Rodrigues

Rodrigues Island is tiny, rugged, and volcanic and it lies over 600 km (385 miles) North-East of Mauritius and is known as the ‘anti-stress' island. It is part of the Republic of Mauritius and its inhabitants are Mauritian citizens. The population is about 41,000. The capital, Port Mathurin, is only seven streets wide, with a Creole population. The main activities Rodrigues offers are hiking, diving, kitesurfing and deep sea fishing.

Rodrigues has been aptly named, in the textbook Geomorphologic Analysis of Mauritius, as a Hill in the Sea. Indeed, Rodrigues, in spite of its small size (100 square km) and low altitude mountains (the highest peak is about 400 m above sea level), is a very hilly place with tortuous roads that go up and down steep mountain sides.

Quick Facts

Capital: Port Mathurin
Government: parliamentary democracy
Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Area: 108 km²
Population: 41,669 (2014)
Language: English (official), Rodriguan Creole, French
Religion: Majority Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists
Electricity: 230V/50Hz (European or UK plug)
Calling Code: +230
Internet TLD: .mu
Time Zone: UTC+4