Mauritius History Timeline
- (900s) Arab sailors visited the uninhabited Mauritius and named it Dina Robin
- (1507) Portuguese navigator, Diogo Fernandes Pereira, visited the island but did not settle
- (1598) The Dutch claimed the uninhabited island and renamed it after their head of state, Maurice - Prince of Orange and Count of Nassau
- (1638) Dutch settlers attempted to colonize Mauritius
- (1662) The last known sighting of a Dodo bird (species endemic to Mauritius)
- (1710) The Dutch abandoned Mauritius after a second failed attempt at settling the island
- (1715) The French East India Company claimed Mauritius and renamed it Ille de France
- (1721) French settlement began and Port Louis was founded as a base against the British in India
- (1767) Control of the island was transferred to the French government
- (1810) British forces captured Mauritius during the Battle of Grand Port
- (1814) Mauritius, along with Seychelles, was ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Paris
- (1834) Slavery was abolished
- (1835) An indentured labor system was introduced on Mauritius bringing in hundreds of thousands of workers from India
- (1866) A malaria epidemic killed more than 40,000 people after an accidental introduction of the Anopheles mosquito to the island
- (1910) The indentured labor system was abolished
- (1936) The Mauritian Labor Party (MLP) was founded by Dr. Maurice Cure
- (1937) Rioters demanded better economic conditions and participation in government affairs
- (1948) A new constitution granted many Indians and Creoles the right to vote
- (1957) An internal self-government was introduced
- (1958) A new constitution granted all adults over 21 the right to vote
- (1959) Seewoosagur Ramgoolam was elected Chief Minister of Mauritius
- (1960) Cyclone Carol caused widespread damage and left thousands homeless
- (1964) Hindus and Creoles clashed in an ethnic riot
- (1968) Mauritius gained independence with Ramgoolam as Prime Minister
- (1969) The oppositional Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) was founded by Paul Berenger
- (1971) A state of emergency was declared after the union-backed MMM called for a series of strikes, Paul Berenger was arrested
- (1979) Cyclone Claudette devastated the island
- (1982) Sir Anerood Jugnauth elected prime minister
- (1985) Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, known as the Father of the Nation, died
- (1989) The Port Louis Stock Exchange opened
- (1992) Mauritius was declared an official republic by Prime Minister Jugnauth; MMM member Cassam Uteem was elected president
- (1995) Navin Ramgoolam elected prime minister
- (2000) Sir Anerood Jugnauth elected prime minister
- (2002) Both the president and vice-president resigned after refusing to sign a controversial anti-terrorism bill; the bill was passed and Karl Hoffman was elected president
- (2005) Navin Ramgoolam won the general election and returned as prime minister
- (2013) Flash flooding killed 11 people in Port Louis
Mauritius's Information

Land Area | 2,030 km2 |
---|---|
Water Area | 10 km2 |
Total Area | 2,040km2 (#169) |
Population | 1,348,242 (#155) |
Population Density | 664.16/km2 |
Government Type | Parliamentary Republic |
GDP (PPP) | $25.85 Billion |
GDP Per Capita | $20,500 |
Currency | Rupee (MUR) |
More Information | Mauritius |
About Mauritius
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This page was last updated on April 7, 2017.