Geography
Mauritius is situated in the
south-west part of the Indian Ocean, 2000 km from the east coast
of Africa between latitudes 19°50 and 20° south
and longitudes 17°18 and 57°48
east.
The island has an area of 1,864 sq.km and is almost
entirely surrounded by reefs. Within these reefs are peaceful laggons,
ringed by smooth beaches of white coral sand.There is a break in
the coral reef only in the south.
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History
The island had for a long time remained unknown
and unhabited. It was probably visited by Arab sailors during the
Middle Ages, and on maps of about 1500, it is shown as Dina Arobi.The
Portuguese sailor Domingo Fernadez Pereira was probably the first
European to land on the islandat around 1511, but it was another
Portugues sailor, Don Pedro Mascarenhas, who gave the name Mascarenes
to the group of islands now known as Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion.
The Dutch period (1598 -1710)
In 1598, a Dutch squadron, under the orders of Admiral
Wybrand Van Warwyck, landed at Grand Port and named the island Mauritius
, in honour of Prince Maurice de Nassau, "Stathouder" of Holland.
However, it was not until 1638 that there was the first attempt of
dutch settlement, which lasted only twenty years.The Dutch finally
left the island in 1710. They are remembered for the introduction
of sugar-cane, domestic animals and deer.
The French Period (1715-1810 )
Abandonned by the Dutch, the island became a French
possesion when, in September 1715, Guillaume Dufresne D'Arsel landed
and took possession of this precious port of call on the route
to India. He name the Island Isle de France ,but it was only in 1721
that the french started their occupation. However, it was only as
from 1735, with the arrival of the most illustrious of French governors,
Mahé de Labourdonnais, that the isle de France started developing
effectively.
La Bourdonnais established Port
Louis as naval base and ship building centre.Under his governorship,
numerous buildings were put up, a number of which are still standing
today - part of the Goverment House, the Chateau de Mon Plaisir,
the Line Barracks.
During the Napoleonic wars, the isle de France has become a base from which
French corsairs organized successful raids on British commercial ships.
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The British Period (1810-1968)
The British adminidtration, which began with Rober
Farquard as governor, was followed by rapid social and economic changes.
One of the most important event was the abolition of slavery in 1835.
The abolition of slavery had important repercussions on the socio-economic
and demographic fields. The planters turned to India, from where
they brought a large number of indentured labourers to work in the
sugar cane fields.The Indian immigrants, who were of both Hindu and
Muslims faith, were to change rapidly the fabric of the society.
They were later joined by a small number of petty Chinese traders.
Cultivation of sugar cane was given a boost and the island flourished, especially
with the export of sugar to England
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The head of State
is the President of the Republic, who is elected by the National
Assembly. The President appoints as Prime Minister the member of
the Assembly who appears to him best able to command the support
of the majority of the members of the assembly.
The Prime Minister is the Head of the Government.
He presides over the cabinet of Ministers which is collectively
responsible to the National assembly for any action taken by one
of its members.
The Members of the National Assembly are chosen
during general elections which take place every five years on the
basis of universal adult suffrage and secret ballot. The right
to vote is at 18.
The National Assembly
comprises 70 members: 62 elected members as well as eight additional
seats allocated to " best
losers" so as to achieve communal balance without disturbing the
political equilibrium established by the election results. |
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Government house at the Places d'Armes in Port Louis |
