Mauritius

Mauritius lies in the Indian Ocean about 2 000 km off the southeast coast of Africa. There are two main islands: Mauritius and Rodrigues, the latter located 560 km east of Mauritius. The island of Mauritius is 65 km long and 45 km wide. The outer islands include Agaléga and Saint Brandon. The country is known for its rich nature and many endemic species. The island was once home to the dodo, a flightless bird, which was driven to extinction by humans shortly after the island's settlement. These islands emerged as a result of underwater volcanic eruptions some 8 million years ago, though these volcanoes are no longer active. The highest peak, Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire, lying in the southwest at 828 m.

Mauritius has a tropical climate with two seasons. The summer is warm and humid and lasts from November to April, with a mean temperature of around 25 °C. The winter is relatively cold and dry, lasting from June to September with a mean temperature of 20‐21 °C. The warmest months, January and February, reach average temperatures of 26 °C. Average annual rainfall is above 1 700 mm -—
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—- and ranges from 900 mm on the coast to higher amounts on the central plateau, most of which falls during the summer months. The wettest period lasts from January to March. Sea temperatures vary from 22 to 27 °C. Trade winds cool the eastern side and bring more rain. Between January and March the islands experience occasional tropical cyclones and heavy rains.

Mauritius has developed from a low‐income economy based on agriculture into a diversified economy with a high, almost 80 per cent, share of services in GDP, a few per cent contributed by mining and 13 per cent by manufacturing -—
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—-. The economy is heavily dependent on tourism, transport, textiles, sugar and financial services. In 2019, Mauritius attracted 1.4 million tourist arrivals with an inbound tourism expenditure at 14 per cent over GDP -—
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—-. After Seychelles, Mauritius has the second highest GDP per capita of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean SIDS in 2019 with US$11 000, current prices -—
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This economic transformation, achieved since independence in 1968, is often referred to as 'the Mauritian Miracle', or the 'success of Africa'. The World Bank's 2019 Ease of Doing Business Index ranks Mauritius 13th worldwide. Mauritius has positioned itself as a hub for investment into Africa as it is strategically located between Asia and Africa. Important export destinations include France, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and South Africa. Mauritius has undertaken initiatives to develop its regulatory framework, protect investment, avoid double taxation, develop a competent and multilingual workforce and provides a politically stable environment. The country hosts numerous international banks, corporate services, law firms and investment funds. Mauritius also has challenges, such as reliance on relatively few sectors, a relatively small labour force and an increasing old‐age dependency ratio of nearly 18 per 100 persons in 2020.

Arts are an important part of the Mauritian culture and the country is home to several renowned painters. Literature is also important in the country, with J. M. G. Le Clézio winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2008. The island also hosts the Le Prince Maurice Prize that alternates annually between English and French speaking writers. Cuisine is a combination of Indian, Creole, French and Chinese, with many dishes unique to the island. Varying types of seafood and spices play an important part in the local cuisine.