MAP OF THE ISLAND

NIGHT LIFE in Mauritius

Home Origins of the island General Information Facts Entry Formalities Flaura Marine Life Beaches Places of interest Museums Island Cruises Deep Sea Fishing Scuba Diving Golf in Mauritius Health & Spas Mauritius Festivals Night Life Weddings & Honeymoons Map of Mauritius Mauritus travel guide		There is plenty of life in Mauritius at night. Most of the large hotels provide a wealth of entertainment, one of the most popular events staged on the poolside or even on the beach is Sega dancing. This is a spectacular show performed by girls in colourful costumes who sway their hips to the accompaniment of drums, tambourines and coconut rattles. The rhythm is of African origin. Fashion shows are often staged and provide an opportunity for beautiful models to present eastern fashions. Some hotels hold theme evenings when, for example, Indian food is prepared by the hotel's catering staff assisted by local Indian villagers using traditional cooking methods. There are nine casinos on the island, a theatre in Port Louis city centre, a cinema with three studios in Le Caudan Waterfront and a variety of bars and night clubs all over the island.

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Mauritius (môrĭsh'ēəs, –əs) , officially Republic of Mauritius, republic (2005 est. pop. 1,231,000), 790 sq mi (2,046 sq km), in the SW Indian Ocean. It is part of the Mascarene Islands, c.500 mi (800 km) E of Madagascar. The island of Rodriguez and two groups of small islands, Agalega and Cargados Carajos, are dependencies of Mauritius. The capital is Port Louis.
Land, People, and Government

Mauritius is surrounded by coral reefs. A central plateau is ringed by mountains of volcanic origin, which rise to c.2,700 ft (820 m) in the southwest. The island has a tropical, rainy climate. Mauritius is divided into nine districts.

Over two thirds of the population are of Indian descent, and over 25% are creole (of mixed French and African background). There are also small Chinese and French communities. More than half the people are Hindu, about 30% are Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), and most of the remainder are Muslim. English is the official language, and a creole language is widely spoken; other languages include French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, and Bojpoori.

Mauritius is a parliamentary democracy governed under the constitution of 1968, as amended in 1992. The president, who is the chief of state, is elected by the national assemby for a five-year term. The prime minister, who is the head of government, is appointed by the president, as is the council of ministers. The unicameral legislature consists of a 70-seat national assembly; 68 members are elected and, and eight, representing ethnic minorities, are appointed by the president.