The Republic of Mauritius. Independent since 1968. The capital city is Port-Louis, on the Northwest coast of the island of Mauritius.
The republic of Mauritius is an archipelago comprising of 4 islands. Besides the island of Mauritius, the country incorporates the island of Rodrigues, an Autonomous constituency, Agalega and the archipelago of Saint Brandon (Cargados Carajos Shoals). The Chagos archipelago, closer to the Maldives, has been disputed by Mauritius and UK since the county’s independence in 1968. Mauritius and Rodrigues constitute, with Reunion, the Mascarenes archipelago.
Known by Arab sailors as Dina Arobin, the island was briefly inhabited by the Dutch in the beginning of the 17 th century (who named after Maurice, Prince of Orange) before being occupied by the French and, in 1810, by the British. The archipelago became independent in 1968.
Several mountain ranges define the island’s orography, punctuating the central plateau and coastal plains. The highest peak of the country is located on the Western coast of Mauritius, the piton de La Riviere Noire, with 828 m. The island of Mauritius is almost completely surrounded by coral reefs and shallow water lagoons.
Due to its climate and fertile soil, Mauritius island was extensively exploited for sugarcane plantation during colonial times. The role of the island in oceanic trade made the city of Port-Louis one of the most important ports-of-call in the Indian Ocean. Its economy was, until the abolition in 1835, based on enslaved work. After that, Mauritius entered history as the birth-place of the indentured labor system, under which thousands of Indian, Chinese immigrants, African and Malagasy immigrants settled to work on the sugarcane fields. The other islands and islets that compose the republic were also used for coconut and copra plantations. Mauritius is also a symbol of the environmental exploitation by colonialism for its extinct bird known as Dodo.
The creole culture of the country reflects this social history, seen in its diverse gastronomy, cultural expressions and religious contexts. While the majority of the population follows Hinduism, Christianism, Islam and Taoism are prevalent, as well as rituals connected with African cultural heritages.
The population of the country is officially divided in the religious/ethnic categories of Hindu, Muslim, Sino-Mauritian and General population which comprises the creoles (with African origin) and Franco- Mauritians.
While there is no official language, English and French have been the de facto spoken and written languages for official matters and education. Since 2011, the Mauritian Creole, which is spoken by virtually every Mauritian, was recognized and a language, becoming a school discipline in the following year. More and more the local creole is heard and read in both official matters as well in the media.
The country has several heritage elements listed by UNESCO.
The Le Morne Cultural Landscape was listed in 2008, while the site Aapravasi Ghat was listed in 2006. Listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage are the Traditional Mauritian Sega (2014), the Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius - Geet-Gawai (2016), the Sega Tambour of Rodrigues Island (2017) and the Sega Tambour Chagos (2019).
The country has several natural and cultural heritages, and sites, listed in the national inventory.
In Mauritius, our research focuses on the Le Morne Cultural Landscape and the Traditional Mauritian Sega. Both elements deeply connect with the archipelago’s environment, social and economic history and with contemporary discussions regarding Mauritian identities and the archipelago’s economic development.
