Asia. About a quarter of the people are
Creoles. Creoles have a mixture of
white, Asian, and African roots. English
and Creole are the main languages.
People follow Hinduism, Christianity, or
Islam.
Economy
Tourism and banking are important to
the economy. Factories make clothing
and sugar. Crops include sugarcane,
bananas, and vegetables.
History
In 1598 the Dutch arrived on the island.
They named it Mauritius after Maurice
of Nassau, the governor of the Netherlands.
In 1715 France took control. In
1810 Great Britain seized the island.
Mauritius gained independence in 1968.
..More to explore
Indian Ocean • Port Louis
Farmland and low mountains are common
sights in Mauritius.
Facts About
MAURITIUS
Population
(2008 estimate)
1,269,000
Area
788 sq mi (2,040
sq km)
Capital
Port Louis
Form of
government
Republic
Major urban
areas
Port Louis, Beau
Bassin-Rose Hill,
Vacoas-Phoenix,
Curepipe, Quatre
Bornes
80 Mauritius BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mauryan Empire
Before 321 BC the region of India contained
many small kingdoms and territories.
But with the beginning of the
Mauryan Empire that year, many of
those small parts came under one ruler.
At one point the Mauryan Empire
stretched from the Himalayas in the
northeast to what is now Afghanistan in
the northwest. It also reached south,
almost to the tip of India. This unity of
territory brought progress in many areas
of Indian life, including art, trade, and
politics.
The first leader of the empire was Candra
Gupta. He founded the Maurya
dynasty, or ruling family, in 321 BC. To
expand his territory, Candra Gupta conquered
many surrounding lands. His son
Bindusara, who took the throne in 297
BC, conquered more lands to the south.
Asoka, Bindusara’s son, is the best
known of the Mauryan emperors. After
becoming a Buddhist, Asoka began writing
about his new religion. Much of this
work included rules that he expected his
people to follow. People carved many of
Asoka’s Buddhist rules on pillars and
rocks and in caves. Asoka’s religious
influence was so great that he is one of
the most famous rulers in Indian history.
The land of the Mauryan Empire was
divided into four provinces, or states.
These were further divided into districts
and villages. A prince of the royal family
governed each province.
Mauryan society was divided into seven
groups, or castes. These included philosophers,
farmers, soldiers, herdsmen,
artisans, judges, and councillors. Monks,
priests, and teachers belonged to the
philosopher caste.
A military commander assassinated the
last Mauryan emperor, Brhadratha, in
185 BC. The commander founded his
own dynasty, and the Mauryan Empire
ended.
#More to explore
Buddhism • Caste • India
Maya
The Maya are Native Americans of
Mexico and Central America. Between
about AD 250 and 900 the Maya had a
way of life that was very advanced for
the time. The Mayan civilization began
a fast decline after 900. No one knows
for sure why this happened.
After the
Mauryan
Empire ended,
the Shunga
dynasty ruled
in central
India for about
a century.
The region around Bodh Gaya, India, was
once a part of the Mauryan Empire. In the
200s BC the Mauryan emperor Asoka built
a shrine where a large Buddhist temple now
stands.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Maya 81
How the Maya Lived
The Maya lived first in villages and later
in cities. Their cities had large temples,
stone pyramids, palaces, and ball courts.
The Maya created farmland by cutting
away the trees and vines of the surrounding
rain forest. They grew corn,
beans, and squash.
The Maya created a writing system
called hieroglyphics, which used pictures
instead of words. They also studied the
planets and the stars. They used their
observations of the heavens to make a
very accurate calendar. The Maya also
developed a system of mathematics.
The Maya worshipped a number of
nature gods. These included gods of the
sun, the moon, rain, and corn. In religious
ceremonies, the Maya killed
people they had captured during battle.
They thought that the gods needed
human blood for nourishment.
History
The Maya lived in villages by about
1500 BC. By AD 200 they were living in
cities. By 900 they had built more than
40 cities. Some of the most important
cities were Tikal, Palenque, Copan, and
Bonampak. Today these cities are found
in Guatemala, Honduras, and southern
Mexico.
After 900 the number of Maya fell.
They abandoned many of their cities.
War may have been one of the causes of
this decline. In the early 1500s the
Spanish arrived in Mayan territory. The
Spanish forced the Maya to work for
them. Many Maya died from diseases
that the Spanish brought with them.
Today descendants of the Maya live in
Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
#More to explore
Calendar • Native Americans
May Day
May Day is a spring holiday celebrated
on May 1. Many people celebrate May
Day with festivals or flowers. One of the
Mayan buildings still stand in the ancient
city of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
Schoolchildren celebrate May Day with a
traditional maypole.
82 May Day BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
oldest May Day traditions is the maypole.
A maypole is a tree trunk or pole
decorated with colorful ribbons. On
