LITERESI BILENG AVANSE - boukie banane

typical Creole island, as defined above. Today it is known as a multiracial, multicultural and multilingual
country.
Mauritius is also known as the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean because before the opening of the Suez Canal
in 1869, ships from Europe had to round the Cape of Good Hope on their way to India and upon entering the
Indian Ocean needed a port of call for fresh water, food and repairs. The island could offer that.
The strategic location of Ile de France in the Indian Ocean was a real asset to the French. History has it that
during the Napoleonic wars Ile de France was used as a base from where French corsairs mounted successful
raids on British commercial ships sailing between Europe and the East. According to historians, “The
Napoleonic period was a period of bitter rivalry between French and English forces to control the Indian
Peninsula. Ile de France had a strategic position because of its good labour. It was the port of call of the French
naval forces fighting the British in the Indian Ocean. ... Moreover almost everything could be obtained from Ile
de France. Merchant ships therefore stopped going to India, which proved detrimental to trade in India.” The
island had become a trading post.
The British took over the island in 1810. The strategic and commercial importance of Mauritius declined
dramatically in 1869 when the Suez Canal, "The Highway to India", was opened. Mauritius remained a British
colony until independence in 1968. Is it still the star and key?
After a short period of hard times due to high birth rate and dependence on one cash crop (sugar), the
economy was diversified and some prosperity was experienced through tourism and manufacturing. Further
innovations and the development of new fields of activities such as the seafood hub, financial services, freeport
and offshore activities, and ICT have helped Mauritius to move from a low income economy to a middleincome
one. Its ambition now is to move further up and it will succeed because it is still the star and key. A
suitable time zone has enabled the development of new ICT businesses. While western capitalism is facing
serious difficulties, BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are offering Mauritius new
development possibilities. Three of these countries are 'neighbours'. They are South Africa, India and China
with whom we have more than just business ties. As a consequence, that little dot on the Indian Ocean map
has become the hyphen which connects Africa and Asia making of Mauritius the Africa-Asia connection. And
that is good for those interested in doing business with both Africa and Asia.
But geography is only one side of the picture. We need to understand the place of nurture as opposed to
nature to get the full picture. A mixed economy blended with social-democratic policies, the firm belief that
market forces should not be allowed to dictate everything, an unswerving faith in a welfare state have also
helped to chart a course where prosperity and general happiness are not at loggerheads. When Kovils, Shivalas,
Mosques, Churches, Pagodas and Temples stand side by side in mutual respect some kind of tolerance is
generated because the foundation of cultural dialogue has been laid. Most interesting in the culture field is the
language situation. A dozen languages from different lands have survived and a new one has developed and
now has its roots deep into the heart of the republic. It is our National Language, Mauritian, also known as
Mauritian Creole. For those who don't know it, a creole language is one which is born out of the contact, clash
and collision of two or more languages. In its initial stage it is called a pidgin, a very simple mode of
communication. With time it grows into a creole when it becomes the mother tongue of a new generation. This
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