Mauritius is an independent nation in Eastern Africa. With the capital city of Port Louis, Mauritius 2020 population is estimated at 1,271,779 according to countryaah. Mauritius’ early history is colored by the interests of the European colonial powers in the Indian Ocean. French and British colonizers built sugar plantations and brought with them African slaves and Indian labor. The mix of nationalities and cultures still influences the small island nation today.
When Arab and Malay mariners reached the archipelago in the 15th century, it was uninhabited. During the 1600s, the Dutch tried to colonize the main island, which was named after the Dutch leader, Prince Maurice of Orange. During this period, the drone, a large non-avian bird found only on these islands, was exterminated.
- AbbreviationFinder.org: Comprehensive guide to and popular abbreviations of Mauritius, covering history, economy, and social conditions.
The first permanent settlements were founded by the French as a step on the main island in 1715. The French brought with them African slaves and built large sugar plantations. During the Napoleonic Wars, the British captured Mauritius in 1810, which then remained under British control until independence in 1968. Few British moved to the island, where the French colonists remained with their slaves. Since the British banned slavery in the 1830s, the French Mauritians began to import labor from India into their plantations. For Mauritius political system, please check cancermatters.
In 1936 Mauritius Workers’ Party (MLP) was founded, which quickly won followers among the Indian plantation workers. The following year, riots broke out as they demanded better economic conditions and increased political influence.
2017
February
OPR wins election on Rodrigues
February 12
Elections are held at Rodrigues where the Organization of Rodrigues People (OPR) receives almost 60 percent of the vote and 10 out of 17 seats, while the rest goes to Rodrigues movement. Just over 80 percent of voters vote in the election.
January
Change of Prime Minister post
January 22
Sir Anerood Jugnauth announces that he will resign as prime minister and only a day later he is succeeded in the post by his son, Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth. The opposition calls for new elections and boycott the ceremony where the new prime minister takes over government power. Pravind Jugnauth retains responsibility for the economy and economic development and also takes over domestic affairs. Anerood Jugnauth now becomes Minister of Defense and also receives a mentoring role within the government. Ivan Collendavelloo will become Deputy Prime Minister, but may also take over responsibility for energy and utility services.
June
Success for Mauritius in the Chagos issue
June 22
Mauritius wins a vote in the UN General Assembly, when a majority of countries vote for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to be able to give advice on how to question the future status of the Chagos Islands. 94 countries support the resolution tabled by Mauritius. Most of the EU countries cast their votes. The United Kingdom and Mauritius have long had a dispute over the islands (see Foreign Policy and Defense).
Since 1971, Britain has been leasing one of the eagles, Diego Garcia, to the United States, which has a military base, there. The British have promised to return Chagos to Mauritius when the base is no longer needed for strategic reasons, but have not said when to do so. A group of former islanders have been fighting for many years to get the right to return to Chagos.
