1. Mauritius is situated South-West of the Indian Ocean.

2. Mauritius is a mountainous island of about 1,865 square kilometres with 330 kms of coastline almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs.

3. Mauritius was the only native home of the dodo, before humans and the feral dogs, pigs, rats, and monkeys introduced by Europeans made it extinct in the 17th century.

4. The island was known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century but was first explored by the Portuguese in 1505.

5. In 1810, the British captured the island.

6. In 1814, by the Treaty of Paris, Mauritius was ceded to Great Britain along with its dependencies.

7. Independence was attained from the Dutch, French, and British in 1968.

8. Mauritius formally broke ties with the British Crown in March 1992, becoming a republic within the Commonwealth.

9. Mauritius has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes.

10. In Oct. 2003, Paul Berenger, a white Mauritian of French ancestry, became the first non-Hindu prime minister in the history of Mauritius.