Republic of Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius République de Maurice  (French) Repiblik Moris  (Mauritian creole)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" (Latin) "Star and Key of the Indian Ocean"
Anthem: Motherland
Islands of the Republic of Mauritius on the globe excluding the Chagos Archipelago and Tromelin island
Islands of the Republic of Mauritius labelled in black; Tromelin and Chagos archipelago are claimed by Mauritius.
Capital and largest city	Port Louis 20°10′S 57°31′E / 20.167°S 57.517°E / -20.167; 57.517
Official languages	Nonea
Vernacular languages	English French Mauritian Creoleb
Other languages	List c Arabic Bhojpuri Chinese (Hokkien, Hakka and Mandarin) Hindi Marathi Sanskrit Tamil Telugu Urdu
Religion	51.9% Hinduism 31.4% Christianity 15.3% Islam 0.4% Buddhism 1% others
Demonym	Mauritian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Ameenah Gurib
• Prime Minister	Pravind Jugnauth
Legislature	National Assembly
Independence from the United Kingdom
• Constitution of Mauritius	12 March 1968
• Republic	12 March 1992
Area
• Total	2,040 km2 (790 sq mi) (179th)
• Water (%)	0.07
Population
• July 2016 estimate	1,348,242 (156th)
• 2011 census	1,236,817
• Density	618.24/km2 (1,601.2/sq mi) (19th)
GDP (PPP)	2016 estimate
• Total	$23.322 billion
• Per capita	$18,728 (66th)
GDP (nominal)	2016 estimate
• Total	US$13.551 billion
• Per capita	US$11,004 (68th)
Gini (2012)	35.9 medium
HDI (2014)	0.777 high · 63rd
Currency	Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Time zone	MUT (UTC+4)
• Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Drives on the	left
Calling code	+230
ISO 3166 code	MU
Internet TLD	.mu
The constitution only mentions that in parliament English is official and French can be used. The mother tongue of Mauritians (2011 Census). These ancestral languages are mostly used in music, religious and cultural activities.

Coordinates: 20°12′S 57°30′E / 20.2°S 57.5°E / -20.2; 57.5

Mauritius (ⁱ/məˈrɪʃəs/; French: Maurice), officially the Republic of Mauritius (French: République de Maurice), is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of the African continent. The country includes the island of Mauritius, Rodrigues [560 kilometres (350 mi) east], and the outer islands (Agaléga, St. Brandon and two disputed territories). The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues (172 km (107 mi) southwest) form part of the Mascarene Islands, along with nearby Réunion, a French overseas department. The area of the country is 2,040 km². The capital and largest city is Port Louis. Mauritius was a British colonial possession from 1810 to 1968, the year of its independence. The government uses English as the main language.