Islands of the Republic of Mauritius on the globe excluding the Chagos Archipelago and Tromelin island.
Mauritius (
i; French:
Maurice), officially the
Republic of Mauritius (French:
République de Maurice), is an
island nation in the
Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of the
African continent. The country includes the island of Mauritius,
Rodrigues (560 kilometres (350 mi) east), and the
outer islands (
Agaléga,
St. Brandon and two disputed territories). The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues (172 km (107 mi) southwest) form part of the
Mascarene Islands, along with nearby
Réunion, a French overseas department. The area of the country is 2,040 km
2. The capital and largest city is
Port Louis.
Mauritius claims sovereignty over the
Chagos Archipelago (United Kingdom) and
Tromelin Island (France). The United Kingdom excised the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritian territory prior to Mauritian independence in 1965.
The island of Mauritius was visited during the medieval period by the
Arabs and then by the
Portuguese, who named it
Dina Arobi and
Cirne, respectively. The island was uninhabited until the
Dutch Republic established a colony in 1638, with the Dutch naming the island after
Prince Maurice van Nassau. The Dutch colony was abandoned in 1710, and, five years later, the island became a French colony and was named
Isle de France. Due to its strategic position, Mauritius was known as the "star and key" of the Indian Ocean.
[18]
Mauritius became an important base on the trade routes from Europe to the East before the opening of the
Suez Canal and was involved in the long power struggle between the French and the British. The French won the
Battle of Grand Port, their only naval victory over the British during these wars, but they
could not prevent the British from landing at
Cap Malheureux
three months later. They formally surrendered on the fifth day of the
invasion, 3 December 1810, on terms allowing settlers to keep their land
and property, the use of the French language, and the law of France in
criminal and civil matters.
Under British rule, the island's name reverted to Mauritius. The
country became an independent state on 12 March 1968, following the
adoption of
a new constitution and became a republic within the
Commonwealth in 1992.
The
people of Mauritius are
multiethnic, multi-religious,
multicultural and
multilingual. 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. Along with the other Mascarene Islands, Mauritius is known for
its varied flora and fauna, with many species
endemic to the island. The island is widely known as the only known home of the
dodo,
which, along with several other avian species, was made extinct by
human activities relatively shortly after the island's settlement.