Mauritius forms part of the Mascarene Islands together with Rodrigues and Reunion. Any group or cluster of islands is called an archipelago. So, the archipelago, here relating to Mauritius, Rodrigues and Reunion was formed by undersea volcanic eruptions. Mauritius and Rodrigues were formed around 10 million years ago and are now volcanically inactive. The island of Mauritius had been created around a central plateau. However, this central plateau reveals the highest mountain in Mauritius, the Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire. This mountain is around 828 metres (2,717 ft) high and stands in the southwest of Mauritius.

Mauritius possesses a tropical climate accompanied by south-east trade winds occasionally blowing over the island. The hot and sunny climatic conditions during the summer are one of the elements that attract a considerable amount of tourists to Mauritius. Normally, the summertime in Mauritius falls between the months of May to November. During the months of November to April cyclones tend to affect the island. On the other hand, winter in Mauritius occurs during the months of May to November. The temperature during this time may attain 15 degrees Celsius or below on the central plateau. But in general, the winter in Mauritius is rather dry and not as harsh as in other countries.

The capital of Mauritius is called Port Louis and is situated in the Northwest. Some other important towns over the island are Curepipe, Flacq, Quatre Bornes, Rose Hill, Vacoas, and Phoenix among others. The natural beauty that surrounds Mauritius is magnificent. So, this may well describe the aspects of the island during the early days of its existence. As time passed by, land was needed for developments and constructions. As a matter of fact, gradually Mauritius somehow lost part of this beauty. But places such as the Black River Gorges still exists and shows a concrete example of the dense forest in its pure nature which hosts various kinds of birds and also unique species of plants.

Furthermore, since gaining its independence on the 12th of March 1968, Mauritius has developed significantly. Mauritius has evolved from a low income based on agriculture to a middle income diversified economy. This diversified economy consists of the tourism, industrial and financial sector. It is important to point out the fact that the economy of Mauritius relies upon the textile, sugarcane and tourism industries. However, different sectors are also developing as well. Additionally, Mauritius can be proud to have attained the second highest incomes per capita among African countries. Sugarcane plantations may account for around 90 percent of cultivated land in Mauritius and may bring about 25 percent of the country’s income, although the sugar industry is in serious jeopardy because of world sugar market changes. The government of Mauritius focuses on bringing foreign investment to the island. The government of Mauritius is also investing in the banking sector.

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