French period (1715 - 1810): in 1715 the French took possession of Mauritius to protect their ship routes to India. The settlement started in 1721. The development of the country starts in 1735 with the arrival of the governor Mahé de Labourdonnais whose work is still visible today: Construction of Port Louis as military port and shipbuilding centre / Château de Mon Plaisir in Pamplemousses / Line Barracks in Port Louis / parts of the Government House.The French East India Company took the administration of the island till 1767. Mauritius was the base of the corsairs during the Napoleonic wars. In 1810 great naval battle between England and France at Grand Port. Englishmen landed in the north (Cap Malheureux) and replaced the Frenchmen in August 1810.





English period (1810 -- 1968): great social and economic radical change. The abolition of the slavery in 1835 was the highlight. As result of this is the immigration of Indian workers, Hindus & Moslems who now took the work on the sugar-cane fields. Due to their majority, the culture of the island was strongly characterized. Chinese traders immigrate. Mauritius comes to prosperity by the well developed sugar industry . Since 1968 Mauritius is independent and from the 12th. March 1992 a republic state.



Population: Mauritius has become a society of different races, cultures and religions through its immigration. People of African, Indian, European and Chinese origins cohabit with various cultures, customs, languages peacefully and harmonically on narrow land. Mauritius is an example for other societies of the world.