Corps de Garde (translation: ''Guard Corpse'') is a 720-metre-high mountain of volcanic origin, in the area Palma in the

Black River district Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

. The name derived from the fact that a French military post was once established on its slope to control the bands of runaway slaves. This basaltic rock formation has an imposing appearance which is characterized by an abruptly breakup of the slope towards the sea. It is resembling a figure of a guard with its beret sleeping on his abdomen and looking forward. It is also famous for a nature reserve of about 90.33 ha with a very rare flora such as ''

Trochetia parviflora ''Trochetia parviflora'' is a very rare shrub from the genus ''Trochetia'' endemic to Mauritius. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. Descriptio ...

'' which was rediscovered on a mountain slope in 2001, ''

Pilea trilobata ''Pilea trilobata'' is an endemic Mauritian plant from the genus ''Pilea'' within the family Urticaceae. It was first described by botanist Hugh Algernon Weddell in 1854. It was thought to be extinct since 1849 until it was rediscovered in April ...

'' which was rediscovered in 2005 and the

Mandrinette ''Hibiscus fragilis'', the mandrinette, is an extremely rare shrub that is endemic to steep slopes of the mountains Corps de Garde and Le Morne Brabant on Mauritius and from two further plants on Rodrigues. The mandrinette is an evergreen plant ...

. On the foot of that hill are the towns of

Beau Bassin-Rose Hill Beau Bassin-Rose Hill (or Beau-Bassin Rose-Hill; french: Villes sœurs; ) is a town in Mauritius, located in the Plaines Wilhems District. It is administered by the Municipal Council of Beau Bassin-Rose Hill and has a population of 147,066 habita ...

and

Quatre Bornes Quatre Bornes () also known as ''La Ville des Fleurs'' (The City of Flowers), is a town in Mauritius, located in the Plaines Wilhems District, the western part also lies in the Rivière Noire District. The town is administered by the Municipal ...

Corps de Garde Nature Reserve

Corps de Garde Nature Reserve was designated in 1951. It covers an area of 0.9 km² on the western and northwestern flank of the mountain.UNEP-WCMC (2021). Protected Area Profile for Corps de garde Nature reserve from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 18 August 2021

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References

External links

Mauritius Post Ltd. First Day Cover - Mountains of Mauritius
Mountains of Mauritius Protected areas of Mauritius {{Mauritius-geo-stub