PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS
MARCH 23, 2014
First settled by the Dutch in
the 1600’s, then it became a French colony that was later seized by the
British, Mauritius has a fascinating history.
The French brought enslaved Africans here to work in the sugar cane
plantations and the influence of both their cultures are still felt on the
island today. The British freed the
slaves in 1835 but brought in hundreds of thousands of indentured workers from
India and China, and they brought their cultural traditions, food and religion
with them, too. Since Mauritius gained
independence in 1968, it has since become one of Africa’s economic success
stories, driven in large part by its peaceful democracy and its incredible
scenic beauty. The Mauritian capital, Port Louis, has modern flair, but holds
on to its colonial past with graceful French architecture and colorful Hindu
temples.
The volcanic island is located
in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. It is 65 kilometers long and 45
kilometers wide and has over one million twenty five thousand people living
there. Tourism is their biggest economic income. They had 900,000 visitors last
year. They have beautiful beaches on the north and south of the island with
some big resorts. They have a total of 150 hotels. The volcanic mountains are
unique as they are so pointed and craggy and covered in greenery. On tour we were taken to see into the last now inactive volcano. I’ve included
a picture. Their biggest export product is still sugar cane which they export
to Europe. A by-product they keep and make rum.
This island is known for the
Dodo bird. It was a flightless bird but it only lays one egg a year. It was
introduced by the Dutch in 1681. But, it was extinct by 1691.
Volcanic Mountains
Modern office building
Inactive Volcanic basin from the top
No comments:
Post a Comment