SUCCESSES IN SOCIAL INTEGRATION
Mauritius
Mauritius is a multiracial society that has made determined
efforts to maintain its cultural diversity-while promoting equal
opportunities for all through a strong social programme.
Mauritius had no indigenous population, so when the French
colonized the island, they enslaved labour from Mrica and neighbouring
Madagascar to work the sugar plantations. After the
abolition of slavery, landowners brought in indentured workers
from China and the Indian subcontinent. The legacy of these
waves of immigrants is a diverse mixture of ethnic groups.
According to the 1990 census, the population was 51% Hindu,
16% Muslim and 2% Sino-Mauritian-the remaining 31% included
those of Franco-Mauritian, Mrican or mixed descent.