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The known and sometimes formally documented history of Mauritius begins with its possible discovery by Austronesians (not documented) under the Austronesian expansion from pre-Han Taiwan, circa 1500 to 1000 BC, and then by Arabs, (documented on Portuguese maps), followed by Portuguese and its appearance on European maps in the early 16th century.
Mauritius, [a] officially the Republic of Mauritius, [b] 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).
Mauritius is a multi-ethnic, multilingual and a plural society with a population composed mainly of four major ethnic and religious groups. It is often depicted as a "rainbow nation". [1] [2] The island of Mauritius did not have any indigenous population and has been characterized by successive waves of European colonization and multiple ...
Mauritius accepted the convention on September 19, 1995, making its sites eligible for inclusion on the list. [2] As of 2024, Mauritius has two World Heritage Sites. [2] Aapravasi Ghat was inscribed on the list at the 30th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2006. Le Morne Brabant was added to the list in 2008.
Mauritius is a melting pot of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious peoples. Mauritian is made up of blended groups of people who come mainly from South Asian (notably Indian ), African ( Mozambique, Madagascar and Zanzibar ), European (White/European Mauritians), and Chinese descent, as well as those of a mixed background from any ...
Islands of the Republic of Mauritius labelled in black. Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom.Mauritius has repeatedly stated that the Chagos Archipelago is part of its territory and that the United Kingdom (UK) claim is a violation of United Nations resolutions banning the dismemberment of colonial territories before independence.
After the Dutch had abandoned Mauritius, the island became a French colony in September 1715 when Guillaume Dufresne d'Arsel landed and took possession of it, naming the island Isle de France. The French government turned over the administration of Mauritius to the French East India Company, but the island remained free of Europeans until 1721.
Tourism in Mauritius is an important component of the Mauritian economy as well as a significant source of its foreign exchange revenues. The tourism industry is also a major economic pillar on the island of Rodrigues ; however, tourism has not been developed in Agaléga Islands .