Discovery & Colonial Era

Mauritius has a uniqueness among the island nations of the world: there were no indigenous people. When the first humans set foot on the island, it had been uninhabited for millions of years — a paradise without humans, populated by birds that had forgotten how to fly and giant tortoises that feared nothing.

The Discovery (1507–1598)

Arab seafarers likely knew of the island as early as the 10th century (they called it "Dina Arobi"), but the first documented European sighting is attributed to Portuguese sailors who discovered the island around 1507 on their way to India. They named it "Ilha do Cirne" (Swan Island) but did not settle it — Mauritius had no natural harbor and was not on their main route.

The Dutch (1598–1710)

In 1598, the Dutch landed and named the island after Prince Maurits van Nassau — hence the name Mauritius. The Dutch introduced sugarcane, felled ebony forests, and brought animals that devastated the native fauna: rats, monkeys, and deer. The most tragic consequence: the Dodo, the flightless bird that would become Mauritius' emblem, was exterminated within a few decades — by about 1681. The Dutch left the island in 1710, driven away by cyclones, diseases, and rat infestations.

The French — Île de France (1715–1810)

In 1715, the French took over the island and named it Île de France. Under Governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1735–1746), Mauritius became a thriving colony: Port Louis was founded, roads were built, the Botanical Garden was established, and — the darkest chapter of the history — slavery was established on a large scale. Thousands of people from Madagascar, Mozambique, and West Africa were abducted to toil on the sugarcane plantations. The descendants of these slaves form today's Creole population of Mauritius.