Mauritius [antikvár]

Introducing Mauritius i't Like a rich green emerald, swathed in the translucent, turquoise silk of the southwest Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a small island which has only recently, since the early 1980s, made a sizeable impact on world tourism. Only 67km (42 miles) in length and 46km (29 miles) at its widest point, and with an area of 1865km- (730 sq miles), it is about the size of the English county of Surrey, or South Africa's Cape Peninsula and False Bay. As a political entity, the Republic of Mauritius includes not only the island of Mauritius itself, set just north of the Tropic of Capricorn at 20 °S and 58 °E, but also the tiny island of Rodrigues some 563km (350 miles) to the east, as well as the Cargados Carajos Archipelago (St Brandon) and the two virtually uninhabited Agalega islands, 400km (250 miles) to the northeast and 1000km (620 miles) to the north of Mauritius respectively. The warm climate and the blue-green sea gently lapping the sandy shores within the protective belt of the coral reef make for a tropical paradise with equally warm people whose friendliness is legendary. Indeed, the motto most people who know the island will associate with Mauritius is the easy-going 'No problem'. Nothing is too much of a problem for these hospitable islanders, whose roots reach back in history to India, Madagascar, East Africa, China, France and England. With this rich mix of cultures and a population of just over a million people, Mauritians have realized that the only viable option in the small area of this island is peaceful coexistence. INDIAN OCEAN Trou aux-i-í. Biches'" PORT /-LOUIS^^ > i. Flic en Flap'- Çurepipe,_ i y v.:, ^ahébourg . y Clîamoijny,, ' Chemin, / Cap Souillac i' Top Attractions Soaking up the sun on a white, sandy beach. Water sports of every kind -snorkelling, diving, sailing, windsurfing, and parasaillng. Big-game fishing in first-rate fishing waters. Scuba diving amidst coral gardens and tropical fish. Nature walks - mountains, gorges and waterfalls. Gastronomy - a rich mix of culinary delights; seafood plays a major part. Shopping - especially wooden model boats, jewellery, clothing and flowers. Opposite: A yncht heads past Trou mix Biches.