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Mauritius: Mauritius Island
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Mauritius appears to have been unknown to European nations, if not to all other peoples, until the year 1505, when it was discovered by Mascarenhas, a Portuguese navigator. It had then no inhabitants, and there seem to be no traces of a previous occupation by any people. The island was retained for most of the 16th century by its discoverers, but they made no settlements in it. In 1598 the Dutch took possession, and named the island "Mauritius," in honour of their stadtholder, Count Maurice of Nassau. It had been previously called by the Portuguese "Ilha do Cerne," from the belief that it was the island so named by Pliny. But though the Dutch built a fort at Grand Port and introduced a number of slaves and convicts, they made no permanent settlement in Mauritius, finally abandoning the island in 17r0. From 1715 to 1767 (when the French government assumed direct control) the island was held by agents of the French East India Company, by whom its name was again changed to "Ile de France."
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The estimated population of Mauritius in July 1993 was 1,106,516 with a population growth rate of 0.95 percent for 1993. According to the 1990 census the population was 1,065,988, of whom 34,292 lived on Rodrigues and 170 on outer islands. The country's population density, more than 537 inhabitants per square kilometer, is one of the highest in the world. The majority of the island's inhabitants are young; some 58.6 percent were under the age of twenty-nine in 1990. The capital, Port Louis, is the largest city, with a population of 142,645. Other large metropolitan areas, in descending order, are Beau BassinRose Hill, Vacoas-Phoenix, Curepipe, and Quatre Bornes.
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The alteration of Mauritius arguably began with the extinction of the dodo in 1681, 80 years after humans first arrived on Mauritius. In the centuries that followed, colonists continued to modify habitats at an alarming rate. In the 19th century, the dense Mauritian forests had been converted wholesale into tea and sugar plantations. By this time, habitat modification on Mauritius had reached almost every corner of the island.
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Mauritius sits just above the tropic of Capricorn, which means it does not suffer from extreme temperatures. Like all subtropical islands around the world, there is a chance of a cyclone in the hotter and popular months between December and March. As Mauritius is a small island the effects are short-lived. The east coast and south-east coast tend to suffer most from the annual south-east trade winds, especially from April to October. The east coast can be quite cool during these months due to the strong winds. Lagoons along the east may ... be less inviting for water activities.
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Mauritius was probably visited by Arabs and Malays in the Middle Ages. Portuguese sailors visited it in the 16th cent. The island was occupied by the Dutch from 1598 to 1710 and named after Prince Maurice of Nassau. The French settled the island in 1722 and called it Ãle de France. It became an important way station on the route to India. The French introduced the cultivation of sugarcane and imported large numbers of African slaves to work the plantations. The British captured the island in 1810 and restored the Dutch name.
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Of volcanic origin and generally sheltered by barriers of coral reefs forming natural, safe, crystal clear lagoons, Mauritius has long been a dream destination. Known to the Arabs as early as the 10th century, but officially «discovered» in 1505 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, the island was occupied successively by the Dutch (1598-1712) and the French (1715-1810), and was ceded to Great Britain in 1814 through the Treaty of Paris. On 12 March 1968, Mauritius became Independent. Republic Day was proclaimed on 12 March 1992.
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Mauritius Island