Welcome to Mauritius Geography
Geography of Mauritius
Between longitudes 57 18° and 57 49° east, and latitudes 19 59° and 20 32° south, lies the subtle island of Mauritius. If it is to be located prior to the position of Madagascar then it will be 800 kilometers east of Madagascar. The formation of this small island is attributed to volcanic eruptions under the sea more than 10 millions of years ago. It is reputed ad being the oldest mascarene island followed by La reunion and Rodrigues, the blatant proof being the rocks on the island which is 8 million years old. For the moment there are no active volcanoes in Mauritius only a dormant one which is the Trou aux Cerfs. Mauritius has inherited a pearl ?like shape but often one will say that it resembles more like the extinct ?Dodo? once present in the island. As per the statistics, Mauritius is forty-six kilometers wide and sixty-one kilometers long at the extremes and has a total area of some 1,865 square kilometers. Three-hundred kilometers of coast circumvent the island and it is crowned with coral reefs ensuring its protection.
The land surface of Mauritius embraces the islands of Rodrigues, Agalega, and Cargados Carajos Shoals. Moreover, there are numerous small islands around Mauritius which are being used as natural reserves for the protection of endangered species. The several broken rings of mountain ranges in Mauritius prove its creation by volcanic activities millions of years ago. The highest mountain in Mauritius is Piton De La Petite Riviere Noire which has a height of 828 meters, followed by Pieter Both with a height of 823 meters and finally Le Pouce which is 812 meters high. Prior to its discovery the island was covered with dense forest but with time it has mellowed in an evergreen nature.
The island is divided into 9 administrative divisions called districts and Port Louis is the Capital. Pamplemousses, Riviere Du Rempart, and Flacq District are the low lying plains. Plaine Wilhems district is heavily populated, while Port Louis and Black River gives directly on the western coast. A myriad of sugarcane and vegetables plantations can mainly be found in the district of Moka, western Grand Port and eastern Plaine Wilhems. Black River and Savanne district encloses forest plantations and reserves of indigenous trees. Moreover the island has known the creation of several streams and rivers, the flow of lavas had created several steep grades of lands so as this gave rise to rapids and falls. Deep valleys and Gorges can also be spotted in different parts of the island. The island possesses two natural lakes and they are both crater lakes.
Due to its position on the globe , Mauritius favors a tropical climate and the winter season from may till November remains dry , while during summer it is hot and humid and it lasts as from November till may. The population of Mauritius is around 1.2 million and it welcomes around 800 000 tourists yearly. All in all the island of Mauritius has being beautifully carved in a subtle haven with its white sandy beaches, flat land and volcanic high plateaus; a must for all nature lovers.
