

The island of Mauritius was visited during the Middle Ages by the Arabs and then by the Portuguese, who named it Dina Arobi and Cirne, respectively. The island was uninhabited until the Dutch Republic established a colony in 1638, with the Dutch naming the island after Prince Maurice van Nassau. The Dutch colony was abandoned in 1710, and, five years later, the island became a French colony and was named Isle de France. Due to its strategic position, Mauritius was known as the “star and key” of the Indian Ocean.

Mauritius became an important base on the trade routes from Europe to the East before the opening of the Suez Canal and was involved in the long power struggle between the French and the British. The French won the Battle of Grand Port, their only naval victory over the British during these wars, but they could not prevent the British from landing at Cap Malheureux three months later. They formally surrendered on the fifth day of the invasion, 3 December 1810, on terms allowing settlers to keep their land and property, the use of the French language, and the law of France in criminal and civil matters. Under British rule, the island became the Empire’s main sugar-producing colony. In the 20th century, movements to improve labour laws and introduce political reforms began to be organized, a process that accelerated after World War II. The country became an independent state on 12 March 1968, following the adoption of a new constitution. In 1992, Mauritius became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

The sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom (UK). The UK excised the archipelago from Mauritian territory prior to Mauritian independence in 1965. It gradually depopulated the archipelago’s indigenous population and leased its biggest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States. Mauritius also claims sovereignty over Tromelin Island from France.
