Mauritius

 


Did you know that Mauritius was home to the dodo, before it became extinct? You can find out more about this beautiful tropical island below, or scroll to the bottom of the page for our Mauritius flag printables and flag colouring page.

A view over Mauritius
A view over Mauritius

A Little Geography...

  • The Republic of Mauritius is a tropical island in the Indian Ocean. It is over 2,000km from South Africa and 800 km from the eastern coast of Madagascar.
  • Mauritius is surrounded by around three hundred and thirty kilometres of coast, which is protected by almost continuous coral reefs. 
  • Sugarcane is the main crop on the island although offshore banking and tourism are important industries.
  • Around 1.2 million people live in the country. 150,000 people live in Port Louis, the capital city.
  • Scientists believe the island was formed around nine million years ago when an undersea volcano erupted.

A Little History...

  • The Portuguese explored the island but found no inhabitants in the early 16th century.
  • The first settlers were Dutch, blown off course by a cyclone on the way to the Spice Islands. They named the island after Prince Maurice of Nassau and settled on the island in 1638, but abandoned it in 1710.
  • In 1715 the French claimed the island as a colony and renamed it Isle de France.
  • Just under a hundred years later, in 1810, the British took over the island during the Napoleonic wars, and ruled until 1968 when the island became independent.
  • Mauritius became a republic in 1992.

Port Louis, capital of Mauritius
Port Louis, capital of Mauritius

And Some Interesting Facts...

  • A melting pot of religions and cultures including French, Creole and Indian, Mauritius celebrates all sorts of festivals, from Diwali to Chinese New Year.
  • Mauritius is famous for luxury hotels, such as the one which features rooms built on an islet with a bridge to the main hotel and a golf course on an island!
  • Deep sea fishing is popular, as the deep water teems with tuna and sharks. A blue marlin weighing 1,430 pounds was caught recently.
  • Mauritians love to dance to sega music, made with a triangle, a maravane or pebble filled box and goatskin drum called ravane.
  • The Mauritius kestrel was the world's rarest bird when only 4 existed in the 1970's. Fortunately, careful conservation has seen numbers recover to 350.
  • The dodo, a large flightless bird, was unique to Mauritius until hunted to extinction in 1662. It is remembered as a character in "Alice in Wonderland".
  • Pierre Poivre, the Peter Piper from nursery rhymes, really existed! He imported spices such as nutmeg to Mauritius but they failed to grow.

The Flag of Mauritius

Flag of Mauritius

The national flag of Mauritius, also known as the Four Stripes or, in French, Les Quatre Bandes, was adopted in 1968, when Mauritius became independent. There are four equal horizontal stripes in red, blue, yellow, and green, representing bloodshed (during slavery), the Indian Ocean, the light of independence and sunshine, and the lush vegetation of the island.


A Day In Mauritius Diary

A Day In Mauritius Diary

Use this diary template to write about a day living in Mauritius - you might need to do a little research first!

Climate Of Mauritius Worksheet

Climate Of Mauritius Worksheet

The kids will enjoy this climate worksheet with a twist! Can they find out what the weather is doing in Mauritius today, then present the information in the style of a weather app?

Culture In Mauritius Worksheet

Culture In Mauritius Worksheet

Ask the kids to do a little research about culture in Mauritius and record what they find on this handy worksheet! We've got two versions to choose from, blank or with lines.

Food From Mauritius Worksheet

Food From Mauritius Worksheet

Find out about the different types of food grown and eaten in Mauritius, then draw a picture of a typical meal eaten in Mauritius on the plate. Do you think you'd enjoy the meal?

Introduction to Mauritius

Introduction to Mauritius

Learn a little about Mauritius with our simple introduction! Then maybe try some of our fun activities and worksheets about this country...

Mauritius Coat Of Arms Worksheet

Mauritius Coat Of Arms Worksheet

We have two worksheets all about the interesting Mauritius coat of arms! Both worksheets ask the children to find out some details about the coat of arms, and the second worksheet also asks them to design a new coat of arms and to explain their design...

Mauritius Facts Poster

Mauritius Facts Poster

The very colourful flag of Mauritius stands out on this bright facts poster, which also lists 7 key facts...

Mauritius Factsheet

Mauritius Factsheet

This simple factsheet is a great introduction to studying Mauritius, and it also includes a map and the national flag too...

Mauritius National Flower Colouring Page

Mauritius National Flower Colouring Page

Enjoy colouring in the beautiful Trochetia Boutoniana (Boucle d'Oreille), the national flower of Mauritius. 

Fun Fact: Boucle d'oreille means earring in French!

Mauritius on Map of Africa

Mauritius on Map of Africa

Learn about the location of Mauritius within the continent of Africa with the help of our useful map.

Mauritius Picture Gallery

Mauritius Picture Gallery

The kids can use this fun picture gallery to draw some pictures of Mauritius. A fun activity if you're learning about different countries!

Mauritius Postcard 1

Mauritius Postcard 1

Mauritius looks like a lovely place to visit! Can the children pretend they are staying there and write a postcard to someone back home telling them all about it?

Mauritius Postcard 2

Mauritius Postcard 2

Draw your own picture on this postcard of Mauritius (with some nice palm trees, perhaps?), and write about what it might be like there too, with this fun postcard template.

Mauritius Poster 1

Mauritius Poster 1

Bring a bit of paradise to your classroom display with this poster of beautiful Mauritius.

Mauritius Poster 2

Mauritius Poster 2

Here's a poster featuring the outline of Mauritius filled with the colourful national flag. We have similar posters for other Commonwealth countries, so why not display a few together?

Mauritius Story Paper

Mauritius Story Paper

Use this lovely story paper to write about Mauritius - perhaps you've been lucky enough to visit there and can write about your holiday, or you could write a creative story instead...

Mauritius Study Pack

Mauritius Study Pack

We've got all your Mauritius study material covered! From wordsearches to quizzes, geography to history - this fun pack has tons of activities to choose from!

Mauritius Tourist Leaflet

Mauritius Tourist Leaflet

Can the kids write about what there is to see and do in Mauritius and design their own tourist leaflet? A great activity for practising persuasive writing - simply print and fold on the dotted lines to make a three-fold leaflet.

Mauritius Travel Brochure Worksheet

Mauritius Travel Brochure Worksheet

The kids will need to do a little research about Mauritius then practise their persuasive writing skills for this travel brochure worksheet. Can they encourage people to visit Mauritius by writing some interesting text (and drawing a picture too)?

Mauritius Word Search

Mauritius Word Search

Can the kids find the 15 words or phrases all to do with Mauritius, that are hidden in the grid on this wordsearch?

Mauritius Worksheet

Mauritius Worksheet

This location and fact worksheet is a great place to start off your studies on Mauritius. 

Packing For Mauritius Worksheet

Packing For Mauritius Worksheet

Packing for trips and holidays is an important life skill, and these packing worksheets are a great way to get the kids thinking about what they'd need to take to various countries! Can they draw or write down the items they would need for a trip to Mauritius?

Wildlife Of Mauritius Worksheet

Wildlife Of Mauritius Worksheet

Mauritius has around 691 species of plants out of which 273 species are endemic to the island, which means they are found nowhere else in the world. Draw or write about them here, or cut and paste some pictures, then research the animals found on Mauritius and record your results here too...

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