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98-483: The Seychelles were first settled in 1770, by French settlers from the island of Mauritius . The islands population was mostly made up of slaves with a few whites and free blacks . Over time the Mauritian creole that was spoken by the slave population diverged enough from Mauritian Creole to be considered its own creole separate from Mauritian Creole. It further diverged after the freeing of Seychelles slaves in 1835 and

196-610: 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

294-544: A coral reef and extensive limestone deposits. According to Statistics Mauritius, at 1 July 2019, the population of the island was estimated at 43,371. Island country An island country , island state , or island nation is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. Approximately 25% of all independent countries are island countries. Island countries are historically more stable than many continental states but are vulnerable to conquest by naval superpowers . Indonesia

392-551: 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

490-539: 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

588-562: A difficult target. Many developing small island countries rely heavily on fish for their main supply of food. Some are turning to renewable energy —such as wind power , hydropower , geothermal power and biodiesel from copra oil —to defend against potential rises in oil prices . Some island countries are more affected than other countries by climate change , which produces problems such as reduced land use , water scarcity , and sometimes even resettlement issues. Some low-lying island countries are slowly being submerged by

686-734: 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

784-685: A formal setting. On June 27th 2024 Google announced it would be adding Seychellois Creole to Google Translate . Later Seychellois Creole was added under the name Seselwa Creole French. Seychellois Creole follows in subject verb object word order. Pronouns in Seychellois Creole fall into three categories: dependent subject, independent subject, and adnominal possessive, with there being no gender distinctions.. dependent pronouns can only be subjects not objects but independent pronouns can be both. Verbs in Seychellois Creole take one of two forms, long and short. Short verbs are used when

882-739: 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

980-506: 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,

1078-462: 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

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1176-447: 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

1274-492: 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

1372-500: 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%

1470-520: 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

1568-586: 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

1666-730: Is Chagossian Creole spoken by Chagossians in the United Kingdom , Mauritius, and the Seychelles. In several Seychellois Creole words derived from French, the French definite article ( le , la and les ) has become part of the word; for example, 'future' is lavenir (French l'avenir ). The possessive is the same as the pronoun, so that 'our future' is nou lavenir . Similarly in the plural, les Îles Éloignées Seychelles in French ('the Outer Seychelles Islands') has become Zil Elwanyen Sesel in Creole. Note

1764-465: 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 ,

1862-576: Is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,   as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 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

1960-729: Is linked to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway , Singapore to Malaysia by the Johor–Singapore Causeway and Second Link , and the United Kingdom has a railway connection to France through the Channel Tunnel . Geographically, the country of Australia is considered a continental landmass rather than an island, covering the largest landmass of the Australian continent . In the past, however, it

2058-561: Is now the Grand Port District and took possession of the island in 1598, renaming 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

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2156-496: 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

2254-463: 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] )

2352-448: Is the largest and most populated island country in the world. There are great variations between island country economies: they may rely mainly on extractive industries, such as mining, fishing and agriculture, and/or on services such as transit hubs, tourism , and financial services. Many islands have low-lying geographies and their economies and population centers develop along coast plains and ports ; such states may be vulnerable to

2450-589: 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

2548-497: 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

2646-655: 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

2744-598: 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

2842-599: 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

2940-525: The Maldives . Some island countries share one or more of their islands with other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland ; Haiti and the Dominican Republic ; and Indonesia, which shares islands with Papua New Guinea , Brunei , East Timor , and Malaysia . Bahrain, Singapore, and the United Kingdom have fixed links such as bridges and tunnels to the continental landmass: Bahrain

3038-645: 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

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3136-524: 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

3234-462: The Philippines are notable exceptions. Some island countries are centred on one or two major islands, such as the United Kingdom , Trinidad and Tobago , New Zealand , Cuba , Bahrain , Singapore , Sri Lanka , Iceland , Malta , and Taiwan . Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such as Japan , Indonesia, the Philippines , The Bahamas , Seychelles , and

3332-500: The global economy . Due to the nature of island countries their economies are often characterised by being smaller, relatively isolated from world trade and economy, more vulnerable to shipping costs, and more likely to suffer environmental damage to infrastructure; exceptions include Japan, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. The dominant industry for many island countries is tourism . Island countries are typically small with low populations, although some, like Indonesia , Japan , and

3430-433: 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

3528-540: The z in Zil , as, in French, les Îles is pronounced /le. z ‿il/ . Among loanwords in Seychellois Creole they have different frequencies words for the modern world, warfare/hunting, food and drink, animals, and the home show loanword rates over 10 percent. while words relating to cognition, emotions, social and political relationships, and the physical world show no loanwords. ( Lord's Prayer ) hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it

3626-422: 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

3724-455: 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

3822-430: 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

3920-822: 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,

4018-456: 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

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4116-670: 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,

4214-505: 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

4312-460: 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

4410-466: 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

4508-620: 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

4606-571: 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

4704-556: 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

4802-697: 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

4900-525: 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,

4998-583: 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

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5096-446: 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

5194-650: 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,

5292-694: 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

5390-473: 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

5488-506: 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

5586-663: 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

5684-563: The country's population. Seychellois Creole is the primary language of music, literature, politics, public usage, and mass media in the Seychelles. Though Seychellois literature has been increasingly replaced by English literature . While Seychellois laws are written in English, the working language of the National Assembly is Creole and the verbatim record of its meetings provides an extensive corpus for its contemporary use in

5782-402: 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

5880-474: 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

5978-414: 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,

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6076-556: The effects of the climate , especially sea level changes . Remote or significant islands and archipelagos that are not themselves sovereign are often known as dependencies or overseas territories . Historically, island countries have tended to be less prone to political instability than their continental counterparts. The percentage of island countries that are democratic is higher than that of continental countries. While island countries by definition are sovereign states , there are also several islands and archipelagos around

6174-402: 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

6272-406: 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

6370-430: 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

6468-431: 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

6566-414: 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

6664-447: 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

6762-420: 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

6860-430: 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

6958-501: 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,

7056-562: 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 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

7154-440: 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,

7252-528: 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

7350-583: 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

7448-527: 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

7546-525: 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

7644-433: The only surviving map of the Portuguese discoveries dated 1502 called the Cantino planisphere , it 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

7742-517: 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

7840-717: 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

7938-419: 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

8036-419: 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

8134-662: The rising water levels of the Pacific Ocean . Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such as tropical cyclones , hurricanes, flash floods and droughts . Some small and low population islands do not have the resources to protect their islands and natural resources. They experience climate hazards which impact on human health, livelihoods, and inhabitable space. This can lead to pressure to leave these islands but resources to do so are often lacking as well. Many island countries rely heavily on imports and are greatly affected by changes in

8232-547: 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

8330-507: 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

8428-464: 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

8526-581: 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

8624-405: The subsequent influx of Bantu peoples from East Africa to the islands. 49 fables of La Fontaine were adapted to the dialect around 1900 by Rodolphine Young (1860–1932) but these remained unpublished until 1983. The Seychelles gained independence in 1976 and since 1978 Seychellois Creole has been one of the country's three official languages. It is currently the native language of over 99% of

8722-468: 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

8820-686: 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

8918-565: 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

9016-477: 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

9114-537: The verb is directly followed by a noun or when an adverb is present and the long verbs being used otherwise. Causative voice are marked by the word fer (make) while Reflexive voice is marked with either the express lack of a marking; or the words li, mekor, and limenm . There is some variation in the language spoken in the Seychelles based on geography with limited differences in morphosyntax and lexicon, but not enough to speak of separate dialects . The only distinct non-standard dialect of Seychellois Creole

9212-467: 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

9310-611: The world that operate semi-autonomously from their official sovereign states. These are often known as dependencies or overseas territories and can be similar in nature to proper island countries. Island countries have often been the basis of maritime conquest and historical rivalry between other countries. Island countries are more susceptible to attack by large, continental countries due to their size and dependence on sea and air lines of communication . Many island countries are also vulnerable to predation by mercenaries and other foreign invaders, although their isolation also makes them

9408-484: 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

9506-635: 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

9604-479: 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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