Mauritius

Republik Moris
République de Maurice (French)

(Banner) (Coat o Airms)
Motto: "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici"  (Latin) "Star and Key of the Indian Ocean"
Offeecial leid	Inglis
Caipital (an lairgest ceety)	Port Louis
Guvrenment   - Preses  - Prime Meenister	Parliamentary republic Sir Anerood Jugnauth Navin Ramgoolam
Aurie  - Tot  - % watter	2,040km²/787 sq mi 1.1%
Population  - 2008  -  census  - Density	1,179,137 631.4/km²
Foondin   12 Mairch 1968
Siller	Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Time zone	UTC + 4, Simmer: UTC + 5
Naitional anthem	Motherland
Internet TLD	.mu
Cawin code	230

Mauritius ( /[unsupported input]məˈrɪʃəs/; Mauritian Creole: Moris; French: Maurice, pronounced: [mɔˈʁis]), offeecially the Republic o Mauritius (Mauritian Creole: Republik Moris; French: République de Maurice) is an island naition aff the sootheast coast o the African continent in the soothwast Indian Ocean, aboot 900 kilometres (560 mi) east o Madagascar. In addition tae the island o Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands o Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues an the Agalega Islands. Mauritius Island is pairt o the Mascarene Islands, wi the French island o Réunion 200 km (120 mi) tae the soothwast an the island o Rodrigues 570 km (350 mi) tae the northeast.

The British teuk control durin the Napoleonic Wars an Mauritius became independent frae the UK in 1968. Mauritius's aurie is 2040 km² wi Port Louis for caipital. It is a parliamentary republic an is a member o the Soothren African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the African Union, La Francophonie an the Commonweel o Naitions. Mauritius haes an upper middle income economy.

The main leids spoken in Mauritius are Mauritian Creole, French an Inglis. English is the ae offeecial leid but the lingua franca is Mauritian Creole an the newspapers an television programmes are uisually in French. Rodriguan Creole an Mauritian Bhojpuri are minority leids an, in the case o Rodriguan creole, spoken in certain pairts o the kintra anerlie. In terms o the ethnic composition o the kintra, the population is composed o fowk o Indian, African, Cheenese an French ancestries. There wur nae indigeneous fowk livin on the island.

The island o Mauritius is renowned for haein been the ae kent hame o the dodo. This bird wis an easy prey tae settlers due tae its weight an inability tae fly. It became extinct less than aichtie years later.

References

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Mauritius