Mauritius is a tropical island in the Indian Ocean. It is situated in the south of the equator and just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. It is about 800 km to the east of Madagascar. Rodrigues and Reunion are the islands which, with Mauritius are known as the Mascarenes Archipelago. Mauritius is 1,864 sq. Km (720 square miles) in area and  at the end of July 2004, had a population of approximately 1,233,669.

Mauritius is surrounded by beautiful white sandy beaches, blue lagoons, palm trees and coral reefs. The beauty of the island is overwhelming. Those who love nature will be absolutely astonished by the magnificence of the mountains, nature reserves and wildlife parks.

Mauritius achieved independence on the 12 March 1968 with Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (later Sir) as the Prime Minister and in 1992, it became an independent republic within the commonwealth. The flag of Mauritius consists of four equal width horizontal stripes. In descending order, these are red, blue, yellow and green.

The colours have been interpreted as: Red for freedom and independence, Blue for the Indian Ocean, Yellow for the light of independence shining over the nation, Green for the agriculture of Mauritius.

Anyone and everyone would feel at home in Mauritius. The people (Mauritians) are of different nationalities: Indians, Africans, Europeans and Chinese. The Indo-Mauritians are divided into three groups: Hindus, Tamils and Moslems. They are all united and live in peace with each other. The people are full of charm, very courteous and helpful.

The official language of Mauritius is English but the real language of the people is Creole which is understood and spoken by all Mauritians, whatever their mother tongue. Though, strange but true, it is neither taught in schools not officially recognised as a language, and has no popular written form. The Creole language evolved from the pidgin used by the French masters of the 18th century to communicate with their slaves, also borrowing words from African and Malagasy dialects. French is also widely spoken. The main mother tongue of the country's largest ethnic group is Hindu. Tamil was actually the first Indian language spoken in Mauritius.

Mauritians have their own brand of music and dancing which is known as the Sega. It is believed to have come from Africa. It is a wild, sensual dance inherited from the slaves who expressed their feelings of sadness, fears, hopes and expectations in the form of song and movement. It is traditionally perfumed by pairs of the opposite sex.

The mixture of the island's various races is reflected in the Mauritian cuisine: spicy curries, tropical fruits and vegetables, chinese and European food.

Many religious festivals are public holidays and each culture has been very well preserved without allowing one to swamp the other.Festival of Pere Laval is celebrated by Roman Catholics, Cavadee by the Tamils, Maha Shivaratree and Ganga Asnan by the Hindu, Chinese Spring Festival by the Chinese, Divali (Festival of light) by the Hindus and Tamils, Eid-Ul-Fitr by the Moslem.

Mauritius enjoys a tropical climate which can be divided into two seasons: summer and winter. The hot summer months are from November to April with temperatures of up to 35 degrees centigrade on the coasts. The winter months are from May to October with temperatures of up to 25 degrees centigrade with cooler nights.

The crest of Mauritius reflects its past more than its present, flanked by a dodo and a stag, both clutching shoots of sugar cane. The shield portrays a medieval ship, presumably representing the island's discoverers, and three stylistic trees. There are also a key and a shining star, depicting the country's motto which appears below it:  STELLA  CLAVISQUE  MARIS  INDICI .