• Republic of Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, 1,100 nautical miles from Africa's southeast.
• Includes main island Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon.
• Part of the Mascarene Islands; Port Louis is the capital.
• Covers 2,040 square kilometers with a vast exclusive economic zone.

• Possibly discovered by Arab sailors around 975.
• Named by Portuguese as Ilha do Cirne in 1507; Dutch claimed it in 1598.
• Brief Dutch settlements attempted but failed.
• French colonization began in 1715, renaming it "Isle de France."
• The British took control in 1810, leading to extensive sugar plantations.
• Split of Chagos Archipelago occurred in 1965; sovereignty disputes continue, with an agreement set for 2025.

• Diverse population with Indo-Mauritians as majority; Hinduism is the main religion.
• Government resembles Westminster model, viewed as a full democracy.
• Ranked highly for economic and political freedom, recognized as a high-income economy.

• Home to unique biodiversity, including the extinct dodo.
• Conservation efforts are ongoing for endemic species like the echo parakeet.

List of newspapers published in Mauritius.