Introduction on Mauritius
Some facts that set Mauritius apart
Home of Dodo
If you have heard the adage “as dead as dodo”, then you are on the right track of getting to know facts about Mauritius.
Mauritius is the only known home of this now-extinct bird. The French wiped out the dodo from the face of the earth in the 18th century.
About its ambiguous location on Facts about Mauritius
Mauritius nation is made of a group of which are classified as part of either Eastern Africa or Southern Africa. Whether the country is in Eastern Africa or Southern Africa, it will depend on who you ask. United Nations classifies it as part of Eastern Africa Nation. As for some of us, we think it’s more south than east, well it’s located southwest of the Indian Ocean.
Land of no official language
Apart from being the only known home of the extinct dodo bird, Mauritius has no official language. Most spoken is French, followed by English. Another quick fact about Mauritius is that English is registered as the official language of the country’s parliament. However, to many peoples surprise, the assembly conducts its business in French. Other languages spoken in Mauritius are Mauritian Creole. Do you know that Mauritian Creole is also known as Morisien?
Additionally, this French-based language has borrowed quite a significant number of words from English as well as from several African and Asian languages. This language derived from a mixture of African, Asian, and European languages is Mauritius lingua franca and de facto language of this beautiful island nation and is spoken by 84.0%.
About Mauritius capital names after Louis the Beloved
Finally, let’s sum up our first four facts by telling you that Mauritius largest city, the country’s business hub, and its capital city is known as Port Louis. Port Louis started off as a harbor. It was first established by the Dutch settlers in 1606. They back then called it Harbour of Tortoises. The French who took the country from the Dutch settlers made their administrative center in 1736. The French renamed it Port Louis in honor of their King Louis XV. Louis XV was nicknamed Louis the Beloved. Today Port Louis is the most populous city in Mauritius with a population of 147,066 as of 2018. The city residents share an area measuring 46.7 square kilometers or 18.0 square miles which translated to a density of 3,100 sharing every square kilometer or 8,200 sharing every square mile.