Geography of Mauritius

Template:Short description Template:Infobox islands Mauritius is an island off Africa's southeast coast located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It is geologically located within the Somali Plate.

Statistics

File:L'île Maurice vue par Sentinel 2 (cropped).jpg

Satellite image of Mauritius

Area (includes Agaléga, Cargados Carajos (St. Brandon), and Rodrigues):
total: 2,011 km²
land: 2,030 km²
water: 10 km²
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (St. Brandon), and Rodrigues.

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: Template:Convert
continental shelf: Template:Convert or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: Template:Convert

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire 828 m

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use:
arable land: 38.24%
permanent crops: 1.96%
other: 59.80% (2011)

Irrigated land: 212.2 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 2.75 km³ (2011)

Environment - current issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs, overfishing (Mauritius), sea wreck pollution<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Cargados Carajos Shoals), Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by foreign, primarily Taiwanese commercial vessels and Mauritian Fishing Cooperatives, invasive alien species, illegal net fishing in the St. Brandon Lagoon by unlicenced, non resident fishing operators.

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

Geography - note: The main island is from which the country derives its name, 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.

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Table of Islands

Template:See also

Island	Capital	Other Cities	Area (km²)	Population
Agalega Islands	Vingt-Cinq	La Fourche, St Rita, Port St James	26.0	290
Cargados Carajos	Île Raphael	Avocaré Island, L'île du Sud, L'Île Coco, L'île du Gouvernement	3.2	63
Islets of Mauritius	Port Louis		1871	1252980
Ile aux Benitiers	Ile aux Benitiers		0.7	10
Ile Aux Cerfs	Le Touessrok Resort		1.2	0
Ile des Deux Cocos	Deux Cocos Resort		0.04	2
Mauritius Island	Port Louis	Beau-Bassin Rose-Hill, Quatre Bornes, Vacoas-Phoenix, Curepipe	1860	1252964
More Mauritius Islands	Ile aux Aigrettes	Ronde Island, Ile de la Passe, Coin du Mire, Ile D’Ambre, Ile Plate, Ilot Gabriel, Grand Port Islets, Ile aux Serpents, Ile de L’Est	8.8	1
Islets of Rodrigues	Port Mathurin		111	38167
Ile Crabe Rodrigues	Port Crabe		0.4	2
Rodrigues Island	Port Mathurin	Gabriel, Riviere Cocos, port south east	109	38164
More Rodrigues Islands	Ile aux Cocos	Ile Fregate, Ile aux Sables, Ile aux Chats, le Hermitage, Ile Gombrani	1.36	1
Mauritius	Port Louis		2011	1291500

notes: excludes Tromelin and other îles éparses

Climate

File:Mauritius2021OSM.png

A comprehensive map of Mauritius, including the country's outlying islands

Situated near the Tropic of Capricorn, Mauritius has a tropical climate. There are 2 seasons: a warm humid summer from November to April, with a mean temperature of Template:Convert and a cooler dry winter from June to September with a mean temperature of Template:Convert. The temperature difference between the seasons is only 4.3Template:Nbsp°C (7.7Template:Nbsp°F). The warmest months are January and February with average day maximum temperature reaching Template:Convert and the coolest months are July and August with average overnight minimum temperatures of Template:Convert. Annual rainfall ranges from Template:Convert on the coast to Template:Convert on the central plateau. Although there is no marked rainy season, most of the rainfall occurs in the summer months. Sea temperature in the lagoon varies from Template:Convert. The central plateau is much cooler than the surrounding coastal areas and can experience as much as twice the rainfall. The prevailing trade winds keep the east side of the island cooler and bring more rain.

Occasional tropical cyclones generally occur between January and March and tend to disrupt the weather for about three days, bringing heavy rain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Anticyclones affect the country during May to September. Hollanda (1994) and Dina (2002) were the worst two recent cyclones to have affected the island.

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Climate change

File:Show Your Stripes change in temperature graphic for All of Mauritius with bars with labels.png

Temperature change in Mauritius, each bar represents the average temperature over that year.

Mauritius is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, facing rising temperatures, sea levels, and more frequent extreme weather events. The island faces stronger tropical cyclones, prolonged droughts, flash floods, landslides, and marine heatwaves which leading to coral bleaching.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref> Coastal erosion, driven by rising sea levels, threatens infrastructure and freshwater supplies.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref> Climate change is also impacting key sectors such as tourism and fisheries, with significant economic consequences.<ref name=":6" /> To adapt, Mauritius is implementing disaster preparedness measures, protecting coastal ecosystems like mangroves, and raising public awareness.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":13">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mauritius contributes approximately 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions.<ref name=":142">Template:Citation</ref> The country has pledged to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to projected levels without intervention, with a goal of reaching net zero by 2070.<ref name=":152">Template:Cite web</ref> As part of its climate change strategy, Mauritius plans to eliminate coal from electricity generation by 2030, reduce landfill waste by diverting 70% of it through a circular economy approach, and increase the share of electric vehicles to 15% by the same year.<ref name=":123">Template:Cite book</ref>

Terrain

The country's landscape consists of a small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling a central plateau. Mauritius is almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards. The main island is of volcanic origin.

The mountains with the greatest prominence include: