Mauritius is an island country in eastern Africa, located in the southwest of the Indian Ocean, about 800 kilometers from Madagascar and 2,200 kilometers from the African continent.
Mauritius is a volcanic island country surrounded by coral reefs with a variety of landforms. The entire territory of the country is made up of the island of Mauritius and other small archipelagos.
Mauritius was colonized by the Dutch, the French and the British. 1598, the Dutch came and named the island "Mauritius" after Prince Maurice, who ruled Mauritius for more than 100 years. On March 12, 1968, Mauritius gained its independence from British colonization.
The official language of Mauritius is English and all government documents are written in English. Both English and French are the languages of instruction in Mauritian schools, but French plays a very important role in broadcasting and written media, and even in business and corporate relations.
The most widely spoken language in Mauritius is Mauritian Creole, which is heavily influenced by French, and Creole is considered to be the national mother tongue of Mauritius.
Eight Features of the Mauritian Economy
Feature #1: Mauritius was once the only place in the world where the dodo bird lived. The bird became extinct at the end of the 17th century. The dodo, also known as the Mauritius dodo, turtle dove and solitary dove, is a flightless bird found only on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
This bird was discovered by humans only 200 years after the time, due to human hunting and the impact of human activities completely extinct, can be called in addition to the dinosaurs, one of the most famous extinct animals, but also Mauritius is only designated as the national bird of the extinct bird, the dodo bird was extinct in 1681. 2016 August, the world's most complete preservation of the dodo bird bone auction value of 4.4 million. million .
From 1600 to 1966, 164 species of birds have disappeared from the earth. Nature exists in a food chain, and the lack of one link often leads to a chain of catastrophic results. It's worth reminding ourselves that around the 17th century, the last dodo went completely extinct. Humans unearthed thousands of dodo skeletons in 2005.
The reason for the extinction of the dodo, there are many speculations, may be caused by a flood, a more likely is that in the 16th century, the Dutch came to Mauritius, a large number of dodo hunting, they brought animals at the same time the dodo's eggs as food, destroying the dodo's natural environment, so the dodo's population declined rapidly, in addition to the massive deforestation of human beings also In addition, the dodo's population has declined sharply. In addition, the massive deforestation by human beings has also deprived the dodo of a good natural living environment and eventually led it to extinction. Currently, there are only a few museums in the world that have a complete skeleton of the dodo, which is relatively precious.
Feature No. 2: Mauritius is one of the three richest countries in Africa. Mauritius was one of the three countries in Africa that were rated "high" on the Human Development Index, and is known as the "Switzerland of Africa", with Gabon and Seychelles as the other two rich African countries.
Mauritius has a GDP per capita of more than 10,000 U.S. dollars. In 2019, the GDP of Mauritius was 14.8 billion U.S. dollars, or about 96.5 billion yuan, which is equivalent to the total economic output of the city of Baoshan in Yunnan Province; the GDP per capita of Mauritius was 11,666 U.S. dollars, which is equivalent to about 76,000 yuan in RMB. Mauritius's GDP per capita of $11,666 exceeds that of Russia ($11,040), Argentina ($10,669), and so on.
Mauritius GNI per capita is surprisingly more than $12,535. According to this year's CCTV news on July 3, the World Bank released the latest country income classification. According to the classification, the African island nation of Mauritius jumped to the high-income countries in the world. Mauritius became the second African country after Seychelles to be promoted to the high-income classification. According to the World Bank's classification, Mauritius has a per capita GNI of more than $12,535, equivalent to about 82,000 yuan, with a monthly average of about 6,800 yuan, and is therefore defined as a high-income country, which is indeed relatively affluent for an African country.
Feature No. 3: Mauritius implements free education and free medical care
The happiness index of Mauritians is very high, and the country implements welfare policies such as free medical care, free education, unemployment relief, and subsidized rice and flour prices.
In terms of education, the national education system of Mauritius has inherited the British education system with six years of secondary and six years of primary schooling. Education is free of charge at the university, secondary and primary levels and is one of the most highly educated in the developing world. 9 years of compulsory education has been introduced since 1997, with a view to raising the secondary school enrolment rate to 95%. The education rate of the population under 30 years of age is as high as 95%.
In Mauritian schools, parents are hardly seen dropping off and picking up students from school, as safety seems to be the order of the day here. According to the Global Peace Index 2019 report, Mauritius ranked first in Africa and 24th globally on the Peace Index of the 163 countries that participated in the survey.
As an African country, Mauritius has free healthcare, no doubt, and this alone "kills" a lot of countries in the world, because many countries in Africa do not even have enough to eat, not to mention free education, free healthcare, and even more incredibly, high per capita income.
Feature No. 4: Sugar is an important pillar industry in Mauritius
The economy of Mauritius is very single, only the production of sugar. Sugarcane has always been the main cash crop of Mauritius, and the area under sugarcane cultivation accounts for about 90% of the area planted each year. Sugar cane is grown in Mauritius for the production of sugar, but also for the manufacture of rum (or "rum"). Sugar cane was first introduced to Mauritius by the Dutch in 1638 and was mainly used for making wine. It was not until 1850 that the French first established a rum distillery in Mauritius.
And in the late 1970s, Mauritius, with the support of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the implementation of the economic restructuring program of the sugar industry, and the export processing industry as the three pillars of its tourism economy. 80 years since the implementation of the second phase of the development plan. Mauritius export processing industry gradually from labor-intensive to technology-intensive changes, and strive to become Africa's "new industrial countries".
In the 1990s, Mauritius consolidated the three pillar industries, the Government of Mauritius to adopt a policy of economic diversification, and actively improve the investment environment, encourage foreign investment, the development of offshore financial services, and the construction of the free port of Port Louis, the capital of the port. 2003, the announcement of the non-sugar agriculture strategic development plan. In 2003, the strategic development plan for non-sugar agriculture was announced. Increased publicity and investment in the tourism industry, and launched a comprehensive leisure program.
In 2013, financial services became the fourth pillar of the national economy. The Government of Mauritius embarked on the development of a new economy centered on the information technology and communications industry.
Feature #5: Mauritius has an excellent 'diplomatic economy'
Mauritius has the highest per capita income of any developing country in Africa. Importantly, Mauritius pursues a policy of neutrality, non-alignment and all-round openness to the outside world. Mauritius has managed its diplomatic relations with its neighboring countries, the European and American countries very well.
In particular, it maintains special and friendly relations with India, the leading country in terms of population. India is the main source of population of Mauritius, India's traditional culture, religious beliefs, and even the caste system have a profound impact on Mauritius. India is also an important donor of economic assistance to Mauritius and is the number one source of merchandise imports to Mauritius.
Mauritius and France have a strong tradition of relations, with the descendants of the French owning most of the sugar mills and many of the major industrial and commercial companies in Mauritius. France is an important economic supporter of Mauritius and is the largest source of tourists to Mauritius.
Mauritius is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and maintains close traditional relations with the United Kingdom, particularly in terms of language and culture, legislative, administrative and judicial systems, education system, etc. It has inherited the British system of governance, and in particular its Armed Forces are trained in the United Kingdom. The UK is an important economic supporter of Mauritius and is also its largest exporter and largest source of investment.
Mauritius and the United States also enjoy a harmonious relationship and have successfully organized the second U.S.-Africa Forum on Economic and Trade Cooperation, such as the visit of Prime Minister Jugnauth of Mauritius to the United States. The United States agreed to grant Mauritius "third country" status for textile exports to the United States in 2004, and to grant Mauritius the status of least developed country (LDC) in 2005, so that Mauritian textiles can be exported to the United States free of tariffs. Mauritius has always had a trade surplus with the United States. The United States was the third largest exporter to Mauritius in 2011.
Mauritius has very close relations with South Africa and has a diaspora of about 20,000 people in South Africa. South Africa is a major importer of Mauritius and the two countries signed a Double Taxation Agreement in 1994. South Africa is an important source of tourists to Mauritius.
Relations between Mauritius and China have also been developing very smoothly. The Chinese side has established the first overseas Chinese Cultural Center in Mauritius and it is worth mentioning that Mauritius is the only African country that has designated Chinese New Year as an official holiday.
Mauritius has always been committed to economic diplomacy and has continued to strengthen its excellent relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Union. Its trading partners are mainly France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and the United States of America. Mauritius is a member of the Lomé Convention and therefore exports of manufactured goods to the EU are tariff and quota free.
Mauritius is also a member of the Southern African*** Community and the Indian Ocean Rim Commission. The Agreement between the Government of Mauritius and the Government of Mauritius for the Encouragement and Mutual Protection of Investments provides protection and support for investments by our enterprises. The Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation signed between our Government and the Government of Mauritius regulates double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion on the investment income of enterprises on both sides, ensuring that the investment income of enterprises. In addition , 80% of the goods imported into Mauritius are exempted from import duties.
Feature No. 6: Quality of life in Mauritius is the best in Africa
The African island nation of Mauritius is known as the "Paradise on Earth" due to its scenic beauty. Mauritius has a good working and living environment and is ranked 54th in the world in terms of quality of life and first in Africa and the Indian Ocean countries.
Mauritius has a wide range of water sports (such as scuba diving, water skiing, boating, pedal boating, kite surfing, parasailing, etc.) and there are also many completely wild hiking trails along the coast, along the rivers, along the mountains, and there are also waterfalls of all sizes. Locals tend to follow hiking clubs on weekends.
Compared to other countries in Africa, Mauritius is a very small country with a very good economy, and political stability and media openness, coupled with free health care in Mauritius, free education from primary to high school, it is very difficult for tourists coming to Mauritius to experience the rich and poor in Mauritius.
In terms of Mauritian culture: the great American writer Mark Twain said: the Garden of Eden on earth is Mauritius! Mauritians are mostly immigrants from other countries (no indigenous people), Indians account for half of its population. The demographic composition of Mauritius is a multicultural society comprising Indians (50%), Africans, Arabs, Chinese (3%) and Europeans (2%). Mauritians live together in harmony. In Mauritius, you can see the different architectural styles of different ethnic groups, experience different cultures, eat different food, hear different languages and music.
Although it is a congregation of different ethnic groups, they still enjoy the same rights and there is no "xenophobia". There is no "xenophobia" and special cakes are also given to other ethnic groups during their festivals. As a result, Mauritians are generally very tolerant and far from being an apartheid society, which greatly enhances and enriches the Mauritian culture.
Why is India half the population of Mauritius?
The reason is that the island of Mauritius is located to the east of the African continent, in the south-west of the Indian Ocean, and is about 3,800 kilometers away from India in Asia, which is so far away. History, the British occupied a large area of the Indian Ocean in the sea island, Mauritius is one of the larger islands, therefore, the strategic location of Mauritius is very important, at that time, very urgent need for a large number of manpower to build the Mauritius, therefore, the British introduced a large number of laborers from British India, across the ocean to Mauritius, therefore, Indian descent became the first major ethnic group in Mauritius. So, Mauritius is a blend of European, East African and South Asian cultures and is an ethnically integrated and multi-element country.
In terms of sports, Mauritius ranks third globally in golf, after the United Kingdom and India. The Mauritius Golf Course on the Mona Hill Peninsula is one of the most famous golf courses in the world.
As the third country in the world to introduce the game of golf, Mauritius has long been known as the most desirable "swing" in the Indian Ocean. Today there are eight 18-hole par golf courses and five standard 9-hole golf courses across the island***. It is worth mentioning that each of these courses offers athletes an extraordinary experience due to the unique tropical scenery of the Mauritius golf courses, especially with the backdrop of the ocean, which provides a stunning sporting and aesthetic experience, thus earning the Mauritius golf experience a very high international reputation. As a result, the Mauritius golf experience has gained a very high international reputation.
Mauritius is considered one of the top five wedding and honeymoon destinations in the world and attracts many celebrity couples every year, with Mr. and Mrs. Chen Xiaochun, Mr. and Mrs. Liu Xuan, Mr. and Mrs. Yan Kuan, and Mr. and Mrs. Zheng Xiyi all said to have visited the city.
Therefore, the great American writer Mark Twain also once praised: Mauritius is the original home of paradise, because paradise is modeled after the small island of Mauritius.
Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, the country's largest city, but also the country's political, economic and cultural center, Port Louis is surrounded by mountains on three sides, beautiful scenery, is a natural harbor, especially located in the South Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean between the main channel, in the Suez Canal before the opening of the port of Port Louis is an important navigation around the Cape of Good Hope must pass through the place.
Feature #7: Mauritius' "unique" economic miracle
A very small country, Mauritius, is able to offer its citizens not only free education through university, but also free transportation for schoolchildren and free healthcare, not realizing that even many rich European countries cannot afford free university education today. While many rich European countries are unable to afford free university education even now, Mauritius in Africa, which is not very rich, has managed to build a diversified economy, a democratic political system, and a comprehensive social safety net in a few decades.
Mauritius, with a population of 1.3 million, has a puzzling statistic: it has maintained an annual GDP growth rate of more than 5% for almost 30 years. What is remarkable is that Mauritius is not rich in oil, nor does it have any particularly valuable commodities, nor does it even have any natural resources to exploit.
As early as 1968, when the island nation of Mauritius gained independence from British colonial rule, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, James Edward M. Bowen, was the first to say that Mauritius was the only country in the world that had the potential to be a major player. Edward Mead wrote in 1961 that the island nation had no natural resources to exploit. Mead wrote in 1961: "It would be a remarkable achievement if Mauritius could provide effective employment for its population without a serious decline in the existing standard of living. But the prospects of Mauritius achieving smooth development are not good either."
Indeed, Mead was proven wrong by the economic miracle of Mauritius, where the average annual income of Mauritians has risen from less than $400 at the time of independence to more than $6,700 today (data from the 2001 Nobel Prize winner in economics and professor of economics at Columbia University). It is important to note that Mauritius has successfully transformed itself from a mono-economy based on sugar production to a diversified economic structure covering tourism, finance, textiles and high technology.
The "economic miracle" of Mauritius can be seen in: Firstly, Mauritius has chosen a path towards high cohesion, welfare and development, while keeping social inequalities at a "minimum" level;
The "economic miracle" of Mauritius is that First, Mauritius has chosen a path towards high cohesion, high welfare and high development, while keeping social inequalities "at a minimum";
Second, Mauritius "strangely" believes that most of its military spending is wasteful. It is even more "absurd" to think that a small amount of the money spent on military expenditures to fight a non-existent enemy could create a more humane and developed economic society that would provide security for those who cannot afford to pay for health care and education.
Although Mauritius has a population of just under 1.3 million, it does not have a regular army. The armed forces of Mauritius consist of only 8,000 police officers, 1,500 special task forces and 500 Coastal Self-Defense Force to maintain law and order.
Again, Mauritius has an even more "unique" view that since it lacks natural resources, its people are its only asset.
Indeed, Mauritius values its human resources and recognizes that education is the key to social cohesion. Mauritius also has a strong commitment to its democratic institutions and to cooperation between workers, government and employers.
Mauritius is not perfect. For example, Mauritius has suffered from a loss of exchange rate competitiveness. As more and more countries try to lower their exchange rates in response to the US quantitative easing policy of depreciating the US dollar to make their economies more competitive, Mauritius is not immune to this situation.
Then there is the case of Mauritius' imported inflation on imported food and energy. Then there is the fact that the Mauritian economic miracle, which began with independence, has still not escaped certain colonial legacies.
Feature No. 8: Mauritius' "unique" food culture
The staple food of the Mauritian people is rice, but Mauritians generally prefer to eat Indian rice, of course, because the Indian population is more than half of the Mauritian population. The vast majority of South Indians like to eat fish, and many Mauritians like to eat with a knife and fork.
Because Mauritius is so ethnically and culturally diverse, the food culture of Mauritius has been widely influenced and infiltrated by Creole, Chinese, European, and Indian cuisines, and as a result, Mauritians often have a mixture of flavors from different national cuisines in one meal.
It is worth mentioning that the Indian cuisine is the most profound influence on the food culture of Mauritius, for example, the Indian cuisine of curry, spices and a kind of rice called "Briyani" has been moved to the daily diet of Mauritians. Moreover, French cuisine is also very popular due to the history of French rule in Mauritius. In addition, Mauritius has been influenced by Indian and African cultures, which has resulted in a "variant" of French cuisine flavored with chili and spices.
The main cities of Mauritius
First, the capital of Port Louis
Port Louis (Port Louis) was founded in 1735, is located in the northwest coast of Mauritius Island, is the capital of Mauritius, the country's political, cultural and economic centers, is the largest city and the main port of Mauritius. It is the largest city and the main port of Mauritius, Port Louis is a seaport, free port.
Second, Souillac
Souillac is a port in the southern part of the island of Mauritius, bordering the Indian Ocean. The area around Souillac is an important sugarcane producing area. According to historical records, the city of Souillac was already on the map of France as early as the 8th century before, during the period of activity of the Celts, the ancestors of France. In the Celtic language, the word "Souillac" means "the muddy, swampy land of the wild boar", so the boar's head became a very special motif on the city's coat of arms.
III. Rosehill
Rosehill is the second largest city in Mauritius. It is in the western part of the island of Mauritius. It is formed by the expanding connection of the two cities of Beau Bassin and Rosehill. The population is about 94,000 people. It is the sugar processing center of Mauritius. It is a residential city and is very commercially developed. The highway leads to Port Louis, Cutler Burnett, Gulpip and other places.