History
Mauritius was originally discovered by the Arabs as early as the
10th century but never stopped to settle it. The first attempt at
colonisation was made by the Dutch who arrived in 1598 and named
the island Mauritius after Prince Maurice of Nassau. The colony,
however, never really flourished, and the Dutch departed for good
in 1710, leaving in their wake the extinction of the dodo and the
introduction of African slaves, Javan deer, wild boar, tobacco and
sugar cane. In 1715, the French occupied the island which they renamed
Isle de France. However, in 1810, the British launched a surprise
attack against the French and conquered the island and reverted
the name to Mauritius. It then won her independence from Britain
on 12 March 1968, remaining within the Commonwealth.
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