The district of Moka is divided into 16 VCAs (Village Council Areas), comprising of Camp Thorel, Dagotiere, Dubreuil, Esperance, La Laura Malenga, L’Avenir, Melrose, Moka, Montagne Blanche, Nouvelle Decouverte, Providence, Quartier Militaire, Ripailles, St Julien d’Hotman, Saint Pierre and Verdun.

The District of Moka is the vibrant centre of tertiary education in Mauritius. It is home to the University of Mauritius, the Institute of Paedagogy, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute and the SSR Medical College. The Chateau du Reduit, the official residence of the island’s former governors is also situated within the District of Moka, along with the S. Baharati Moka Eye Hospital Hospital, the M.S.I.R.I., the sugar industry’s research centre and the Mon Desert Alma sugar estate which is situated in Saint Pierre.

Moka is located on the Central plateau and is the only land-locked rural District in Mauritius and the gateway to the East. It is surrounded by Mountain Reserves on its northern, western and southern boundaries. The name of Moka can be traced back to the introduction of a variety of coffee plants originating from the region of Moka in Arabia. The name Moka was derived from the “Moch-a” coffee which was introduced and cultivated by the French as of the first years of their occupation of the Island. The cultivation of coffee in Moka was thereafter abandoned in the first half of the 19th century.

Moka covers an area of 230.5 km2 and its population is estimated to 81,720 as at 1st July 2012. During the past few years the region of Moka has seen some major residential, commercial and educational developments such as the construction of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, the Bagatelle Mall of Mauritius, the Apollo Bramwell Hospital, and the extension of the University of Mauritius.