Customs and traditions
According to Abbreviationfinder, the great mix of cultures and religions in Mauritius is clearly reflected in the customs and customs of the residents. French and British influences have been mixed with Indian and Chinese customs.
Most Mauritians start the day with a typical French breakfast, consisting of coffee and a croissant. The country has a rich kitchen, with influences from Indian, Creole and Chinese food. It is common to buy food from street stalls. Popular dishes are roti, a kind of wheat pancake, and dholl puri, a pancake with mashed beans. Mauritians call tomatoes fries amour (love apples). The country’s tomatoes are smaller than regular tomatoes and more flavorful.
- Countryaah: Overview of the capital city of Mauritius, including information about its population, economy, geography, history and map.
Men usually greet each other by holding hands, while women give each other a cheek kiss. Mauritians of Indian origin greet by bringing palms to each other in front of the chest and nodding their heads slightly. Mauritians do not necessarily look each other straight in the eye when talking to each other.
Gifts should be handed over with the right hand or both hands, not just with the left hand which is considered unclean.
According to Countryaah, important weekends are the day of abolition of slavery (February 1), National Day (March 12), International Labor Day (May 1), First Workers Day (November 2), Christmas Day (December 25), Ramadan and several Chinese and Indian holidays. The phases of the moon determine when the Chinese and Indian festivals, like Ramadan, occur and the dates therefore vary from year to year.
Communications
Mauritius has a well-developed road network. There is a motorway between the capital Port Louis and the international airport in Plaisance. During the period 1996-2006, the number of passenger cars doubled and the trucks increased by one third. To reduce traffic, the government is considering introducing car tariffs and constructing bus files or, alternatively, building a railroad between the major cities on the main island.
The dominant air carrier Air Mauritius is 51 percent owned by the state. The country has good air links with Africa, Europe, Australia and East Asia. A new terminal with the capacity to receive four million passengers annually was opened in 2013 at Plaisance.
The only significant port is in Port Louis. It has been modernized and further developments are planned to allow the port to receive larger vessels.
2012
December
Former Chagos residents are dismissed in the European Court of Justice
The European Court of Human Rights rejects the former Chagos, who turned to the court with their claim to be allowed to move back to the archipelago (see April 2006, May 2008 and December 2010). The European Court of Justice states that the damages agreed by the parties in 1982 constituted an end point for the dispute.
July
Purryag becomes new president
Parliament appoints new Assembly President Rajkeswur Purryag from MLP as new President.
March
President Jugnauth resigns
After a conflict with Prime Minister Ramgoolam, President Jugnauth resigns and instead becomes the leader of a new alliance between MSM and the largest opposition party MMM. The aim is to challenge Ramgoolam and MLP in the 2014 elections.
February
Local elections at Rodrigues
In the election to the local parliament at Rodrigues, the Rodrigue People Organization wins 11 of the 21 seats, while the Rodrigues Movement gets 8 seats and 2 seats go to Rodrigue’s patriotic front. The turnout is just over 81 percent.