town (township) on the island of Mauritius, in the western Indian Ocean. It lies in the western highlands region of the country, about 11 miles (18 km) south of Port Louis, the national capital. The town, named after a similar township in France, developed quickly after a malaria epidemic in 1867, which forced Port Louis residents to relocate to safer areas in the highlands. Several import companies and the Mauritius Broadcasting Company, the Carnegie Library, the Royal College secondary school, and the Mauritian Academy of Language and Literature are located in the town. A surfaced road links Curepipe with the expressway connecting Vacoas-Phoenix and the national capital. The Trou aux Cerfs, an extinct crater that is 280 feet (85 m) deep and 200 feet (60 m) wide, overlooks the town. Pop. (1990 est.) 66,704.