World Factbook
Mauritius
Republic of Mauritius
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
2,030 sq km
note
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
water
10 sq km
total
2,040 sq 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
Land use
other
37.8% (2023 est.)
forest
19.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
43% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 37.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 3.5% (2023 est.)
Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar
Coastline
177 km
Elevation
lowest point
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point
Mont Piton 828 m
Irrigated land
143 sq km (2022)
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
note
note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Geography - note
the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former home of the extinct dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons
Natural resources
arable land, fish
Area - comparative
almost 11 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
20 17 S, 57 33 E
Population distribution
population density is one of the highest in the world; urban clusters are found throughout the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; the population on Rodrigues Island is fairly evenly spread, with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast, as shown in this population distribution map