This is Mauritius [antikvár]

Mauritius Profile The first view the air traveller has of Mauritius is of an emerald-green island set in the deep blue of the vast Indian Ocean. Situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, 20° 15' south of the Equator and 57° 35' east, this small pear-shaped island was once an active volcano that formed part of a chain stretching from Réunion in the south to the Seychelles in the north. Over time the original volcano has been severely eroded so that Mauritius today bears little resemblance to the cone shape typically associated with most volcanos. Arab traders first came upon the island in the 10th century, but they did not stay and so the island remained forgotten behind a curtain of ignorance until the beginning of the 1 500s when it was discovered by the Portuguese during their epic voyages of discovery. They, in turn, used the island as a victualling stop on their way to Goa and Malacca but did not settle. At the end of that century, the Dutch landed and named the island after Prince Maurice of Nassau. They stayed, intermittently, for a little over a century before they too decided to leave. It was the French, arriving in 1715, who stayed and gave the island its essentially French character and charm. However, as a result of the conflict between the British and French in Europe and the rivalry in their respective trade with India, the British attacked the French garrison stationed on the island and defeated the defenders. From that time until independence in 1 968 the island was administered by the English. The island's present inhabitants are descendents of settlers from Europe, slaves from Africa and Madagascar, and indentured labourers and artisans from Asia, with each racial group bringing its own culture and traditions. These different attributes have, over time, become uniquely blended to create a national harmony which recognizes diversity within a common identity and national character. Today, the island has a population of 1,1 million people which makes Mauritius the most densely populated country per unit area in the world. Since independence, Mauritius has emerged as a successful model of socioeconomic development. After an initial period when the island was gripped in a stranglehold of poverty, high unemployment, a mono-crop (sugar) economy and unsustainable population growth, the economy has been diversified and today manufacturing has become the island's most important industry, followed by sugar production and tourism. Family planning and population development rank high on the country's national agenda and in 1990 it was awarded the Population Award by the United Nations Population Fund. As a result of these achievements the island has full employment and its general standard of living is steadily improving. Nevertheless, it is the natural beauty of the island, its warm all-year-round climate, white beaches, tranquil sea, exciting deep-sea fishing, excellent hotels and friendly people that make Mauritius such an attractive tourist destination.