Mauritius Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates

20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 2,040 sq km

land: 2,030 sq km

water: 10 sq km

note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

Area - comparative

almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

177 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Climate

tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Elevation

highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Land use

agricultural land: 43.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 38.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 3.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 17.3% (2018 est.)

other: 38.9% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

158 sq km (2020)

Population distribution

population density is one of the highest in the world; urban clusters are found throughout the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast as shown in this population distribution map

Natural hazards

cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Geography - note

the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

NOTE: The information regarding Mauritius on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mauritius 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritius 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.