Physical Alteration and Destruction of Habitats (PADH) in Mauritius

The Republic of Mauritius consists of a main island, Mauritius (20º17’ S, 57º33 E), and a group of small islands in the South West Indian Ocean namely Rodrigues, the Cargados Carajos, Agalega, Tromelin and the Chagos Archipelago. The total land area amounts to 2040 km2 whilst the marine exclusive economic zone covers an area of about 1.9 M km2 extending from 100 S to 200 S and from longitude 550 E to 750 E. The main island Mauritius is 1865 km2 in area, volcanic in origin and consisting of a central plateau (mean elevation 300-400 m) surrounded by mountain ranges and plains.