![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Mauritius-on-the-Globe-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Arab sailors were possibly the first to discover the uninhabited island around 975, which they called Dina Arobi. The earliest confirmed discovery was in 1507 by Portuguese sailors, who otherwise took little interest in the islands. The Dutch took possession in 1598, establishing a succession of short-lived settlements before abandoning their efforts in 1710. France took control in 1715, renaming it Isle de France. In 1810 the island was seized by Great Britain<\/a>, and four years later France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the former. As a British colony, Mauritius included Rodrigues, Agalega, St. Brandon, Tromelin<\/a>, the Chagos Archipelago<\/a>, and, until 1906, the Seychelles<\/a>. Sovereignty over Tromelin is disputed between Mauritius and France, as it was not specifically mentioned in the Treaty of Paris. Mauritius remained a primarily plantation-based colony of the United Kingdom until independence in 1968.<\/p>\n In 1965, three years prior to the independence of Mauritius, the UK split the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritian territory, and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches from the Seychelles, to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)<\/a>. The local population was forcibly expelled<\/a> and the largest island, Diego Garcia<\/a>, was leased to the United States. The UK has restricted access to the Chagos Archipelago to casual tourists, the media, and its former inhabitants. The sovereignty of the Chagos is disputed between Mauritius and the UK<\/a>. In February 2019, the International Court of Justice<\/a> issued an advisory opinion ordering the UK to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as rapidly as possible, in order to complete the decolonization of Mauritius.<\/p>\n Owing to its geographic location and centuries of colonialism, the people of Mauritius are highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language and faith. It is the only country in Africa where Hinduism<\/a> is the largest religion. The island’s government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, and Mauritius is highly ranked for democracy and for economic and political freedom. Mauritius is categorized as “high” in the Human Development Index. According to the World Bank, the country is classified as a high-income economy. Mauritius is ranked as the most competitive and one of the most developed economies in the African region. The country is a social democracy; the government provides free universal health care, free education up through tertiary level and free public transport for students, senior citizens, and the disabled. Mauritius was ranked as the most peaceful African country by the Global Peace Index<\/a> 2019.<\/p>\n Along with the other Mascarene Islands, Mauritius is known for its varied flora and fauna, with many species endemic to the island. The island was the only known home of the dodo<\/a>, which, along with several other avian species, was made extinct by human activities relatively shortly after the island’s settlement.<\/p>\n The island of Mauritius was uninhabited before its first recorded visit by the Dutch in the late 16th century. The name Dina Arobi has been associated with Arab sailors.<\/p>\n The Treaty of Tordesillas<\/a> purported to give Portugal the right to colonize this part of world. In 1507, Portuguese sailors came to the uninhabited island and established a visiting base. Diogo Fernandes Pereira<\/a>, a Portuguese navigator, was the first European known to land in Mauritius. He named the island “Ilha do Cirne” (“Island of Cirne”). The Portuguese did not stay long as they were not interested in these islands.<\/p>\n The Mascarene Islands were named after Pedro Mascarenhas, Viceroy of Portuguese India<\/a>, after his visit to the islands in 1512.<\/p>\n Rodrigues Island was named after Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues<\/a>, who first came upon the island in 1528.<\/p>\n In 1598 a Dutch squadron under Admiral Wybrand Van Warwyck landed at Grand Port<\/a> and named the island “Mauritius” after Prince Maurice of Nassau<\/a> (Dutch: Maurits van Nassau) of the Dutch Republic<\/a>. The Dutch inhabited the island in 1638, from which they exploited ebony trees and introduced sugar cane, domestic animals and deer.<\/p>\n It was from here that Dutch navigator Abel Tasman<\/a> set out to seek the Great Southern Land, mapping parts of Tasmania<\/a>, Aotearoa<\/a>\/New Zealand and New Guinea<\/a>. The first Dutch settlement lasted 20 years. In 1639 slaves arrived in Mauritius from Madagascar. The Dutch East India Company brought them to cut down ebony trees<\/a> and to work in the new tobacco and sugar cane plantations. Several attempts to establish a colony permanently were subsequently made, but the settlements never developed enough to produce dividends, causing the Dutch to abandon Mauritius in 1710.<\/p>\n France, which already controlled neighboring \u00cele Bourbon (now R\u00e9union), took control of Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it Isle de France. The 1735 arrival of French governor Bertrand-Fran\u00e7ois Mah\u00e9 de La Bourdonnais<\/a> coincided with development of a prosperous economy based on sugar production. Mah\u00e9 de La Bourdonnais established Port Louis as a naval base and a shipbuilding center. Under his governorship, numerous buildings were erected, a number of which are still standing. These include part of Government House, the Ch\u00e2teau de Mon Plaisir, and the Line Barracks, the headquarters of the police force. The island was under the administration of the French East India Company<\/a>, which maintained its presence until 1767. During the French rule slaves were brought from parts of Africa such as Mozambique and Zanzibar. In early 1729 Indians from Pondicherry, India<\/a> arrived in Mauritius aboard the vessel La Sir\u00e8ne. Work contracts for these craftsmen were signed in 1734 at the time when they acquired their freedom.<\/p>\n During the Napoleonic Wars<\/a>, Mauritius became a base from which French corsairs<\/a> organized successful raids on British commercial ships. The raids continued until 1810, when a Royal Navy expedition led by Commodore Josias Rowley, R.N.<\/a>, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, was sent to capture the island. Despite winning the Battle of Grand Port<\/a>, the only French naval victory over the British during these wars, the French could not prevent the British from landing at Cap Malheureux<\/a> three months later. They formally surrendered the island on the fifth day of the invasion, 3 December 1810, on terms allowing settlers to keep their land and property and to use the French language and law of France in criminal and civil matters. Under British rule, the island’s name reverted to Mauritius.<\/p>\n The British administration, which began with Sir Robert Farquhar<\/a> as governor, led to rapid social and economic changes.<\/p>\n Slavery was abolished in 1835, and the planters ultimately received two million pounds sterling in compensation for the loss of their slaves, who had been imported from Africa and Madagascar during the French occupation. The abolition of slavery had important impacts on Mauritius’s society, economy and population. The planters brought a large number of indentured laborers from India to work in the sugar cane fields. Between 1834 and 1921, around half a million indentured laborers were present on the island. They worked on sugar estates, factories, in transport and on construction sites. Additionally, the British brought 8,740 Indian soldiers to the island. Aapravasi Ghat, in the bay at Port Louis and now a UNESCO site, was the first British colony to serve as a major reception center for indentured servants.<\/p>\n The laborers brought from India were not always fairly treated, and a German, Adolph von Plevitz, made himself the unofficial protector of these immigrants. He mixed with many of the laborers, and in 1871 helped them to write a petition that was sent to Governor Gordon<\/a>. A commission was appointed to look into the complaints made by the Indian immigrants, and in 1872 two lawyers, appointed by the British Crown, were sent from England to make an inquiry. This Royal Commission recommended several measures that would affect the lives of Indian laborers during the next fifty years.<\/p>\n In November 1901, Mahatma Gandhi<\/a> visited Mauritius, on his way from South Africa to India. He stayed on the island for two weeks, and urged the Indo-Mauritian community to take an interest in education and to play a more active role in politics. Back in India, he sent over a young lawyer, Manilal Doctor<\/a>, to improve the plight of the Indo-Mauritians.<\/p>\n The 1910s were a period of political agitation. The rising middle class (made up of doctors, lawyers, and teachers) began to challenge the political power of the sugar cane landowners.<\/p>\n World War I<\/a> broke out in August 1914. Many Mauritians volunteered to fight in Europe against the Germans and in Mesopotamia against the Turks. But the war affected Mauritius much less than the wars of the eighteenth century. In fact, the 1914\u20131918 war was a period of great prosperity due to a boom in sugar prices.<\/p>\n At the outbreak of World War II<\/a> in 1939, many Mauritians volunteered to serve under the British flag in Africa and the Near East, fighting against the German and Italian armies. Some went to England to become pilots and ground staff in the Royal Air Force. Mauritius was never really threatened but several British ships were sunk outside Port Louis by German submarines in 1943.<\/p>\n During World War II, conditions were hard in the country; the prices of commodities doubled but workers\u2019 salaries increased only by 10 to 20 percent. There was civil unrest, and the colonial government censored all trade union activities. However, the laborer’s of Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate went on strike on 27 September 1943. Police officers eventually fired directly at the crowd. This became known as the Belle Vue Harel Massacre<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Lancaster Conference of 1965, it became clear that Britain wanted to relieve itself of the colony of Mauritius. In 1959, Harold Macmillan<\/a> had made his famous Winds of Change Speech<\/a> where he acknowledged that the best option for Britain was to give complete independence to its colonies. Thus, since the late Fifties, the way was paved for independence.<\/p>\n Later in 1965, after the Lancaster Conference, the Chagos Archipelago was excised from the territory of Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). A general election took place on 7 August 1967, and the Independence Party obtained the majority of seats. In January 1968, six weeks before the declaration of independence the 1968 Mauritian riots<\/a> occurred in Port Louis leading to the deaths of 25 people.<\/p>\n Mauritius adopted a new constitution and independence was proclaimed on 12 March 1968. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam<\/a> became the first prime minister of an independent Mauritius with Queen Elizabeth II remaining head of state as Queen of Mauritius.<\/p>\n In May 1975, a student revolt that started at the University of Mauritius swept across the country.<\/p>\n In 1990, the Prime Minister lost the vote on changing the Constitution to make the country a republic with Paul B\u00e9renger<\/a> as President.<\/p>\n On 12 March 1992, twenty-four years after independence, Mauritius was proclaimed a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. The last governor general, Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo, became the first president.<\/p>\n The year 1999 was marked by civil unrest and riots in February and then in May<\/a>. Following the Kaya riots President Cassam Uteem<\/a> and Cardinal Jean Marg\u00e9ot<\/a> toured the country and calm was restored after four days of turmoil. A commission of enquiry was set up to investigate the root causes of the social disturbance. The resulting report delved into the cause of poverty and qualified many tenacious beliefs as perceptions.<\/p>\n In 2018, Mauritian president Ameenah Gurib-Fakim<\/a> (the only former female head of state in the African Union) resigned over a financial scandal. The incumbent president is Prithvirajsing Roopun<\/a> who has served since December 2019.<\/p>\n The total land area of the country is 2,040 km2 (790 sq mi). The Republic of Mauritius is constituted of Mauritius Island and several outlying islands. The nation’s exclusive economic zone<\/a> (EEZ) covers about 2.3 million km2 (890,000 sq mi) of the Indian Ocean, including approximately 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi) jointly managed with the Seychelles<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mauritius is 2,000 km (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of Africa. It is 65 km (40 mi) long and 45 km (30 mi) wide. Its land area is 1,864.8 km2 (720.0 sq mi). The island is surrounded by more than 150 km (100 mi) of white sandy beaches, and the lagoons are protected from the open sea by the world’s third-largest coral reef, which surrounds the island. Just off the Mauritian coast lie some 49 uninhabited islands and islets, several of which have been declared natural reserves for endangered species.<\/p>\n The Mauritius Island (Mauritian Creole: Isle Moris; French: \u00cele Maurice, pronounced [il m\u0254\u0281is]) is relatively young geologically, having been created by volcanic activity some 8 million years ago. Together with Saint Brandon, R\u00e9union, and Rodrigues, the island is part of the Mascarene Islands<\/a>. These islands emerged as a result of gigantic underwater volcanic eruptions that happened thousands of kilometers to the east of the continental block made up of Africa and Madagascar. They are no longer volcanically active and the hotspot now rests under R\u00e9union Island. Mauritius is encircled by a broken ring of mountain ranges, varying in height from 300\u2013800 m (1,000\u20132,600 ft) above sea level. The land rises from coastal plains to a central plateau where it reaches a height of 670 m (2,200 ft); the highest peak is in the south-west, Piton de la Petite Rivi\u00e8re Noire<\/a> at 828 meters (2,717 ft). Streams and rivers speckle the island, many formed in the cracks created by lava flows.<\/p>\n The autonomous island of Rodrigues<\/a> is located 560 km (350 mi) to the east of Mauritius, with an area 108 km2 (42 sq mi).<\/p>\n Rodrigues is a volcanic island rising from a ridge along the edge of the Mascarene Plateau<\/a>. The island is hilly with a central spine culminating in the highest peak, Mountain Limon at 398 m (1,306 ft). The island also has a coral reef and extensive limestone deposits. According to Statistics Mauritius, at 1 July 2019, the population of the island was estimated at 43,371.[96]<\/p>\n Since independence from Britain in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculture-based economy to a high-income diversified economy, based on tourism, textiles, sugar, and financial services. The economic history of Mauritius since independence has been called “the Mauritian Miracle” and the “success of Africa”.<\/p>\n In recent years, information and communication technology, seafood, hospitality and property development, healthcare, renewable energy, and education and training have emerged as important sectors, attracting substantial investment from both local and foreign investors.<\/p>\n Mauritius has one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world, and in 2012 the government announced its intention to develop the marine economy.<\/p>\n There is currently a railway project under construction in Mauritius, former privately owned industrial railways having been abandoned. The harbor of Port Louis handles international trade as well as a cruise terminal. The sole international airport for civil aviation is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport<\/a>, which also serves as the home operating base for the national airline Air Mauritius<\/a>; the airport authority inaugurated a new passenger terminal in September 2013.<\/p>\n Another airport is the Sir Ga\u00ebtan Duval Airport<\/a> in Rodrigues. Mauritius has a serious traffic problem due to the high number of road users, particularly car drivers. To solve the traffic congestion issue, the government has embarked on the Metro Express<\/a> project.<\/p>\n The line starts from Port Louis and will go to Curepipe when completed. The first phase of the project was completed in January 2020 while the second phase will be completed in 2021.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Map-of-Mauritius-EEZ-300x212.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
Early History:<\/h3>\n
Portuguese Mauritius:<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Dutch Mauritius (1638\u20131710):<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Dutch-Activities-on-Mauritius-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>French Mauritius (1715\u20131810):<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/The-Battle-of-Grand-Port-300x190.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>British Mauritius (1810\u20131968):<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Arthur-Hamilton-Gordon-225x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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<\/a>Independence (since 1968):<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Harold-Macmillan-230x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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<\/a>Republic (since 1992):<\/h3>\n
Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Map-of-Western-Indian-Ocean-Islands-249x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Topographic-Map-of-Mauritius-251x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Topographic-Map-of-Rodriques-300x282.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Treemap-of-Mauritius-Exports-2017-300x234.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Sugar-Cane-Plantation-on-Mauritius-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Sir-Seewoosagur-Ramgoolam-International-Airport-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Metro-Express-Train-300x169.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Flag of Mauritius:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Flag-of-Mauritius-300x200.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>