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The
culture of Mauritius shows a unique blend of a number
of cultures, beginning from Indian to Portuguese.
The
people of Mauritius are the have origins mainly in the
Indian subcontinent, continental Africa, Madagascar,
France, England, China.
This also has an effect on the cultures in mauritius.
It is especially seen in the food,
language and way of living.
Cuisine
The Mauritian cuisine has a strong Indian, Creole,
Chinese and European influence.
The island is full of
restaurants selling such cuisines.
Also, the locals
love indulging in such food.
Language
Many languages are spoken in Mauritius.
The French took over the island from the Dutch settlers (notorious for having eaten the Dodos down to the very last!) around 1715.
The French brought over slaves from Africa (particularly from Senegal, Guinea, Mozambique and Madagascar) to work in the sugar-cane plantations.
The Mauritian Creole, now in quasi-universal use on the island, probably evolved during those years as some sort of lingua franca between slaves
and masters.
This once again
goes on to show the mixed culture of Mauritius English
is the official language of Mauritius, though French
is also quite popular.
Mauritian Creole, which is derived
from French, is broadly spoken in Mauritius.
The other
languages spoken here include Arabic and Portuguese.
Many Indian languages are also spoken here like Urdu,
Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati.
Certain dialects of Chinese like Cantonese, Hakka and
Mandarin are also spoken.
Religion
Religion is given a lot of importance in Mauritius
as well. More than fifty percent of the population follow
Hinduism.
Other religions are also practiced in Mauritius
like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism.
Indian, Chinese and African cultures converge together to make up the colorful, vibrant culture of Mauritius that is replete with some of the most fascinating and years-old customs and traditions.
Each aspect of Mauritian culture-its cuisine, religions, festivals, language and literature is a living proof of the myriad Asia, African and Western influences.
Worldtravel4indians.com offers information on the cultures in mauritius and other details of Mauritius.
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