Mauritius - Introduction

General Information
Mauritius is an island of approximately 1,865 square kilometers with 330 kms of coastline almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs, a central plateau and impressive mountains. It is situated in the South West Indian Ocean at latitude 20º South and longitude 57.5º East.
The Central plateau rises to a level of some 600 meters marked by deep extinct volcanic craters, crisscrossed by rivers, streams and waterfalls. Bordering this tableland are three mountain ranges with fantastically-shaped masses of basalt which testify to the volcanic origin of the island. From these mountains, several peaks emerge: Piton de la Rivière Noire (828 mts), Pieter Both (823 mts), Le Pouce (812 mts).

Time Zone
Mauritius Time is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and 3 hours ahead of mid-European time.

Language
English is the official language and is widely understood. French and Creole predominate in everyday life. A number of oriental languages are also spoken.

Population
On the 31st December 1994, the population of the island of Mauritius was estimated at 1,082,998 comprising Indo-Mauritians, Creoles, i.e. people of mixed European and African origin and Sino-Mauritians.

Currency
The Monetary Unit is the Mauritian Rupee (MUR or Rs.) which is divided into 100 cents (cts) There are 1- rupee pieces, 5 rupee-pieces,10 rupee-pieces, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50 cent-pieces. Notes come in the following denominations: Rs 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000. Foreign currency notes, drafts, travelers checks and other banking instruments may be imported into Mauritius without restriction.

Visitors may import Mauritius notes up to a maximum of Rs. 700. and take out Rs. 350.