9th Century:
|
Discovery of Mauritius by the Arabs |
16th Century:
|
Portuguese arrived in Mauritius |
| 1598: |
First colonisation of the island by the Dutch. They named Mauritius after their ruler, Prince Maurice Van Nassau. They brought sugarcane and deer from Java to Mauritius and overexploited the Ebony forest which led to its destruction and the extinction of the Dodo, now a recognised symbol of conservation of endangered species. |
| 1710: |
The Dutch left the island. |
| 1715: |
The French took possession of the island and renamed it "Ile de France" |
| 1721: |
Governor Mahé de Labourdonnais founded Port Louis that later became the capital of Mauritius. Labourdonnais also set up the first sugar mill in the country and developed the island into a prosperous French colony. Port Louis became a port of call on the sea journey from Europe to the Far-East round Cape of Good Hope, and quickly established itself as a naval base and built roads and bridges to facilitate the local development and trade. Labourdonnais statue still stands guard facing Port Louis harbour. |
| 1810: |
A heavy naval battle took place in the South East of Mauritius, in Grand Port. This was the only naval battle won by Napoléon, and this symbol is still engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. But only three month later the British Empire launched another attack, this time in the North of Mauritius, that led the French Governor General Charles Decaen to surrender. |
| 1814: |
The Treaty of Paris ratified the cession of Mauritius and its dependencies, Rodrigues and Seychelles, to the British. At this time Réunion Island, that was also captured by the British, was returned to France. Then the island returned to its original name of Mauritius, and English became the official language. The Treaty of Paris also mentioned that the population may keep its everyday use of the French language, its religion and its law, hence French is still spoken in Mauritius despite the fact that the British ruled the island for 159 years. |
| 1835: |
Slavery was abolished, and a wave of new workers from brought from India to help with the sugarcane industry. The island also attracted Chinese and Muslim traders, which contributed to the melting pot that constitutes the diverse cultural population of Mauritius. |
| 1968: |
12th of March, Mauritius gained its Independence from Great Britain. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam became the first Prime Minister. Mauritius has since then been a member of the British Commonwealth and follows a democratic style of governance. |
| 1992: |
Mauritius became a Democratic Republic. |
