Geography of Mauritius

Mauritius is an island off Africa's southeast coast located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It is geologically located within the Somali plate.

Statistics
Area (includes Agaléga, Cargados Carajos (St. Brandon), and Rodrigues): total: 2,011 km2 land: 2,030 km2 water: 10 km2 note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (St. Brandon), and Rodrigues.

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nmi continental shelf: 200 nmi or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire 828 m

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use: arable land: 38.24% permanent crops: 1.96% other: 59.80% (2011)

Irrigated land: 212.2 km2 (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 2.75 km3 (2011)

Environment - current issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs, overfishing (Mauritius), sea wreck pollution (Cargados Carajos Shoals), Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by foreign, primarily Taiwanese commercial vessels and Mauritian Fishing Cooperatives, invasive alien species, illegal net fishing in the St. Brandon Lagoon by unlicenced, non resident fishing operators.

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

Geography - note: The main island is from which the country derives its name, former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species.

Table of Islands
notes: excludes Tromelin and other îles éparses

Climate
The local climate is tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; there is a warm, dry winter from May to November and a hot, wet, and humid summer from November to May. Anticyclones affect the country during May to September.

Cyclones affect Mauritius during November–April. Hollanda (1994) and Dina (2002) were the worst two of the more recent cyclones to have affected the island.

Terrain
The country's landscape consists of a small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling a central plateau. Mauritius is almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards. The main island is of volcanic origin.

The mountains with the greatest prominence include:

Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire, 828 m, the highest point of the island

Le Morne Brabant, 556 m

Tourelle de Tamarin, 563 m

Corps de Garde, 720 m, prominence 382 m

Le Pouce, 820 m, prominence 352 m

Pieter Both, 820 m, prominence 229 m

Montagne Cocotte, 780 m

Extreme points
This is a list of the extreme points of Mauritius, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.
 * Northernmost point – Tappe à Terre, North Island, Agaléga Islands
 * Easternmost point – Trou d’Argent, Rodrigues Island
 * Southernmost point - Le Gris Gris, Savanne District, Mauritius
 * Westernmost point - North West Point, North Island, Agaléga Islands