Mauritius History
Mauritius Holidays

A brief history of the island of Mauritius!

The Mauritius weather, makes Mauritius an ideal holiday destination.

Mauritius is visited only by scheduled flights, the principle airline being Air Mauritius. The government of Mauritius hold Tourism in high regard, they wish all visitors a relaxing carefree and enjoyable holiday, so flights on and off the island are strictly regulated, making this an exclusive all year round destination.

Mauritius is an earthly paradise which nestles in the warm Indian Ocean, protected by a ring of coral just 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa. For an island that is only the size of Surrey, Mauritius attracted an unprecedented amount of historical interest , possibly because of its position on the profitable trade route to India. Although the Arabs originally discovered the island around the 10th century, there is no evidence of them settling. Even the brief visits of the Portuguese in the 1500's left no permanent settlements.

The Dutch followed, establishing the first permanent dwelling on Mauritius in 1638. While intent on exploiting the island's natural resources of ebony and ambergris, they succeeded in mercilessly hunting the dodo into extinction. By 1710 the island had served its purpose and the Dutch departed, leaving behind African slaves, Javanese deer, wild boar, tobacco and most importantly, sugar cane.

In 1715 the French arrived on the island of Mauritius. Under the command of a Naval captain called Labourdonnais Mauritius was transformed. Hospitals, barracks and houses were built, a network of roads opened, a ship building industry commenced and the first sugar mill was established in 1744.

However Labourdonnais found it hard to ignore the pull of his naval career and it wasn't long before he led attacks on British merchant ships. The British navy, incensed by the routine harassment, closed in and eventually won possession of the island in 1810.

In 1835 they abolished on slavery on Mauritius and introduced instead a number of Indian field workers to tend the sugar cane and a small community of Chinese to supplement the labour force.

In 1968 (12th March) Mauritius became independent and to this day the intoxicating blend of culture and religion brought by the various colonisers continues to thrive on the island. A lasting impression left by India is the currency which is Rupees.

Mauritius is not only the translucent turquoise lagoons bordered by virgin beaches, or even the miles of sugarcane dancing in the summer breezes, but rather the warm and welcoming nature of the cosmopolitan Mauritians that make this Island one that stands out from the crowd. There are few places in the world where you are made to feel as welcome. In Mauritius no smile is broad enough, no embrace warm enough, and nothing is too much effort. English is the official language although everyone also speaks French and Creole.

If one is visiting Mauritius on business then the Mauritius Commercial Bank, University of Mauritius, Mauritius News and Media and Mauritius Newspaper are contactable in Port Louis For places of interest, visit our sightseeing page.

Speak To Someone Who's Been ! Telephone ( 0113 ) 2773 663