Mauritius Geography

Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands. This archipelago was formed in a series of undersea volcanic eruptions 8-10 million years ago. The island of Mauritius itself is formed around a central plateau, with its highest peak in the southwest, Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire at 828 meters. Around the plateau, the original crater can still be distinguished from several mountains.

The local climate on the island of Mauritius 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. Anti-cyclones affect the country during May to September. Cyclones affect the country during November-April. Hollanda (1994) and Dina (2002) were the worst two last cyclones to have affected the island.

Overall, the geography on Mauritius is typical of many islands in Africa with a hot climate, some bad cyclones, lots of fish, and very mountainous in the interior. All of this though, makes Mauritius a great place to see.

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