Mauritius

Mauritius is a volcanic island in the western Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. Coral reefs fringe its coast, while mountains and forests rise inland. The island's isolation gave rise to distinctive wildlife, including the flightless dodo, which disappeared after human settlement and the introduction of animals from overseas.

Dutch sailors named Mauritius in 1598, and the Dutch East India Company began a settlement in 1638. Enslaved Malagasy were brought to cut ebony and work plantations. The Dutch finally departed in 1710. France took possession in 1715, renaming the island Île de France, and settlers arrived from Bourbon in the following decade. Under French rule the island became a naval and commercial base supported by enslaved labour. British forces captured it in 1810, and slavery was abolished in 1835.

The later city of Port Louis lies here.