Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometres (560 mi) east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius Island is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion 200 km (120 mi) to the southwest and the island of Rodrigues 570 km (350 mi) to the northeast.

The main languages spoken in Mauritius are Mauritian Creole, French and English. English is the only official language but the lingua franca is Mauritian Creole and the newspapers and television programmes are usually in French.The country is composed of several ethnicities, including Asian, African, Chinese and French. The first European explorers found no indigenous people living on the island.

Climate

The local climate is tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; there is a warm, dry winter from May to November and a hot, wet, and humid summer from November to May. Anti-cyclones affect the country during May to September. Cyclones affect the country during November–April. Hollanda (1994) and Dina (2002) were the worst two last cyclones to have affected the island.

Accessibility

By air:
For foreign tourists, this is the best and the most viable option for reaching Mauritius. Many international airlines, including well known carriers like Aeroflot, Air Mauritius, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, and South African Airways, provide air access to Mauritius from major international airports. Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam Air Terminal is the international airport in Mauritius. It is situated approximately 3 kms from Mahebourg, and 48kms from Port Louis. The airport has all the necessary features of an international terminal, including duty free shops, restaurant, bars, bank, and a post office.

By sea:
Being an island situated in the vast Indian Ocean, Mauritius can also be reached by the sea route. Many cruise companies offer luxury cruises to Mauritius from nearby ports like Durban in South Africa. For those who enjoy the sea, there are provisions for catamaran cruises from the island to the nearby island destinations.