Jedu na Mauricius

History

Its position on sea routes and a succession of colonial powers created a society where cultures from Europe, Africa, India and China meet.

Milestones

  • 16th century: the island was known to Arab and Portuguese navigators but not permanently settled.
  • 1598–1710: the Dutch named the island after Maurice of Orange and tried to colonise it. During this period the dodo, the symbol of Mauritius, became extinct.
  • 1715–1810: the French colony of Île de France; sugar cane plantations were founded using slave labour.
  • 1810–1968: British colony. After slavery was abolished (1835), hundreds of thousands of indentured labourers arrived from India.
  • 12 March 1968: independence. Mauritius has been a republic since 1992.

A Czech connection

The bus station in Curepipe, the island's second-largest town, is named after Jan Palach (Jan Palach North and Jan Palach South).

Where to learn more

We recommend the L'Aventure du Sucre museum in Pamplemousses. Besides sugar cane processing, it covers the island's history, milestones and personalities in detail. A visit can take an hour or a whole morning. The UNESCO sites Aapravasi Ghat and Le Morne commemorate the arrival of indentured labourers and the resistance of enslaved people.