Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates: 20° 17' S, 57° 33' E
Coastline km: 177 km km
Climate: tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Elevation: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Population: 1,240,827 (July 2006 est.)
Languages: Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
Capital: Port Louis
Divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne