Port Louis Port Louis District, Mauritius

Port Louis is a city in Mauritius, located in the Port Louis District, the western part also lies in the Rivière Noire District. It is the capital of Mauritius and administered by the Municipal City Council of Port Louis. The city is the country's economic, cultural, political centre and most populous city. According to the census made by Statistics Mauritius in 2011, the population was at 137,608.

Port Louis was already in use as a harbor in 1638. In 1735, under French government, it became the administrative center of Mauritius and a major reprovisioning halt for French ships travelling around the Cape of Good Hope. The Port is named in honour of King Louis XV. Count Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais was the founder of Port Louis. The economy of the city is mostly dominated by its financial centre, port facilities, tourism and the manufacturing sector which include textiles, chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Port Louis is home to the biggest port facility in the Indian Ocean region and one of Africa’s major financial centre. Air transportation to the city is provided by SSR International Airport. Port Louis is served by two major bus stations. Victoria Station is used by buses to and from the eastern and southern areas and the Plaines Wilhems district. Immigration Square, also known as Gare du Nord, is a terminus for buses coming from the Northern districts of Pamplemousses and Rivière du Rempart. A number of inter-city buses carry passengers to and from nearby suburbs such as Plaine Verte, Vallée-des-Prêtres and Cassis. To cope with an increase in traffic congestion, the government has proposed a Light rail transit from Curepipe to the city. One of the most popular event is the Thoroughbred horse races held at the Champ de Mars Racecourse which is the second oldest horse race track in the world. Popular sports include football and volleyball.

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