Mauritius (Moris in Créole), formerly the Isle of France and Île Maurice in French, is the main island of the nation of Mauritius. It is located in the southwest of the Indian Ocean, in the heart of the Mascarene Islands, between Réunion to the west and Rodrigues to the east. The population is approximately 1.2 million inhabitants and is divided into several communities. The majority of Mauritians are crossbred with Indian (65.8% ) or Creole or mestizo (27.7%) origins. There is also a minority of mulattoes, "white Mauritius" (2%), and Sino-Mauritians (3%). Muslim Mauritians are either Indian or Arab-Indian origin.
The capital of Mauritius is Port Louis, located in the northwest of the island. Mauritian Creole is spoken on the island, as well as French and English.
The religion in Mauritius is of a Hindu and Tamil majority (50%), with Muslim (20%), Christian (15%), and Buddhist (2%) minorities, but there is no official religion in view of the diversity of the population.
Coordinates: 20°17′S 57°34′E / 20.283°S 57.567°E