Mauritius

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Mauritius
A glimpse of an Island
By
Karoona Subaghra LIBR 500 Foundations of
Information Technology Ksubaghra_at_yahoo.com
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The Location

• Mauritius, a volcanic and mountainous island in
  the Indian Ocean, lies 2000 km (1240 miles) off
  the southeastern coast of Africa, due east of
  Madagascar.
• The island state stands on what was once a land
  bridge between Asia and Africa called the
  Mascarene Archipelago.
• From the coast, the land rises to form a broad
  fertile plain on which sugar cane flourishes.

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Demography
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A little history

• Discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 16th
  century, and subsequently settled by the Dutch.
• The French took over the island in 1715 from the
  Dutch settlers, who are remembered primarily for
  having eaten the island's infamous population of
  flightless DODO BIRDS (which were native only to
  Mauritius) down to the very last.
• The French brought over slaves from Africa
  (particularly from Senegal, Guinea, Mozambique
  and Madagascar) to work in the sugar-cane
  plantations.
• The Mauritian Creole language, now in
  quasi-universal use in the island, probably
  evolved during those years as some sort of lingua
  franca between slaves and masters.
• The British won the island over from the French
  in 1810 as it provided the perfect transit for
  ships en route to India.
• The British brought indentured laborers from
  India (mainly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
  Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat) to the
  island. Within a few decades, people of Indian
  origin comprised the majority population of the
  island.

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The National Anthem
Glory to thee, Motherland O motherland of
mine. Sweet is thy beauty. Sweet is thy
fragrance, Around thee we gather As one people,
As one nation, In peace, justice and
liberty. Beloved Country, may God bless Thee
forever and ever.
Written by Jean Georges Prosper Adopted on
12th March, 1968
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Languages

• Most people in Mauritius are bilingual in English
  and French.
• Creole and French are the main languages in the
  everyday environment
• Several oriental languages Mandarin, Cantonese,
  Hindi, Urdu are some of the them frequently
  spoken.

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Fascinating Cultural Diversity

• Its Indian, Chinese, Creole, African, European
  and Malagasy populations live together in perfect
  harmony, respecting one another's traditions and
  remaining true to their own.
• They all brought with them their own customs,
  language, and religion, which they have kept
  alive.
• Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are
  the most practiced religions. All year long,
  cultural and religious festivals are celebrated
  in peace and harmony in Mauritius.

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Folklore and Music

• Blends the sounds and rhythms of Western, Eastern
  and African.
• The most popular traditional music style is the
  "Sega", which is of African origin. Distinctive
  dancing accompanies the music and the sight of
  Sega dancers wearing elaborately colored skirts
  on a beach around a bonfire is a staple of
  Mauritian culture.
• Sega is driven by the beat of the ravane, a
  circular drum traditionally made of goatskin, and
  other rhythmic instruments like the maravane.
• A fusion of Sega and Reggae music called Seggae
  emerged in the 80's.

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Mauritian Festivals

• Chinese Spring Festival
• Between January and February. The Spring
  Festival, which is the Chinese New Year
• Thaipoosam Cavadee
• Cavadee is celebrated in January/February. Along
  with the fire-walking and sword-climbing
  ceremonies, Cavadee is among the most spectacular
  Tamil events

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Festivals Cont'd

• Maha Shivaratree
• (Between February and March)

Maha Shivaratree is celebrated in honour of Hindu
God, Siva (February). Hindu devotees, clad in
spotless white, carry the Kanwar wooden
arches covered with flowers on pilgrimage to
Grand Bassin, to fetch holy water from the lake.
The whole scene is reminiscent of the great
rituals on the banks of Holy Ganges river in
India.
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Festivals Cont'd

• Eid- Ul- Fitr (Muslim Festival)
• (Between October and November).
• The exact date of this festival is subject to
  confirmation as its celebration depends on the
  visibility of the moon)
• Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated to mark the end of
  Ramadhan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.
• It is a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing for
  Muslims. Prayers are offered at mosques during
  the morning.

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Festivals Cont'd
Christians Festival

• Mauritius has a big Christian community, mostly
  of Catholic faith.
• As such, most Christian celebration like Easter
  and Christmas are celebrated here with some of
  the same tradition as in Europe.
• During Easter, you will find the traditional
  Easter chocolate eggs on sale everywhere on the
  island.
• For Christmas, the living room is decorated with
  a Christmas tree and gifts are offered to the
  children.
• The sight of Santa Claus who make his appearance
  in shopping centres everywhere and shops
  decorated with Christmas winter decorations, can
  be quite peculiar under the tropic.  

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Mauritian cuisine

• Culinary traditions from France, India, China and
  Africa have been passed on through generations.
• The story of a Mauritian starting the day with a
  Continental breakfast, followed by an Indian
  lunch and finishing off with a Chinese dinner is
  a common cliché.
• Mauritius has had strong ties with French culture
  throughout its history and was left with a very
  French "savoir vivre".
• The popularity of French dishes like the daube,
  civet de lièvre or coq au vin served with good
  wine show the prevalence of French culture in
  Mauritius even today.
• Some have been adapted to the more exotic
  ingredients of the island to confer some unique
  flavor of Mauritius Spices.

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Tourism

• Mauritius is a popular tourism destination for
  people from around the world.
• FAMOUS PLACES
• Chamarel Falls and the colored earths of Chamarel
  
• Pamplemousses Botanical Garden
• Casela Leisure Park

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Mauritian Economy

• Mauritius has had one of the world's
  fastest-growing economies since the early 1980s
  and is increasingly attracting foreign investors.
  
• Sugarcane is the chief crop, and it is grown on
  90 of the country's arable land. Tea and food
  crops are also grown, and there is a fishing
  industry.
• Textiles and sugar are the major exports.
• In recent years, the country has decreased its
  dependence on sugar, diversified its industrial
  base, and adopted free-trade economic policies.
• High-technology manufacturing, financial
  services, and data processing are growing, and
  tourism is increasingly important.
• The country's chief trading partners are the
  European Union nations and the United States.
• Mauritius is a member of the Southern African
  Development Community.

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Bibliography

• History of Mauritius available
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mauritius
• Photographs yahoo images
• http//www.yahoo.com/

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• Thank You