Johny, SM6JBC is currently active from Mauritius Island (IOTA AF-049) as 3B8JB.
He is working on HF Bands.
His QTH will be Flic en Flac, west coast of Mauritius.
QTH Locator - LG89qr.
QSL via home call.
Ads for direct QSL:
Johnny Berg, Trumpetgata 1, SE-543 36 TIBRO, Sweden.
Mauritus
The most developed of the Mascarene Islands, Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean. It is formed around a central plateau which is about 600 meters above sea level and stretches sixty-one kilometers long and forty-six kilometers wide.
The country includes the island of Mauritius, the archipelago of Saint Brandon, and the islands of Agalega. Although mountainous in nature, Mauritius doesn’t actually have very high mountains.
On 12 March 1968, Mauritius became an independent state, following the adoption of a new constitution. In 1992, it became a republic within the Commonwealth.
The country’s capital city is Port Louis, which also happens to be the largest city.
It was discovered in early 1500 by Portuguese explorer and has undergone the rule of the French and British.
Geographical Aspects
Mauritius with its total land mass of 1,865 square kilometers is located approximately 2,000 km (1,242 miles) off the southeast coast of the African continent. Almost the entire coastline is surrounded by a ring of coral reefs.
The islands that comprise the country are the Agalega islands(approximately 1,000km north of Mauritius), the island of Rodrigues( approximately 560km to the east) and Saint Brandon(approximately 430km to the northeast of the country)
The country’s highest peak which is found to the southwest of the island is the mountain of Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire which stretches for approximately 828 meters. Though not quite a mountainous country, Mauritius is surrounded by a broken ring of mountain ranges.
The country boasts of a number of streams and rivers of which quite a number of them were formed as a result of old and new lava forms in the crevices between. It also comprises of two natural lakes of which both are crater lakes. In addition, there is only one man-made reservoir on the island.
Climatic conditions
Typically, Mauritius boasts of a tropical climate in the coastal regions while the mountainous areas are majorly made up of forests. The country experiences two seasons: the months of June to September make for a relatively cool dry winter with average temperatures of 20.4 °C; the months from November to April however make for a warm humid summer with average temperatures of 24.7 °C.
The months of January and February are the warmest months while the months of July and August are the more cool months. October if the driest month while February and March are the wettest months. The island does experience a long term mean annual rainfall of approximately 2010m.
The east side of the island tends to be cooler thanks to the prevailing trade winds. As a result, these parts also tend to have a lot more rain.
Language
The most commonly spoken languages to the country are English and French. There is no mention of an official language according to the Mauritian Constitution. Other languages to the country include Asian languages(which tend to be used in religious activities), creole(which is used as a mother tongue), Hindi, Arabic, Hakka Chinese, Bhojpuri, Sansktit, Marathi, Telugu, Urdu and Tamil
Religion
Approximately 48.5% of the population practices Hinduism, hence making it the major religion. Other religions include: Christianity (32.7%), Islam(17.3%), Buddhism(0.4%) and other religions taking on the rest of the percentage.
As a country, Mauritius is a secular state hence it is a constitutional right to have freedom of religion.
Culture
Mauritius is renowned for Sega music, while zouk, reggae, and soukous are also common place. The cuisine to the region is majorly seafood.
Interesting facts about Mauritius
- Mauritius is the most densely populated country in Africa and the 17th most densely populated country in the world.
- The island was formed as a result of volcanic activity in the Indian Ocean
- With regards to all developing countries, the country has the highest life expectancy at 73 years.
- The last people to rule the country were the British before it gained its independence on 12th March 1968.
- The legendary dodo bird, which is the national bird of Mauritius, was only in Mauritius before it became extinct.
- Over 40% of the country’s population call its capital city, Port Louis home. The city is also the main seat of economic activity.
- Mauritius was created by underwater volcanic eruptions and the first people to discover it were the Portuguese.
- Mauritius is a tourist haven beckoning thousands of visitors to come explore its beauty annually. The country is blessed with a bewitching beauty comprising of white sandy beaches, turquoise colored clear ocean waters and a beautiful sun.
- No standing army is maintained in Mauritius.
- The country is home to a number of unique species of plant and animal life.
- It is considered polite by a number of countries to receive gifts with both their hands, Mauritians on the other hand prefer receiving things with the right hand only.
- No wild animals are present on the island. In fact, even the snakes that are found on the island are nor poisonous in nature.
- Sugarcane is the country’s top money earner. As such, it is planted on approximately 90% of the country’s arable land.
- The ocean water temperature on the island is kept lower than that in the high seas thanks to the coral reefs that surround it. In addition, they also help protect tourists from shark attacks and attacks from jellyfish and other aquatic animals.
- Mauritius derives its name from Maurice de Nassau, a prince of the Orange principality, a former feudal state of Provence.
- The “seven colored earth” in chamarel attracts many a tourist owing to the fact that sand in this place is found in seven different colors within a very small space
- Several times a year, Mauritius does face the brunt cyclonic storms owing to its location in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
- Different races of people such as the Muslims, Hindus, and creoles call Mauritius home
- Largely spoken languages to the country are French, English, Creole, and Bhojpuri
