Mauritius

Mauritius (French: Maurice, [mɔʁis]; Mauritian Creole: Moris), offeecially the Republic o Mauritius (Inglis: Republic of Mauritius; French: République de Maurice; Mauritian Creole: Republik Moris), is an island naition aff the sootheast coast o the African continent in the soothwast Indian Ocean, aboot 900 kilometres (560 mi) east o Madagascar. In addition tae the island o Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands o Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues an the Agalega Islands. Mauritius Island is pairt o the Mascarene Islands, wi the French island o Réunion 200 km (120 mi) tae the soothwast an the island o Rodrigues 570 km (350 mi) tae the northeast. The Breetish teuk control durin the Napoleonic Wars an Mauritius became independent frae the UK in 1968. Mauritius's aurie is 2040 km2 wi Port Louis for caipital. It is a parliamentary republic an is a member o the Soothren African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the African Union, La Francophonie an the Commonweel o Naitions. Mauritius haes an upper middle income economy. The main leids spoken in Mauritius are Mauritian Creole, French an Inglis. Inglis is the ae offeecial leid but the lingua franca is Mauritian Creole an the newspapers an telly programmes are uisually in French. Rodriguan Creole an Mauritian Bhojpuri are minority leids an, in the case o Rodriguan creole, spoken in certaint pairts o the kintra anerlie. In terms o the ethnic composition o the kintra, the population is componed o fowk o Indian, African, Cheenese an French ancestries. Thare wur nae indigeneous fowk livin on the island. The island o Mauritius is renowned for haein been the ae kent hame o the dodo. This bird wis an easy prey tae settlers due tae its wecht an inability tae flee. It became extinct less nor aichtie years later. Notes References