Anthuriums of Mauritius

The Mauritius Post issued on 1st December 2004 a set of 4 postage stamps on the anthuriums of Mauritius.

The 4 varieties pictured here are of Dutch origin and are of the varieties mostly sold on international markets and, as such, a subsequent share of exports of Mauritius.

Rs2 - Anthurium andreanum var acropolis

Rs8 - Anthurium andreanum var tropical

Rs10 - Anthurium andreanum var paradisio

Rs25 - Anthurium andreanum var fantasia

Rodrigues Regional Assembly

The Mauritius Post issued on October 12th, 2004 a set of 4 postage stamps to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly.  Rodrigues is a dependency of Mauritius and is 560km east of Mauritius, its capital city being Port Mathurin.  In 2006. Rodrigues had 40,000 inhabitants.

Rs2 - Plaine Corail Airport

Rs7 - Eco tourism

Rs8 - Agricultural products

Rs10 - The coat of arms of Rodrigues

The FDC illustrates the birds on Ile aux Cocos which is a designated bird sanctuary.

24th SADC Summit, Mauritius 2004

Mauritius hosted from 7 to 17 August 2004 the 24th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).  To mark this event, the MPL issued 2 commemorative stamps of the Rs2 and Rs50 denominations.

The SADC vision is one of a common future, a future in a regional community that will ensure economic well-being, improvement of the standards of living and quality of life, freedom and social justice and peace and security for the people of Southern Africa.

The SADC mission is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security, so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy.

The Honourable Paul Bérenger, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius (2003-2005) assumed the chairmanship of SADC from August 2004 to August 2005.

The stamps show the logo of the SADC, the Cyber Tower at Ebène and I.T. training sessions.

The 13 member states of SADC are:

Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  SADC headquarters are in Gaborone, Botswana and the working languages are English, French and Portuguese.

Mountains of Mauritius

The mountains of Mauritius are what remain of the immense volcanoes whose summits have exploded or have been swallowed by abysses millions of years ago.  They are of relatively modest height and they command rather than attract attention because of their unusual shapes and often scraggy contours.  The appearance and location of some of the mountains have resulted in some quaint naming by discoverers and travellers giving free rein to their imagination.

The highest mountain of the island is the Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire which stands at 828 metres high.

Rs2 - Le Pouce

Clench your fist with the thumb raised and its upper outline is exactly that of the Pouce Mountain as seen from Port Louis.  The thumb of this petrified giant's hand points to the sky in the Moka Range.  It is very popular amongst hikers and it can be climbed to its highest point of 811 metres from Port Louis, Moka and Saint Pierre.

Rs7 - Corps de Garde

The Corps de Garde Mountain resembles a figure with an impressive nose lying down...on sentry duty.  It is solidly bulky and overlooks Quatre Bornes and Rose Hill.  On a clear dawn the rays of the rising sun reflects a rosy hue on the basaltic rockface, hence, the origin of the name of the town of Rose Hill...

Rs8 - Le Chat et La Souris

The peak of Le Chat et La Souris as the name conjures, bears a strange resemblance to a cat subjugating a rat.  It is found in Grand Port Range in the east of Mauritius.

Rs25 - Piton du Milieu

The Piton du Milieu as the name implies simply squats, screwed down firmly, in the centre of the country.  It is striking although not a particularly high finger-like rock of 589 metres located about 7 km east of Curepipe.

The FDC illustrates a map of Mauritius showing the location of the mountains.