Mauritius

American  

[maw-rish-uhs, -rish-ee-uhs] / mɔˈrɪʃ əs, -ˈrɪʃ i əs /

noun

1. an island in the Indian Ocean, E of Madagascar. 720 sq. mi. (1,865 sq. km).

2. a republic consisting of this island and dependencies: formerly a British colony. 809 sq. mi. (2,095 sq. km). Port Louis.

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Mauritius British  

/ məˈrɪʃəs /

noun

1. Former name (1715–1810): Île-de-France.  an island and state in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar: originally uninhabited, it was settled by the Dutch (1638–1710) then abandoned; taken by the French in 1715 and the British in 1810; became an independent member of the Commonwealth in 1968. It is economically dependent on sugar. Official language: English; a French creole is widely spoken. Religion: Hindu majority, large Christian minority. Currency: rupee. Capital: Port Louis. Pop: 1 322 238 (2013 est). Area: 1865 sq km (720 sq miles)

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Other Word Forms

• Mauritian
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mauritius

The UK is reviewing its deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the defence secretary has said.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

According to records reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, three African nations—Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles—rescinded overflight permits they had previously approved for Lai’s chartered flight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

It was the most watched show on Netflix in South Africa and Kenya and made it to the top 10 in Nigeria and Mauritius within the first week of its release.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

In Mauritius, L'Express newspaper reported on Monday that the island nation was also barring foreign travellers from the three countries.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

On other recently discovered islands where protective measures did not go into effect quickly, exterminations did indeed result: one such victim, the dodo of Mauritius, has become virtually a symbol for extinction.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond