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Mauritius
Fact
Sheet :
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Area : 2,040
sq km
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Population : 1,250,882 (July 2007 est.)
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Capital : Port
Louis
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Languages :
English (official), Creole, French (official)
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Currency : Mauritian
rupee (MUR)
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Government type : parliamentary
democracy
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Elements of History :
Discovered
by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held
by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was
attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections
and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted
considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's
highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining
sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some
protests over standards of living in the Creole community.
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Climate :
tropical,
modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to
November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
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