MAURITIUS, ma-rish'i-fis (named in honor of Maurice of Nassau), formerly ILE DE FRANCE, A British island in the Indian Ocean, 530 miles east of Madagasear, bet wom longitudes and 58' E., and latitudes 19' and 20' S. (Map: Af rica, K 71. Its area is 71)5 square miles. The coasts are low except at three points where the mountains reach them. The surface rises in the interior to a plateau, surmounted by three groups of mountains with other outlying eleva tions. Extinct craters testify to the volcanic. origin of the island. which, however, is fringed with coral reefs. The highest peaks are Piton de la IZivii?re Noire (2711 feet ) and Ponce (21150 feet). The coasts. although well indented, :ire difficult of access on account of the numerous reefs by \Odell they are surrounded. The rivers are short and unlit for navigation. Thi• climate is considerably tempered by the moun tainous character of the island. The only good harbor is Port Louis, on the northwest eoast, which is sheltered by coral reefs. There is about 10' difference between the temperature in this interior and that of the cost regions. The mean annual temperature at Port. Louis. the capital and largest town, is about E. The island has suffered considerably from hurricanes and fever epidendes. The present flora is almost entirely foreign. although some of the plants were intro duced so long ago that they have come to lie con sidered indigenous. The fauna of .1111111-it111s, never very extensive. has been still more impoverished by the almost total destruction of the once mag nificent forests, which have been replaced with plantations. Most of the domest iv animals are of foreign origin. Among the extinct species may be mentioned the dodo (q.v.) and several other birds whose inability to fly was the cause of their early extermination. Mauritius has a fer, tile although somewhat stony soil, adapted for the cultivation of the chief tropical products.
Cane sugar has been the staple of the island for is very long period, and it is mainly by the sugar crop that the economic condition of the island is determined. Formerly nearly all the export sugar went to Europe, but this outlet has been largely closed in recent years by the competition of European beet sugar. If the East Indian markets had not been opened in the last decade of the nineteenth century, the sugar industry would have been ruined. Other products of minor im portance are cereals, cotton, pepper, indigo, drugs, and tea. The commerce of :Mauritius is chiefly with Great Britain and the British colonies. The annual value of the total commerce during 1895 ;)N fluctuated between 44.000,000 rupees and 51. 000,000 rupees, the exports usually exceeding the imports by several million rupees. Of exports to
the value of 24,745.000 rupees for 1899, over 23, 000,1100 rupees represented sugar, and the rest rum, vanilla, aloe fibre, and cocoanuts. The chief imports are cotton goods, provisions. coal, machinery, and fertilizers. The chief article of export from Mauritius to the United States is sugar. Port Louis is connected by steamship lines with Madagascar, RCamion, and British India. It is to the great advantage of the colony that nearly all vessels between Europe and India via the Cape of Good Hope touch at Port Louis. The colony has railroad lines along the west and north coasts and crossing the island from east to west, with a total length of 105 miles.
Together with the Rodrigues, Cargados, Cha gos, and Oil Islands, etc.. Mauritius forms a Crown colony of Great Britain, which is ad p blistered by a Governor, assisted by an execu tive council of five members and a legislative council of twenty-seven, including ten members elected on a property qualification. The repre sentative form of government was introduced in 1885. Primary education is mostly provided by the Government. The population of Mauritius. according to the census of 1891, was 371,655; according to that of 1901, 378,195, consisting chiefly of African races and some ('hinese. The European population is mostly French. Port Louis (q.v.) had a population of 52,740 in 1901.
Mauritius was discovered by the Portuguese in 1505 and remained in their possession until 1598, \viten it wan ceded to the Dutch, who it its present name. Aside from erecting a fort at Grand Port, one of the smaller trading ports. the Dutch did no more for the settlement of the island than their predecessors. and finally aban doned it in 1710. The island was soon taken over by the French and under their rule began to develop. especially during the second half of the eighteenth century. During the war between France and England at the beginning of the nine teenth century., the island was captured by Eng land and was formally ceded by France in 1814. Consult: Martin, The British Possessions in -I f /Ica. Vol. iv. IL011(1011, 1834); Sta tistique Maurice ct sus dependanees (Mauritius, 1889 ) ; Epinay, net/wig/Jew en Is pour serrir 6 l'histoirc de rile de Prune(' (-Mauritius, 1s90) ; Decot ter, Geographic de Maurice ct de sea th'pendances (Mauritius, 1891) : Chalmers, .1 History of Currency in the British Colonies (Lon don. 1S93) ; Anderson. The Sugar Industry of Mauritius (London, 1899) ; Keller, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Other East African Islands (Lon don, 1000) ; The Mauritius Annuaire (Mauritius, annual) ; Annual Colonial Reports (London) ; The Mauritius Civil List ( Port Louis, semi-an nual).