The beautiful island country
of Mauritius comprises Mauritius and Rodrigues islands and two small groups of
islands. It is volcanic in origin and mostly surrounded by coral reefs. It is
located in the Indian Ocean 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of Madagascar and
covers a total area of 2,040 square kilometres (788 square miles). The Grand
River is the island's major river. English is the official language but French is also considered an official language as most
Mauritians speak French, Creole is also widely spoken.
The Portuguese arrived in
about 1505. Mauritius was occupied, successively, by the Dutch in 1598, the
French in 1710, and the British in 1810. In 1968, it became an independent state
within the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1992 it became a republic within the
Commonwealth. Veerasamy Ringadoo became the country's first president.
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