Mauritius is 2,000 km (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of Africa. It is 65 km (40 mi) long and 45 km (30 mi) wide.The island is surrounded by more than 150 km (100 mi) of white sandy beaches, and the lagoons are protected from the open sea by the world's third-largest coral reef, which surrounds the island.
The island of Mauritius is relatively young geologically, having been created by volcanic activity some 8 million years ago. Together with
 Saint Brandon, Réunion, and Rodrigues, the island is part of the Mascarene Islands. These islands emerged as a result of gigantic underwater volcanic eruptions that happened thousands of kilometers to the east of the continental block made up of Africa and Madagascar.
The environment in Mauritius is typically tropical in the coastal regions with forests in the mountainous areas. Seasonal cyclones are destructive to its flora and fauna, although they recover quickly.