Mauritius is a densely populated island of around 1.2 million people. It is a plural society where all the ethnic groups present: Hindus, Muslims, Creoles, Chinese and Europeans live in peace and where all the ancestral cultures have been preserved. These features make the island a unique place in the world.

Most Mauritians are bilingual being equally fluent in French and English. English is the official language, but French and Creole are widely spoken. Oriental languages also form part of the linguistic mosaic.

--------- Some Statistics ---------

Population is now estimated to 1,210,492 (July 2001)
Nationality: Mauritian(s)
Ethnic Divisions: 68% Indo-Mauritian, 27% Creole, 3% Sino-Mauritian, 2% Franco-Mauritian
Religions: 52% Hindu, 28.3% Christian (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%) 16.6% Muslim,
3.1% Other
Languages: English is the official language. Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Population growth rate: 0.90% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 16.4 births/1000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 7.0 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.0 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: male:68.9 years & female:73.95 years (2001 est.)
Labor force: 542,000 by occupation: government services 29%, agriculture & fishing 25%, manufacturing 24%, other 22%