Mauritius

Capital City - Port Louis
Currency - Mauritian Rupee
Population - 1,288,000 (2008 estimate)
National Language - English (unofficially the language of the land and of Parliament); French and Mauritian Creole are also largely spoken by most people.
Type of Government - Parliamentary Republic
Leaders - Sir Anerood Jugnauth (President); Navin Ramgoolam (Prime Minister)
Country's Motto - "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" - Translates to mean "Star and Key of the Indian Ocean."

Location - Mauritius is an island off of the southeast coast of Africa and in the southwest part of the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar.  Aside from Mauritius, its Republic includes the islands of Rodrigues, Cargados Carajos and the Agalega Islands.  Mauritius Island is part of the Mascarene Islands.

Climate - Mauritius has a tropical climate with southeast trade winds and a season of cyclones.

Religion - Due to colonialism and the fact that the British imported many Indians to the island for their servitude, a little more than half - 52% - of the population of Mauritius are Hindu.  Roughly 30% are Christian (with the majority of those being Roman Catholic), 16% are Muslim, and the remaining 2% are non religious.

Cuisine - The cuisine of Mauritius is a mixture of Indian, African, Chinese and European fare.  It is common practice for various plates from these different cuisines to be served in the same meal.

Most Famous Landmark - Being an island nation best known for its sandy beaches makes practically the entire nation a landmark.  However, its most stunning asset is the "seven colored earth" of Chamarel.  Located on the southwest side of the island, Chamarel boasts dunes of multi-colored soil which are an incredible sight to any eye.  Red to yellow, purple to brown, black to white, green to tan - with every shade in between - the wonders of nature are boldly apparent.

If You Learn Only One Thing About Mauritius, It Should Be This - At the time of its discovery in 1507, the island of Mauritius was the home of the yet unknown species of bird called the "Dodo."  By 1681, it was made extinct after having been killed by the settlers and their domesticated pets.