Geography Of Mauritius

Location:
Southern Africa , island in the Indian Ocean , east of Madagascar

Geographic Coordinates :

Map references:
World

Area:

''total:''
2,040 km&²

''land:''
2,030 km&²

''water:''
10 km&²

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

Area - comparative:
almost 11 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
177 km

Maritime claims:

''continental shelf:''
200 nm (370 km) or to the edge of the continental margin

''exclusive economic zone:''
200 nm (370 km)

''territorial sea:''
12 nm (22.2 km)

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 extremes:

''lowest point:''
Indian Ocean 0 m

''highest point:''
Mont Piton 828 m

Natural resources:
arable land, fish

Land use:

''arable land:''
49.26%

''permanent crops:''
2.96%

''permanent pastures:''
3%

''forests and woodland:''
22%

''other:''
23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
200 km&² (1998 est.)

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

Environment - current issues:
water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements:

''party to:''
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

''signed, but not ratified:''
none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
The main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs

SEE ALSO

Mauritius

Information About

Geography Of Mauritius