ABSTRACT
A small volcanic island nation in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is located about 800 kilometres east of Madagascar off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is some 2,000 kilometres from Durban, 1,800 kilometres from Mombassa and 4,700 kilometres from Bombay. Most Mauritians are descended from people who came to the island as slaves or workers; about two-thirds of them are of Indian ancestry.
