History of Mauritius
Mauritius was known to the early Arab traders, being marked on their maps, but the first visitors from Europe were the Portuguese who landed in 1510. They used the island as a victualling stop on their way to Goa and Malacca but did not settle. The first attempt at colonisation was made by the Dutch, who arrived in 1598 and named the island Mauritius after Prince Maurice de Nassau. They introduced sugar, Malagasy slaves and a herd of Javanese deer. They were also said to be responsible for the disappearance of the magnificent ebony trees and the extinction of the famous dodo bird. They eventually abandoned their settlements in 1710. The French occupied the island between 1715 and 1810, and renamed it isle de France, many place names are reminders of this period. Mahé de Labourdonnais, who took over as governor in 1735, rebuilt Port-Louis and opened the first sugar mill. In 1810 with the British taking over, the name reverted to Mauritius. The abolition of slavery led to the importation of Chinese and Indian indentured labourers and traders. Mauritius gained independence from the British on the 12th March 1968, and since then has been an independent sovereign nation within the British Commonwealth. Under the Constitution, based on the Westminster model, political power is vested in the Prime Minister and the cabinet. Elections are held every five years. On the 12th March 1992, Mauritius became a Republic with a President as head of the state.
YWAM in Mauritius, Opportunities for visiting teams in Mauritius, History of YWAM in Mauritius, About Mauritius: Geography, Lingo, Population, Currency, History, Climate