Flacq District

Flacq is where Mauritius' sugar economy survives most visibly—the largest district by area (298 km²) where cane fields still dominate landscapes that tourism has transformed elsewhere. Centre de Flacq, the main town, hosts one of the island's largest markets where agricultural rhythms shape weekly commerce. The eastern coast includes Belle Mare's luxury resorts, creating the familiar island pattern: tourists on beaches, workers in fields, the two economies operating in parallel without fully integrating. The district's lower population density (400-500 per km² compared to 1,800 in Plaines Wilhems) reflects continued agricultural use that urban districts abandoned decades ago. Sugar cane covers roughly 90% of Mauritius' cultivated land, and Flacq contains disproportionate share of that coverage—the monoculture that shaped colonial economics persisting into the 21st century even as sugar's GDP contribution declined from 25% at independence to around 2% today. Textile factories supplement agricultural income, the manufacturing diversification that lifted Mauritius from low-income to high-income status drawing on rural labor pools. The coast from Palmar to Poste de Flacq offers less developed beach access than Rivière du Rempart's Grand Baie, positioning Flacq for tourism expansion as saturated areas reach capacity. By 2026, the district embodies Mauritius' transition challenge: maintaining agricultural heritage while capturing tourism and manufacturing opportunities that coastal geography enables.