This paradise ought to be on your radar

September 20, 2012
Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius

Situated thousands of miles from the coast of Africa in the middle ofย the Indian Ocean, Mauritius definitely qualifies as the ‘middle ofย nowhere.’ This is interesting for a number of reasons– I’ll explain.

I’ve long argued that the world is entering a rather tumultuous phase.ย This isn’t some doom or gloom scenario, but rather the natural courseย of history that human civilization has experienced so many timesย before.

Nearly every single time in the past that the primary political andย economic systems of the day proved themselves to be unsustainableย failures, people hit the reset button and started again with newย systems.

History provides us with ample warning signs– governments that takeย on too much debt, currencies that are polluted, overextended militaryย forces, lavish spending on public entitlements, erosion of civilย liberties, overregulation, bombastic populism, etc.

These are the same warning signs which have augured tumultuousย transition in the past… from ancient Sumer, Greece, and Rome, toย 18th century France and the Soviet Union. We are not so different thatย we can forever defy the laws of the financial universe.

Again, this isn’t something to fear; frankly it means that things willย eventually get much better. This absurd system where a tiny handful ofย people has total control over global money supply will soon be inย history’s waste bin… as will the present model of pompously largeย governments.

In the meantime, it’s reasonable to expect a bumpy ride. Based onย what’s happened in the past, potential consequences include socialย unrest, civil disturbances, rising crime rates, long-term strikes,ย disruptions in essential services, shortages of food and fuel, war,ย inflation, etc.

Granted, anything is possible. Perhaps nothing bad will ever happen.ย Perhaps aliens will arrive to earth bearing gifts of free energy.ย Perhaps. But a thinking, rational person ought to weigh the totality of evidence and consider making basic preparations… just in case.

One of the preparations that makes a lot of sense is having a placeย outside of your home country in case things get rough where you live.

If you have the means to buy a property, this may be a smart decisionย no matter what. Property in a rapidly developing country can be bothย an excellent speculation and a reasonable store of value in anย inflationary environment.

Mauritius ticks a lot of boxes… because in a scenario where you’reย trying to get away from it all, being in the middle of nowhere is aย great advantage, especially when the country is not strategicallyย significant to most world powers.

Moreover, Mauritius is a really great place to be. It’s gorgeous, theย weather is fantastic, and people are very interested inย sustainability– fruit and vegetables are cultivated all over theย island.

The economy is strong and stable– it’s long been one of the region’sย top performers with a number of growing industries ranging fromย agriculture to ICT outsourcing. This is not some destitute,ย impoverished nation. It’s actually quite civilized, with excellentย infrastructure and reliable Internet. It’s also a fairly cheap placeย to live.

Foreigners can own property here with a few restrictions… and aย sizable enough purchase ($500,000) streamlines permanent residency.

This is a great benefit because the Mauritius Citizenship Act of 1968ย entitles foreign residents who meet certain qualifications to beginย the process of applying for naturalization after several years.ย Officially it takes seven years of residency, though the law gives theย government tremendous latitude to reduce this time requirement.

Like I said, it’s definitely a long journey. I suspect I will alreadyย be in Argentina by the time you receive this after a 5-hour flight toย Johannesburg, and then another 12-hour flight to Buenos Aires. But ifย sustainability, lifestyle, investment potential, and citizenshipย opportunities are important to you, Mauritius ought to be on yourย radar.

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