Mauritius
Mauritius – which lies in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar – is a fascinating place to visit. The country comprises the island of Maurice, the island of Rodrigues, and the dependencies of Agalega and St. Brandon. The Republic also claims the Chagos archipelago (currently administered by Great Britain). Though island of Maurice has a population surpassing 1,000,000 souls; whereas the population Rodrigues (the second largest island) hovers around 25,000. While over 70% of the population of Mauritius is of Indian origin, 98% of the population of Rodrigues is of predominantly Malagasy, African and/or mixed Malagasy/African origin. Of primary interest to the BLAC FOUNDATION is the Sega (a dance of African origin) that has become the “National Dance” of the Republic. Other points of interest are: a) Creole cuisine; b) the exiled population of Chagos (a population of predominantly African / Malagasy origin) and their culture; and c) the fascinating Kreol language (a French patois spoken by Creoles and Indian Mauritians alike). For more information about Mauritius, Rodrigues and the displaced population of Chagos see Dr. E. Powe’s The Loreof the African Indian Ocean .
