In 2002, Mauritius was a small island nation in the Indian Ocean with a population of approximately 1.2 million people. The economy was largely based on tourism and the services sector, although there was also some agriculture and fishing. In terms of infrastructure, the country had relatively good access to roads and telecommunications networks although there was still room for improvement. Education was also relatively good with approximately 90% of the population being literate. According to computerannals, Mauritius had been making progress in recent years in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction. The government had implemented several economic reform measures such as reducing trade tariffs and increasing foreign investment which had helped to boost the country’s economy. In addition, efforts were being made to improve health care services and access to education for all citizens. As a result of these initiatives, Mauritius had achieved a higher standard of living than many other developing countries in the region at that time.

Yearbook 2002

Mauritius. According to Countryaah website, national day of Mauritius is every March 12. Resistance to new and controversial anti-terrorism legislation led to the resignation of President Cassam Uteem in February. Uteem considered that it would give the police great powers, i.e. the right to detain suspected terrorists without giving them the right to contact a lawyer.

Vice President Angidi Chettiar took over, but he also left the presidential post in protest of the law, which was, however, endorsed by Chief Justice Arianga Pillay, who temporarily took over as head of state. Opposition and human rights activists also had objections to the law.

In March, Parliament appointed Karl Offman, a former Labor Minister, as new president. The session was boycotted by about ten MEPs.

September

New protest against the government’s handling of oil spills

September 12

For the second time in a month, thousands of Mauritians gather to protest the government’s handling of the large oil spill from a Japanese tanker (see August 2020). This time the protest is being held in Mahebourg, near the place where the accident took place. According to the police, 25,000 people participate, while the organizers say that they are twice as many.

Mauritius wants Japanese support after the oil spill

2 September

Mauritius is now demanding that Japan pay the equivalent of $ 34 million to support the fishermen hard hit by this summer’s oil spills (see July and August 2020). The money is to go to new boats and training of fishermen as well as to the refurbishment of a center for fisheries research built with the help of Japanese support.

Mauritius Country Overview

Visa
Finnish citizens do not need a visa. The passport must be valid for 6 months after the end of the trip.

• According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, MUS stands for Mauritius.

Vaccinations
In addition to the basic vaccinations, hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for travelers to Mauritius. Check vaccination requirements at your health center or www.rokote.fi.

Insurance
Every person participating in the trip must have a valid travel insurance that covers medical expenses in the event of illness or other similar need. Please check the validity of your own insurance and the terms and conditions of the insurance cancellation cover.

Please pay attention to the special nature of your trip and check the coverage of the insurance in that respect as well. In many locations, the insurance must also be valid when moving at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, in which case it also covers mountain sickness.

Many hiking or diving trips require more extensive insurance, which covers, for example, diving or moving on a glacier. Please check the contents of your insurance with your insurance company.

Climate
Mauritius has a warm and mild climate all year round. The rainy season runs from January to May, in tropical climates rain rains usually occur at night. In January-February, there is the possibility of hurricanes, which, however, is not common. The summer months in Mauritius are from December to April, when the climate is hot and humid.

Travel Seasons
The best time to travel to Mauritius is from June to December. Then it rains a little and the average temperature stays around 25 degrees.

Currency: The currency of Mauritius is the rupee (1 € = 34 MUR). You can take dollars or euros as cash. Currency can be obtained from Finland by booking in advance.

Tips
Mauritius does not generally have a habit of leaving tips. However, in hotels and restaurants you can leave about 10% of the tip if you wish. In resorts, it’s a good idea to leave a tip in a common drip box instead of dropping an individual employee.

Electric current
The electric current in Mauritius is 230 V, 50 Hz. Both European and British plugs are used, so please bring an adapter as well.

Mobile phones
Please check the coverage and prices of your mobile phone with your operator. The area code for Mauritius is +230.