and temples.