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134-742: The Great Chagos Bank , in the Chagos Archipelago , about 500 km (310 mi) south of Maldives , is the largest atoll structure in the world, with a total area of 12,642 km (4,881 sq mi). The atoll is administered by the United Kingdom through the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Despite its enormous size, the Great Chagos Bank is largely a submarine structure . There are only four emerging reefs, mostly located on

268-610: A Royal Navy expedition led by Commodore Josias Rowley , R.N. , an Anglo-Irish aristocrat , was sent to capture the island. Despite winning the Battle of Grand Port against the British, the French could not prevent the British from landing at Cap Malheureux 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

402-711: A 20-year optional extension (to 2036) to which both parties must agree by December 2014. As of 2010 , only the atoll of Diego Garcia has been transformed into a military facility. In 1967 the British Government bought the entire assets and real property of the Seychellois Chagos Agalega Company, which owned all the islands of the BIOT, for £660,000 and administered them as a government enterprise while awaiting US funding of its proposed facilities, with an interim objective of paying for

536-551: A Portuguese navigator, was the first European known to land in Mauritius. He named the island "Ilha do Cisne" ("Island of the Swan"). The Portuguese did not stay long as they were not interested in these islands. The Mascarene Islands were named after Pedro Mascarenhas , Viceroy of Portuguese India , after his visit to the islands in 1512. Rodrigues Island was named after Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues , who first came upon

670-539: A day's wage and came from all over the island to attend a giant meeting at the Champ de Mars. Following the dockers' strikes, trade unionist Emmanuel Anquetil was deported to Rodrigues, Maurice Curé and Pandit Sahadeo were placed under house arrest, whilst numerous strikers were jailed. Governor Sir Bede Clifford assisted Mr Jules Leclezio of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate to counter the effects of

804-734: A few private households. World War I 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 1914–1918 war was a period of great prosperity, due to a boom in sugar prices. In 1919, the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate came into being, which included 70% of all sugar producers. The 1920s saw

938-645: A group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the Maldives archipelago. This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge , a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean . In its north are the Salomon Islands , Nelsons Island and Peros Banhos ; towards its south-west are

1072-739: A naval base and a shipbuilding centre. Under his governorship, numerous buildings were erected, a number of which are still standing. These include part of Government House, the Château 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 , which maintained its presence until 1767. During the French rule, slaves were brought from parts of Africa such as Mozambique and Zanzibar . As

1206-506: A new five-year term. On 25 July 2020, Japanese-owned bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off the coast of Mauritius, leaking up to 1,000 tonnes of heavy oil into a pristine lagoon. Its location on the edge of protected fragile marine ecosystems and a wetland of international importance made the MV Wakashio oil spill one of the worst environmental disasters ever to hit the western Indian Ocean. On 10 November 2024,

1340-462: A petition that was sent to Governor Gordon . A commission was appointed and recommended several measures that would affect the lives of Indian labourers during the next fifty years. In 1885, a new constitution was introduced. It was referred to as Cens Démocratique and it incorporated some of the principles advocated by one of the Creole leaders, Onésipho Beaugeard. It created elected positions in

1474-447: A political prisoner. He managed to escape from prison and plotted a rebellion that would free the island's slaves. He was betrayed by his associate Laizaf and was caught by a group of militiamen and summarily executed . In 1832, d'Épinay launched the first Mauritian newspaper ( Le Cernéen ), which was not controlled by the government. In the same year, there was a move by the procureur-general to abolish slavery without compensation to

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1608-492: A report of the island's social problems caused by overpopulation and the monoculture of sugar cane. This led to an intense campaign to halt the population explosion, and the decade registered a sharp decline in population growth. In early 1965, a political assassination took place in the suburb of Belle-Rose, in the town of Quatre Bornes, where Labour activist Rampersad Surath was beaten to death by thugs of rival party Parti Mauricien . On 10 May 1965, racial riots broke out in

1742-500: A result, the island's population rose dramatically from 15,000 to 49,000 within thirty years. Slave traders from Madagascar - Sakalava or Arabs - bought slaves from slavers in the Arab Swahili coast or Portuguese Mozambique and stopped at Seychelles for supplies before shipping the slaves to the slave markets of Mauritius, Réunion and India. Of the 80,000 slaves imported to Réunion and Mauritius between 1769 and 1793, 45%

1876-520: A rival of Napoléon I . He ruled as Governor of Isle de France and Réunion from 1803 to 1810. British naval cartographer and explorer Matthew Flinders was arrested and detained by General Decaen on the island from 1803 to 1810, in contravention of an order from Napoléon. During the Napoleonic Wars , Mauritius became a base from which French corsairs organised successful raids on British commercial ships. The raids continued until 1810, when

2010-586: A two-seat majority, after striking an alliance with the PMSD of Gaetan Duval . In 1982 an MMM - PSM government (led by PM Anerood Jugnauth , Deputy PM Harish Boodhoo and Finance Minister Paul Bérenger ) was elected. However, ideological and personality differences emerged within the MMM and PSM leadership. The power struggle between Bérenger and Jugnauth peaked in March 1983. Jugnauth travelled to New Delhi to attend

2144-477: Is 2 600 mm (100 inches), varying from 105 mm (4 inches) during August to 350 mm (14 inches) during January. According to Southern Maldivian oral tradition , local traders and fishermen were occasionally lost at sea and became stranded in one of the islands of the Chagos. Eventually they were rescued and brought back home. However, these islands were judged to be too far away from

2278-596: Is a combination of different coralline rock structures topping a submarine ridge running southwards across the centre of the Indian Ocean, formed by volcanoes above the Réunion hotspot . Unlike the Maldives, there is no clearly discernible pattern in the atoll arrangement, which makes the whole archipelago look somewhat chaotic. Most of the coralline structures of the Chagos are submerged reefs. The Chagos contain

2412-452: Is characterised by plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures, showers and light breezes. December through February is considered the rainy season (summer monsoon); typical weather conditions include light west-northwesterly winds and warmer temperatures with more rainfall. June to September is considered the drier season (winter), characterised by moderate south-easterly winds, slightly cooler temperatures and less rainfall . The annual mean rainfall

2546-430: Is considerable poaching of turtles and other marine life. Sharks, which play a vital role in balancing the food web of tropical reefs, have suffered sharp declines from illegal fishing for their fins and as bycatch in legal fisheries. Sea cucumbers , which cleanse sand, are poached to feed Asian markets. The Chagos Archipelago has a tropical oceanic climate ; hot and humid but moderated by trade winds . Climate

2680-465: Is consistently ranked as the most peaceful country in Africa. Along with the other Mascarene Islands, Mauritius is known for its biodiverse flora and fauna with many unique species endemic to the country. The main island was the only known home of the dodo , which, along with several other avian species, became extinct soon after human settlement. Other endemic animals, such as the echo parakeet ,

2814-546: Is generally accepted that Arab sailors first discovered the uninhabited island around 975, naming it Dina Arobi . In 1507, Portuguese sailors visited the uninhabited island, which bore the Portuguese names Cirne or Do-Cerne on early Portuguese maps . A Dutch fleet, under the command of Admiral Van Warwyck, landed at what is now the Grand Port District and took possession of the island in 1598, renaming

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2948-722: Is known as Fōlhavahi or Hollhavai ( Dhivehi : ފޯޅަވަހި or ހޮއްޅަވައި ) (the latter name in the Southern Maldives Adduan dialect of Dhivehi ). There are no separate names for the different atolls of the Chagos in the Maldivian oral tradition; "Fayhandheeb" is used for the Archipelago as a whole. According to Maldivian history, the Maldives Archipelago consists of Mahaldheeb, Suvaadheebu and Feyhandheeb. The first Europeans to become aware of

3082-496: Is relatively young geologically, having been created by volcanic activity some 8 million years ago. Together with Saint Brandon, Réunion, and Rodrigues, the island is part of the Mascarene Islands . These islands emerged as a result of gigantic underwater volcanic eruptions that happened thousands of kilometres to the east of the continental block made up of Africa and Madagascar. They are no longer volcanically active and

3216-520: 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. Mauritius Island ( Mauritian Creole : Lil Moris ; French: Île Maurice , pronounced [il moʁis] )

3350-589: Is the most practised religion. Indo-Mauritians make up the bulk of the population with significant Creole , Sino-Mauritian and Franco-Mauritian minorities. The island's government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system with Mauritius highly ranked for economic and political freedom being listed by The Economist Democracy Index as the only country in Africa with full democracy . The V-Dem Democracy Indices rated Mauritius as an "electoral autocracy". Mauritius ranks 72nd (high) in

3484-497: The Code Noir was established to regulate slavery; it categorised one group of human beings as "goods", allowing the owner of these "goods" to be able to obtain insurance money and compensation in case of loss of his "goods". The 1735 arrival of French governor Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais coincided with the development of a prosperous economy based on sugar production. Mahé de La Bourdonnais established Port Louis as

3618-655: The 2010 elections the Labour–MSM–PMSD alliance secured power and Navin Ramgoolam remained PM until 2014. The MSM–PMSD–ML coalition was victorious at the 2014 elections under Anerood Jugnauth's leadership. Despite disagreements within the ruling alliance that led to the departure of PMSD, the MSM–ML stayed in power for their full 5-year term. On 21 January 2017, Sir Anerood Jugnauth announced his resignation and that his son and Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth would assume

3752-598: The 7th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement summit; on his return, Bérenger proposed constitutional changes that would strip power from the Prime Minister. At Jugnauth's request, PM Indira Gandhi of India planned an armed intervention involving the Indian Navy and Indian Army to prevent a coup under the code name Operation Lal Dora . The MMM - PSM government split up nine months after

3886-472: The Cocos (Keeling) Islands , and 3,400 kilometres (2,100 mi) north of Amsterdam Island . The land area of the islands is 56.1 km (21.7 sq mi), the largest island, Diego Garcia, having an area of 32.5 km (12.5 sq mi). The total area, including lagoons within atolls, is more than 15 km (5.8 sq mi), of which 12,642 km (4,881 sq mi) are accounted by

4020-586: The Great Chagos Bank , the largest acknowledged atoll structure of the world (the completely submerged Saya de Malha Bank is larger, but its status as an atoll is uncertain). The shelf area is 20,607 km (7,956 sq mi), and the Exclusive Economic Zone , which borders the corresponding zone of the Maldives in the north, has an area of 639 km (247 sq mi) (including territorial waters ). The Chagos group

4154-599: The Human Development Index , and the World Bank classifies it as a high-income economy . It is amongst the most competitive and most developed economies in the African region. The country is a welfare state . The government provides free universal health care , free education up through the tertiary level , and free public transportation for students, senior citizens, and the disabled. Mauritius

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4288-480: The Mascarene Islands . The main island of Mauritius, where the population is concentrated, hosts the capital and largest city, Port Louis . The country spans 2,040 square kilometres (790 sq mi) and has an exclusive economic zone covering 2,300,000 square kilometres (670,000 square nautical miles). Based on the only surviving map of the Portuguese discoveries dated 1502 called the Cantino planisphere , it

4422-591: The Mauritius kestrel and the pink pigeon , have survived and are subject to intensive and successful ongoing conservation efforts. The first historical evidence of the existence of the island now known as Mauritius is on a 1502 map called the Cantino planisphere which was smuggled out of Portugal, for the Duke of Ferrara, by the Italian 'spy' Alberto Cantino. On this purloined copy of a Portuguese map, Mauritius bore

4556-524: The Newspapers and Periodicals Amendment Act , the government tried to make every newspaper provide a bank guarantee of half a million rupees. Forty-three journalists protested by participating in a public demonstration in Port Louis, in front of Parliament. They were arrested and freed on bail. This caused a public outcry and the government had to review its policy. There was also dissatisfaction in

4690-855: The Sega tambour Chagos music genre was recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage from Mauritius. In January 2021, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution proclaiming this. In 2021, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea confirmed for its jurisdiction that the UK has "no sovereignty over the Chagos Islands", and thus the islands should be handed back to Mauritius. In August 2021,

4824-532: The Three Brothers , Eagle Islands , Egmont Islands and Danger Island ; southeast of these is Diego Garcia , by far the largest island. All are low-lying atolls, save for a few extremely small instances, set around lagoons . The Chagos Islands had been home to the Chagossians , a Bourbonnais Creole -speaking people, until the United Kingdom expelled them from the archipelago at the request of

4958-759: The United States between 1967 and 1973 to allow the United States to build Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia , a military base on Diego Garcia, on land leased from the UK military in the British Indian Ocean Territories . Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia has been inhabited, and only by employees of the US military, including American civilian contracted personnel. Since being expelled, Chagossians, like all others not permitted by

5092-504: The Universal Postal Union banned BIOT stamps from being used in the BIOT, a move Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth called a "big step in favour of the recognition of the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos". In the same year, Mauritius amended its Criminal Code to outlaw "misrepresenting the sovereignty of Mauritius over any part of its territory", with the penalty of a fine or jail term up to 10 years. As

5226-488: The crucifixion of Jesus . They also named some of the atolls, such as Diego Garcia and Peros Banhos Atoll, mentioned as Pedro dos Banhos in 1513 by Afonso de Albuquerque . This lonely and isolated group, economically and politically uninteresting to the Portuguese, was never made part of the Portuguese Empire . The earliest and most interesting description of the Chagos, before coconut trees grew widely on

5360-433: The hotspot now rests under Réunion Island. Mauritius is encircled by a broken ring of mountain ranges, varying in height from 300 to 800 metres (1,000 to 2,600 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 Rivière Noire at 828 metres (2,717 ft). Streams and rivers speckle

5494-422: The 1MR mutinying. During World War II, conditions were hard in the country; the prices of commodities doubled but workers' salaries increased only by 10 to 20 percent. There was civil unrest, and the colonial government censored all trade union activities. However, the labourers of Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate went on strike on 27 September 1943. Police officers eventually fired directly at the crowd, resulting in

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5628-455: The 1MR proved to be politically unpopular on the basis of some troops resenting conscription and the battalion overseas comprising solely non-white troops, exacerbating racial tensions in the country. The 1MR troops were further aggrieved at the segregation they were subject to, unequal pay, physically demanding training, and were fearful of the Japanese soldiers, all these factors culminated in

5762-698: The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), with the intent of ultimately closing the plantations to provide the British territory from which the United States would conduct its military activities in the region. On 30 December 1966, the United States and the United Kingdom executed an agreement through an Exchange of Notes which permit the United States Armed Forces to use any island of the BIOT for defence purposes for 50 years, until December 2016, followed by

5896-430: 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 centre for indentured servants . The labourers brought from India were not always fairly treated, and a Frenchman of German origin, Adolphe de Plevitz, made himself the unofficial protector of these immigrants. In 1871 he helped them to write

6030-445: The Chagos in the 1770s. On 27 April 1786 the Chagos Islands and Diego Garcia were claimed for Great Britain . However, the territory was ceded to Britain by treaty only after Napoleon 's defeat, in 1814. The Chagos were governed from Mauritius, which was by that time also a British colony. In 1793, when the first successful colony was founded on Diego Garcia, the largest island, coconut plantations were established on many of

6164-617: The Chagossian community in the decision-making process. On the same day former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed commented that the decision to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, despite the Maldives' claims, was unacceptable. The archipelago is about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the Maldives , 1,880 kilometres (1,170 mi) east of the Seychelles , 1,680 kilometres (1,040 mi) north-east of Rodrigues Island ( Mauritius ), 2,700 kilometres (1,700 mi) west of

6298-822: The Dutch to abandon Mauritius in 1710. A 1755 article in the English Leeds Intelligencer claims that the island was abandoned due to the large number of long tailed macaque monkeys "which destroyed everything in it," and that it was also known at the time as the Island of Monkeys . Portuguese sailors had brought these monkeys to the island from their native habitat in Southeast Asia, prior to Dutch rule. France, which already controlled neighbouring Île Bourbon (now Réunion ), took control of Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it Isle de France . In 1723,

6432-456: The EPZ (Export Processing Zone) sector. Industrialisation began to spread to villages as well, and attracted young workers from all ethnic communities. As a result, the sugar industry began to lose its hold on the economy. Large retail chains began opening stores in 1985 and offered credit facilities to low-income earners, thus allowing them to afford basic household appliances. There was also a boom in

6566-670: The East Indies) rather than through the perceived safer route through the Mozambique channel, following the East African shore line. In 1598, a Dutch squadron under Admiral Wybrand van Warwyck landed at Grand Port and named the island Mauritius , in honour of Prince Maurice van Nassau , stadtholder of the Dutch Republic . Later the island became a French colony and was renamed Isle de France . On 3 December 1810,

6700-505: The French government. Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre lived on the island from 1768 to 1771, then went back to France, where he wrote Paul et Virginie , a love story that made the Isle de France famous wherever the French language was spoken. In 1796 the settlers broke away from French control when the government in Paris attempted to abolish slavery. Two famous French governors were

6834-401: The French language and law of France in criminal and civil matters. Under British rule, the island's name reverted to Mauritius. The British administration, which began with Sir Robert Farquhar as its first governor , oversaw rapid social and economic changes. However, it was tainted by the Ratsitatane episode. Ratsitatane, nephew of King Radama of Madagascar , was brought to Mauritius as

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6968-400: The French surrendered the island to the United Kingdom during the Napoleonic Wars . Under British rule, the island's name reverted to Mauritius / m ə ˈ r ɪ ʃ ə s / . Mauritius is also commonly known as Maurice ( pronounced [mɔʁis] ) and Île Maurice in French, Moris ( pronounced [moʁis] ) in Mauritian Creole . The island of Mauritius

7102-486: The Grand River North West bridge, and clashed with police. An act of Parliament was passed on 16 December 1975 to extend the right to vote to 18-year-olds. This was seen as an attempt to appease the frustration of the younger generation. The next general elections took place on 20 December 1976 . The Labour-CAM coalition won only 28 seats out of 62. The MMM secured 34 seats in Parliament but outgoing Prime Minister Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam managed to remain in office, with

7236-423: The Great Southern Land, mapping parts of Tasmania , New Zealand and New Guinea . The first Dutch settlement lasted 20 years. In 1639, the Dutch East India Company brought enslaved Malagasy to cut down ebony trees 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

7370-537: The Hydrographic Service of the Royal Navy. Moresby's survey of the Atolls of the Maldives was followed by the Chagos Archipelago. where he conducted "a thorough scientific survey". He planted 30 breadfruit trees in Diego Garcia Island, the largest of the group. Moresby reported that "there were cats and chickens on the island". Some of his observations were used by Darwin in his 1842 book "The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs." Moresby's charts were so good that they were favored by Maldivian pilots navigating through

7504-437: The Indian Ocean, including approximately 400,000 km (150,000 sq mi) jointly managed with the Seychelles . Mauritius is 2,000 km (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of Africa, between latitudes 19°58.8'S and 20°31.7'S and longitudes 57°18.0'E and 57°46.5'E . It is 65 km (40 mi) long and 45 km (30 mi) wide. Its land area is 1,864.8 km (720.0 sq mi). The island

7638-472: The June 1982 election. According to an Information Ministry official the nine months was a "socialist experiment". Harish Boodhoo dissolved his party PSM to enable all PSM parliamentarians to join Jugnauth's new party MSM, thus remaining in power whilst distancing themselves from MMM . The MSM-Labour-PMSD coalition was victorious at the August 1983 elections, resulting in Anerood Jugnauth as PM and Gaëtan Duval as Deputy PM . That period saw growth in

7772-454: The Legislative Council – although the franchise was restricted mainly to the white French and fair-skinned Indian elite who owned real estate. In 1886, Governor John Pope Hennessy nominated Gnanadicarayen Arlanda as the first ever Indo-Mauritian member of the ruling council – despite the sugar oligarchy's preference for rival Indo-Mauritian Emile Sandapa. Arlanda served until 1891. In 1903, motorcars were introduced in Mauritius, and in 1910,

7906-525: The MMM, including Paul Bérenger, were imprisoned on 23 December 1971. The MMM leader was released a year later. In 1973, Mauritius became the first country in Africa to be free from diagnoses of malaria . In May 1975, a student revolt that started at the University of Mauritius swept across the country. The students were unsatisfied with an education system that did not meet their aspirations, and that gave limited prospects for future employment. On 20 May, thousands of students tried to enter Port-Louis over

8040-412: The Maldives provided an opportunity for the British to redraw the map of the archipelago to suit their strategic interests. One notable example is the exclusion of the Chagos Archipelago from the Maldivian territory, a decision that continues to have geopolitical implications. The Enduring Impact The British colonial legacy, including the imposed map and borders, has had long-lasting consequences for

8174-450: The Maldives straddles the trade routes from Europe and Africa to the East, surveying and charting the Maldivian seas became a most urgent international need. Therefore, when the British Admiralty survey of the Red Sea was completed in 1834, Commander Moresby was dispatched to the Maldives. Moresby came to the Maldives in 1835 with special letters to the Radhun from the Governments of Bombay and Ceylon. The purpose of Commander Moresby's visit

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8308-416: The Maldives to be settled permanently by Maldivians . Thus for many centuries the Chagos were ignored by their northern neighbours. However, these claims contrasts with the view of the historical connection of Maldives toward the Chagos, as they were considered an extension of Maldivian maritime territory. For centuries, the Maldivians have used the Chagos as a base for fishing expeditions. People would camp on

8442-459: The Maldives. The country continues to grapple with the challenges of asserting its sovereignty and territorial rights, particularly in the context of maritime disputes and resource management. On 31 August 1903 the Chagos Archipelago was administratively separated from the Seychelles and attached to Mauritius. In November 1965, the UK purchased the entire Chagos Archipelago from the then self-governing colony of Mauritius for £3 million to create

8576-407: The Maldivian territory was to be charted by the British, this first line of the Maldivian defense system would become obsolete. Mueenuhdeen Radhun's defense system would have been made vulnerable. The Radhun worked to prevent Moresby from his survey work, as it represented a threat to the Radhun's throne. Furthermore, Moresby's inspection of the bastions of Male gave further threat to the Radhun, making

8710-399: The Radhun suspicious of the British intentions. The Radhun not only refused to cooperate with Commander Moresby, but also created all sorts of passive obstructions and Moresby left the Maldives with his intentions unfulfilled. Ultimately, the situation caused a significant internal political struggle between the Radhun and his rivals, but Moresby was able to complete the first modern survey of

8844-488: The Seychelles or Mauritius. The independent Mauritian government refused to accept these further displaced islanders without payment and in 1973, the United Kingdom agreed and gave them an additional £650,000 as reparation payments to resettle the people. Some people were of the view that they were rehoused and employed under worse conditions than other Mauritians. The islands were becoming costly to live in due to industrial moves away from coconut oils and copra fibre markets and

8978-399: The South east of the bank. The outlines of the first hydrographic surveys were marked in the 1980s navigational maps of the Chagos with a dotted line and the legend "existence doubtful" until the 1998 edition. Chagos Archipelago The Chagos Archipelago ( / ˈ tʃ ɑː ɡ ə s , - ɡ oʊ s / ) or Chagos Islands (formerly the Bassas de Chagas, and later the Oil Islands ) is

9112-446: The Swan') on early Portuguese maps, almost certainly from the name of a ship called Cisne which was captained by Diogo Fernandes Pereira in the 1507 expedition which discovered Mauritius and Rodrigues which he called ilha de Diogo Fernandes but poorly transcribed by non-Portuguese speakers as Domigo Friz or Domingo Frias . Diogo Fernandes Pereira may have been the first European to sail east of Madagascar island ('outer route' to

9246-471: The UK or US governments, have been prevented from entering the islands. When Mauritius was a French colony , the islands were a dependency of the French administration in Mauritius (Île Maurice). By the Treaty of Paris of 1814 , France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the United Kingdom. In 1965, while planning for Mauritian independence, the UK constituted the Chagos as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Mauritius gained independence from

9380-455: The United Kingdom in 1968, and has since claimed the Chagos Archipelago as Mauritian territory. In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a non-binding advisory opinion stating that the UK "has an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible, and that all Member States must co-operate with the United Nations to complete the decolonization of Mauritius". In December of that year,

9514-409: The Vicomte de Souillac (who constructed the Chaussée in Port Louis and encouraged farmers to settle in the district of Savanne) and Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux (who saw to it that the French in the Indian Ocean should have their headquarters in Mauritius instead of Pondicherry in India). Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen was a successful general in the French Revolutionary Wars and, in some ways,

9648-399: The act is extraterritorial, it restricts the abilities of Chagossians both in Mauritius and around the world to voice their opinions on the legal status of the Chagos Islands. In October 2024, the British government announced it would hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius subject to finalisation of a treaty. Some Chagossians have criticised the deal for not having included

9782-537: The administrative expenses of the new territory. The plantations, under their previous private ownership and under government administration, proved consistently unprofitable due to the introduction of new oils and lubricants in the international marketplace and the establishment of vast coconut plantations in the East Indies and the Philippines . Between 1967 and 1973, the population was forcibly removed from

9916-474: The archipelago were Portuguese explorers . Although the Portuguese navigator Pedro de Mascarenhas (1470 – 23 June 1555) is credited with having encountered the islands during his voyage of 1512–13, there is little corroborative evidence; cartographic analysis points to 1532 or later. Portuguese seafarers named the group Bassas de Chagas, Portuguese : Chagas (wounds) referring to the Holy Wounds of

10050-526: The atolls and isolated islands of the archipelago. The workers were enslaved by the British and not freed until 1840, after which time many of the workers descended from those who had earlier been enslaved. They formed an inter-island culture called Ilois , a French Creole word meaning "Islanders". Commander Robert Moresby made a survey of the Chagos on behalf of the British Admiralty in 1837–38. After Moresby had taken measurements of most of

10184-596: The atolls and reefs, the archipelago was charted with relative accuracy for the first time. Moresby's survey of the Atolls of the Maldives was followed by the Chagos Archipelago.(1854) Robert Moresby (1794–1854) was a captain of the East India Company's Bombay Marine/Indian Navy who distinguished himself as a hydrographer, maritime surveyor and draughtsman. Moresby is best known for conducting

10318-542: The best option for Britain was to give complete independence to its colonies. Thus, since the late fifties, the way was paved for independence. 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

10452-473: The birth of the Labour Party , launched by Maurice Curé . Emmanuel Anquetil rallied the urban workers while Pandit Sahadeo concentrated on the rural working class. The Uba riots of 1937 resulted in reforms by the local British government that improved labour conditions and led to the un-banning of labour unions. Labour Day was celebrated for the first time in 1938. More than 30,000 workers sacrificed

10586-415: The cartography of the vast sunken reefs forming the Great Chagos Bank proved quite a challenge. The real shape of these sunken reefs was known only when satellite imagery became available in the latter part of the 20th century. Moresby's original hydrographic drawings were somewhat at variance with the true shape of the submerged reef, especially in areas where there were no emerging islands close by, like in

10720-506: The coastal historic village of Mahébourg to assault the Indo-Mauritian spectators who were watching a Hindustani movie at Cinéma Odéon. Mahébourg police recorded nearly 100 complaints of assaults on Indo-Mauritians. At the Lancaster Conference of 1965, it became clear that Britain wanted to relieve itself of the colony of Mauritius. In 1959, Harold Macmillan had made his famous " Wind of Change Speech " in which he acknowledged that

10854-404: The commercial development of the islands for tourism. Until October 2010, Skipjack ( Euthynnus pelamis ) and yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ) were fished for about two months of the year as their year-long migratory route takes them through Chagos waters. While the remoteness of the Chagos offers some protection from extractive activities, legal and illegal fishing have had an impact. There

10988-663: The country in case the British imperial troops had to leave. On 24 March 1943, the Mauritius Regiment , was created as an imperial unit and a new subsidiary of the East Africa Command (EAC). In late 1943, the 1st Battalion of the Mauritius Regiment (1MR) was sent to Madagascar for training, and in their place a battalion of the King's African Rifles (KAR) was stationed in Mauritius. The dispatch of

11122-425: The creation of the no-take marine reserve. All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK–US military facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines , and the US. There are currently no industrial or agricultural activities on

11256-462: The deaths of four labourers. This became known as the 1943 Belle Vue Harel Massacre . Social worker and leader of the Jan Andolan movement Basdeo Bissoondoyal organised the funeral ceremonies of the four dead labourers. Three months later, on 12 December 1943, Bissoondoyal organised a mass gathering at "Marie Reine de la Paix" in Port Louis, and the significant crowd of workers from all over

11390-545: The economy but also the political life of the country. From the end of nominated Arlanda's term in 1891, until 1926, there had been no Indo-Mauritian representation in the Legislative Council. However, at the 1926 elections, Dunputh Lallah and Rajcoomar Gujadhur became the first Indo-Mauritians to be elected to the Legislative Council. At Grand Port, Lallah won over rivals Fernand Louis Morel and Gaston Gebert; at Flacq, Gujadhur defeated Pierre Montocchio. 1936 saw

11524-467: The education sector. There were not enough high-quality secondary colleges to answer the growing demand of primary school leavers who had got through their CPE (Certificate of Primary Education). In 1991, a master plan for education failed to get national support and contributed to the government's downfall. In December 1995, Navin Ramgoolam was elected as PM of the Labour–MMM alliance. In October 1996,

11658-402: The first President . This was under a transitional arrangement, in which he was replaced by Cassam Uteem later that year. Political power remained with the prime minister. Despite an improvement in the economy, which coincided with a fall in the price of petrol and a favourable dollar exchange rate, the government did not enjoy full popularity. As early as 1984, there was discontent. Through

11792-687: The first modern survey of the Red Sea (1829–32).   After the completion of the Red Sea Survey, Robert Moresby was sent to chart various coral island groups lying across the track of India-to-Cape trade. In 1834–36 Moresby, assisted by Lieutenants Christopher and Young, undertook the difficult cartography of the Maldive Islands, drawing the first accurate maritime charts of this complicated Indian Ocean atoll group (Admiralty Charts). These charts were printed as three separate large maps by

11926-558: The first taxis came into service. The electrification of Port Louis took place in 1909, and in the same decade the Mauritius Hydro Electric Company of the Atchia Brothers was authorised to provide power to the towns of upper Plaines Wilhems . 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

12060-419: The high-water mark, is not included. Features are listed in the table from north to south: Download coordinates as: The main natural resources of the area are coconuts and fish. The licensing of commercial fishing used to provide an annual income of about US$ 2 million for the British Indian Ocean Territory authorities. However, licenses have not been given since October 2010; the last expired after

12194-430: The island confirmed the popularity of the Jan Andolan movement. After the proclamation of the 1947 Constitution of Mauritius , the general elections were held on 9 August 1948 – and, for the first time, the colonial government expanded the franchise to all adults who could write their name in one of the island's 19 languages, abolishing the previous gender and property qualifications. Guy Rozemont 's Labour Party won

12328-431: The island in 1528. In 1598, a Dutch squadron under Admiral Wybrand Van Warwyck landed at Grand Port and named the island "Mauritius" after Prince Maurice of Nassau ( Dutch : Maurits van Nassau ) of the Dutch Republic . The Dutch inhabited the island in 1638, from which they exploited ebony trees and introduced sugar cane , domestic animals and deer. It was from here that Dutch navigator Abel Tasman set out to seek

12462-477: The island of Tromelin . The treaty failed to mention it specifically. Mauritius became the British Empire 's main sugar-producing colony and remained a primarily sugar-dominated plantation-based colony until independence, in 1968. In 1965, the UK split the Chagos Archipelago from British Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). The local population was forcibly expelled and

12596-566: The island, many formed in the cracks created by lava flows. The autonomous island of Rodrigues is located 560 km (350 mi) to the east of Mauritius, with an area 108 km (42 sq mi). Rodrigues is a volcanic island rising from a ridge along the edge of the Mascarene Plateau . 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

12730-487: The island. In early 1729, Indians from Pondicherry, India , arrived in Mauritius aboard the vessel La Sirène . Work contracts for these craftsmen were signed in 1734 at the time when they acquired their freedom. From 1767 to 1810, except for a brief period during the French Revolution when the inhabitants set up a government virtually independent of France, the island was controlled by officials appointed by

12864-499: The islands and moved to Mauritius and the Seychelles to make way for a joint United States–United Kingdom military base on Diego Garcia . In March 1971, United States naval construction battalions (Seabees), arrived on Diego Garcia to begin the construction of the Communications Station and an airfield. To satisfy the terms of an agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States for an uninhabited island,

12998-572: The islands, catch fish, and cook, smoke, and dry them. Additionally, the exiled Maldive King Hassan IX (also known as Dom Manoel), while in Cochin , describes himself in his letters patent of 1561 as King of the Maldive islands, including seven of the islands of Pullobay, referring to Fōlhavahi or the Chagos, and this letter survives in a Portuguese archive in Lisbon. In Maldivian lore the whole group

13132-595: The islands, was written by Manoel Rangel, a castaway from the Portuguese ship Conceição which ran aground on the Peros Banhos reefs in 1556. The oldest known written document claiming the Chagos is attributed to King Hassan IX of the Maldives in the year 1561. The French were the first European colonial power to lay claim to the Chagos after they settled Île Bourbon (now Réunion , in 1665) and Isle de France (now Mauritius, in 1715). The French began issuing permits for companies to establish coconut oil plantations on

13266-533: The islands. All the water, food and other essentials of daily life are shipped to the island. An independent feasibility study led to the conclusion that resettlement would be "costly and precarious". Another feasibility study, commissioned by organisations supporting resettlement, found that resettlement would be possible at a cost to the British taxpayer of £25 million. If the Chagossians return, they plan to re-establish copra production and fishing, and to begin

13400-430: The largest island, Diego Garcia , was leased to the United States. Ruling on the sovereignty dispute between Mauritius and the UK , the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has ordered the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Given its geographic location and colonial past, the people of Mauritius are diverse in ethnicity, culture , language and faith. It is the only country in Africa where Hinduism

13534-451: The local overseas trade.   However, when considered in a different perspective there were innumerable issues which could arise because of the British intentions. The reefs and the shallows of the Maldives was her first line of defense. The strategic importance of the topography of the Maldivian reefs, shallows, islands and the atolls of the country has been a closely guarded secret of the Maldivian militia for centuries. Therefore, if

13668-501: The loss of their slaves, who had been imported from Africa and Madagascar during the French occupation. The abolition of slavery had important effects on Mauritius's society, economy and population. The planters brought a large number of indentured labourers from India to work in the sugar cane fields. Between 1834 and 1921, around half a million indentured labourers were present on the island. They worked on sugar estates, factories, in transport and on construction sites. Additionally,

13802-440: The majority of seats. In January 1968, six weeks before the declaration of independence the 1968 Mauritian riots occurred in Port Louis leading to the deaths of 25 people. Mauritius adopted a new constitution, and independence was proclaimed on 12 March 1968. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam became the first prime minister of an independent Mauritius – with Queen Elizabeth II remaining head of state as Queen of Mauritius. In 1969,

13936-528: The majority of the votes with 11 of the 19 elected seats won by Hindus . However, the Governor-General Donald Mackenzie-Kennedy appointed 12 Conservatives to the Legislative Council on 23 August 1948 to perpetuate the predominance of white Franco-Mauritians . In 1948, Emilienne Rochecouste became the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council. Guy Rozemont 's party bettered its position in 1953, and, on

14070-524: The name Dina Arobi (likely Arabic : دنية عروبي Daniyah ‘Arūbi or corruption of دبية عروبي Dībah ‘Arūbi ). In 1507, Portuguese sailors visited the uninhabited island after being blown off course from their route to India via the Mozambique channel. The island appears with the Portuguese names Cirne (a typographical error where the 's' of the Portuguese 'Cisne' (Swan) became an 'r') or Do-Cerne (typo of 'do Cisne' meaning 'of' or 'belonging to

14204-527: The office of prime minister. The transition took place as planned on 23 January 2017. In 2018, Mauritian president Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned over a financial scandal. The incumbent president is Prithvirajsing Roopun who has served since December 2019. In the November 2019 Mauritius general elections , the ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) won more than half of the seats in parliament, securing incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth

14338-525: The oligarchs in Curepipe. This became known as the 1911 Curepipe riots . Shops and offices were damaged in the capital, and one person was killed. In the same year, 1911, the first public cinema shows took place in Curepipe, and, in the same town, a stone building was erected to house the Royal College. In 1912, a wider telephone network came into service, used by the government, business firms, and

14472-517: The opposition coalition, Alliance du Changement , won 60 of the 64 seats in the Mauritian general election . Its leader, former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam , became new prime minister. The total land area of the country is 2,040 km (790 sq mi). It is the 170th largest nation in the world by size. The Republic of Mauritius comprises Mauritius Island and several outlying islands . The nation's exclusive economic zone covers about 2.3 million km (890,000 sq mi) of

14606-717: The opposition party, Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), was founded, led by Paul Bérenger . Later, in 1971, the MMM – backed by unions – called a series of strikes in the port, which caused a state of emergency in the country. The coalition government of the Labour Party and the PMSD (Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate) reacted by curtailing civil liberties and curbing freedom of the press . Two unsuccessful apparent assassination attempts were made against Paul Bérenger in 1971, killing his supporter Fareed Muttur and dock worker and activist Azor Adélaïde . General elections were postponed and public meetings were prohibited. Members of

14740-598: The plantation on Diego Garcia was closed in October of that year. The plantation workers and their families were initially deported to the plantations on Peros Banhos and Salomon atolls in the group; those who requested were transported to the Seychelles or Mauritius. In 1972, the UK closed the remaining plantations (all being now uneconomic) of the Chagos, and deported the Ilois who would have faced economic hardship to

14874-540: The reefs in its central area, are wholly submerged. The islands of the Great Chagos Bank, starting clockwise from the south, are: The Great Chagos Bank was surveyed for the first time by Commander Robert Moresby of the Royal Indian Navy in 1837; all other maps that would be drawn for over a century and a half were based on his chart. Although the charts of atolls made up of mostly emerged reefs, like Peros Banhos and Diego Garcia , were relatively accurate,

15008-414: The region. The Role of Pro-British Figures To further their colonial ambitions, the British often supported pro-British figures like Ahmad Dídí, who held considerable influence over Maldivian politics. By backing such individuals, the British were able to indirectly shape the country's policies and decisions. Exploiting Legal Loopholes The absence of a formal legal framework and defined borders in

15142-542: The region. Unauthorized Survey Sparks Tension One of the most significant incidents occurred in 1834 when Captain Moresby, commissioned by the British East India Company, conducted a survey of the Maldivian archipelago without explicit permission from the local authorities. This unauthorized action, viewed with suspicion and fear by the Maldivian people, highlighted the growing British interest in

15276-419: The republic and was thus able to elect its own representatives to administer the island. In 2003, the prime ministership was transferred to Paul Bérenger of the MMM, and Sir Anerood Jugnauth became president. Bérenger was the first Franco-Mauritian Prime Minister in the country's post-Independence history. In the 2005 elections , Navin Ramgoolam became PM under the new coalition of Labour–PMXD–VF–MR–MMSM. In

15410-419: The rise of a "retrocessionism" movement, which favoured the retrocession of Mauritius to France. The movement rapidly collapsed because none of the candidates who wanted Mauritius to be given back to France were elected in the 1921 elections. In the post-war recession, there was a sharp drop in sugar prices. Many sugar estates closed down, marking the end of an era for the sugar magnates who had not only controlled

15544-547: The root causes of the social disturbance. The resulting report delved into the cause of poverty and qualified many tenacious beliefs as perceptions. In January 2000, political activist Rajen Sabapathee was shot dead after he escaped from La Bastille jail. Sir Anerood Jugnauth of the MSM returned to power in September 2000 after securing an alliance with the MMM. In 2002, the island of Rodrigues became an autonomous entity within

15678-537: The seven atolls with dry land reaching at least the high-water mark, there are nine reefs and banks , most of which can be considered permanently submerged atoll structures. The number of atolls in the Chagos Archipelago is given as four or five in most sources, plus two island groups and two single islands, mainly because it is not recognised that the Great Chagos Bank is a huge atoll structure (including those two island groups and two single islands), and because Blenheim Reef , which has islets or cays above or just reaching

15812-507: The slave owners. This gave rise to discontent, and, to check an eventual rebellion, the government ordered all the inhabitants to surrender their arms. Furthermore, a stone fortress, Fort Adelaide, was built on a hill (now known as the Citadel hill) in the centre of Port Louis to quell any uprising. Slavery was gradually abolished over several years after 1833, and the planters ultimately received two million pounds sterling in compensation for

15946-464: The strength of the election results, demanded universal suffrage . Constitutional conferences were held in London in 1955 and 1957, and the ministerial system was introduced. Voting took place for the first time on the basis of universal adult suffrage on 9 March 1959. The general election was again won by the Labour Party, led this time by Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam . A Constitutional Review Conference

16080-581: The strike by using alternative workers known as 'black legs'. At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, many Mauritians volunteered to serve under the British flag in Africa and the Near East, fighting against the German and Italian armies. Mauritius was never really threatened, but in 1943, several British ships were sunk outside Port Louis by German submarines. In the initial stages of the war, locally recruited military formations were raised in order to defend

16214-592: The success of larger plantations in the far east. Mauritius Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius , is an island country in the Indian Ocean , about 2,000 kilometres (1,100 nautical miles) off the southeastern coast of East Africa , east of Madagascar . It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues , Agaléga , and St. Brandon (Cargados Carajos shoals). The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, along with nearby Réunion (a French overseas department ), are part of

16348-468: The sugar cane landowners. Eugène Laurent , mayor of Port Louis, was the leader of this new group; his party, Action Libérale , demanded that more people should be allowed to vote in the elections. Action Libérale was opposed by the Parti de l'Ordre, led by Henri Leclézio, the most influential of the sugar magnates. In 1911, there were riots in Port Louis due to a false rumour that Laurent had been murdered by

16482-686: The tourism industry, and new hotels sprang up throughout the island. In 1989 the stock exchange opened its doors, and in 1992, the freeport began operation. In 1990, the Prime Minister lost the vote on changing the Constitution to make the country a republic with Bérenger as president. On 12 March 1992, Mauritius was proclaimed a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations and the monarch removed as head of state. The last Governor-General of Mauritius , Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo , became

16616-497: The treacherous waters of their atolls until the 1990s, when satellite images appeared. In the Maldives a channel locally also known as Hanikandu, between Northern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll and "Fasdhūtere" Atoll, is still known as 'Moresby Channel'. The British expelled the Dutch from Ceylon in 1796 and included Maldives as a protected state.  By the 1800s, the European Oriental Trade had expanded vastly, and since

16750-565: The triple murder of political activists at Gorah-Issac Street in Port Louis led to several arrests and a long investigation. The year 1999 was marked by civil unrest and riots in February and then in May . Following the Kaya riots, President Cassam Uteem and Cardinal Jean Margéot toured the country and calm was restored after four days of turmoil. A commission of enquiry was set up to investigate

16884-477: The uninhabited island in 1715, renaming the island " Isle de France ". In 1810, the United Kingdom seized the island , and four years later, under the Treaty of Paris , France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the United Kingdom. The British colony of Mauritius now included Rodrigues, Agaléga, St. Brandon, the Chagos Archipelago , and, until 1906, the Seychelles . Mauritius and France dispute sovereignty over

17018-406: The uninhabited islands after Maurice, Prince of Orange . A succession of short-lived Dutch attempts at permanent settlement took place over a century with the aim of exploiting the local ebony forests, establishing a consistent sugar and arrack production using cane plant cuttings imported from Java together with over three hundred Malagasy slaves, before abandoning their efforts. France took

17152-467: The village of Trois Boutiques near Souillac and progressed to the historic village of Mahébourg . A nationwide state of emergency was declared on the whole British colony. The riot was initiated by the murder of Police Constable Beesoo in his vehicle by a Creole gang. This was followed by the murder of a civilian named Mr. Robert Brousse in Trois Boutiques. The Creole gang then proceeded to

17286-414: The western rim of the atoll, except for lonely Nelson Island , which lies wholly isolated in the middle of the northern fringe. These reefs have eight individual low and sandy islands, with a total land area of about 5.6 km (2.2 sq mi). All islands and their surrounding waters are a Strict Nature Reserve since 1998. The total length of the eastern and southern expanses of the bank, as well as

17420-699: The world's largest coral atoll, The Great Chagos Bank, which supports half the total area of good quality reefs in the Indian Ocean. As a result, the ecosystems of the Chagos have so far proven resilient to climate change and environmental disruptions. The largest individual islands are Diego Garcia (32.5 km (12.5 sq mi)), Eagle (Great Chagos Bank, 3.1 km (1.2 sq mi)), Île Pierre (Peros Banhos, 1.4 km (0.54 sq mi)), Eastern Egmont (Egmont Islands, 2.175 km (0.840 sq mi)), Île du Coin (Peros Banhos, 1.32 km (0.51 sq mi)) and Île Boddam (Salomon Islands, 1.27 km (0.49 sq mi)). In addition to

17554-484: Was held in London in 1961, and a programme of further constitutional advance was established. The 1963 election was won by the Labour Party and its allies. The Colonial Office noted that politics of a communal nature was gaining ground in Mauritius and that the choice of candidates (by parties) and the voting behaviour (of electors) were governed by ethnic and caste considerations. Around that time, two eminent British academics, Richard Titmuss and James Meade , published

17688-635: Was provided by slave traders of the Sakalava people in North West Madagascar, who raided East Africa and the Comoros for slaves, and the rest was provided by Arab slave traders who bought slaves from Portuguese Mozambique and transported them to Réunion via Madagascar. During the late eighteenth century, African slaves accounted for around 80 percent of the island's population, and by the early nineteenth century there were 60,000 slaves on

17822-528: Was to survey and chart the Maldivian seas for the British Admiralty.  However, the Radhun viewed Moresby's visit with suspicion.  Moresby was bearing a letter from the British government to the Radhun. The letter stated that the survey and charting the reefs, sand banks and the depths of the local seas would facilitate the movements of vessels calling at Male', and thereby increase and broaden

17956-479: Was uninhabited before its first recorded visit by Arab sailors in the end of the 10th century. Its name Dina Arobi has been associated with Arab sailors who first discovered the island. The Treaty of Tordesillas purported to give the Kingdom of Portugal the right to colonise this part of the world. In 1507, Portuguese sailors came to the uninhabited island and established a visiting base. Diogo Fernandes Pereira ,

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