Countries of the Commonwealth:
Mauritius
Common facts:
The island lies in the Indian Ocean, in a subtropical zone east of Madagascar and in the south-east of the African coast. Mauritius is an independant republican state that includes several offshore islands(Rodrigues in the east, for example).The country is influenced by many nationalities, the most of which have indian roots, so 50% of the population are Hindus and the Chritian belief is, similarly to the muslim religion, only at a low percentage.
The island´s countryside offers ideal conditions for the growing of sugar, as well as tea, and these two products (which claim 85 % of agricultural area) are the most important economical source of the republic.
The English common law and the Code Napoleon are building the base for the legal system. Highest judical authority in the country is represented by the Supreme Court. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet are forming the executive branch.
History
1638 : Mauritius is colonised by Dutch Settlers
1715: France claimed Mauritius as a colony.
1721: French settlers came to Mauritius
1767 "The Isle de France"(its name in this time) was administred by the French East India Company.In this time lots of slaves were brought to Mauritius, caused by the near african continent.
The official language is English. Besides Creole, French and English, seven Oriental languages are spoken in Mauritius. Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telegu, Gujurati and Sanskrit are all of Indian origin. The most widespread Indian language is Bhojpuri. There are also two languages of Chinese origin, Hakka and Cantonese. English is the official language of Mauritius, while French is considered as the language of the elite, and the major (online) newspapers are in French ("Le Qoutidien", "Le Mauricien"and "L'Express")
