Mauritius has been a Portuguese, Dutch, French and English settlement, each culture leaving a lasting imprint on the island. The Portuguese were the first to arrive in 1510, followed by the Dutch, in 1598, and the French in 1715. A lot of infrastructural development took place in Mauritius under the French. In 1814, the island was ceded to the British by France, and remained under British rule till its independence in 1968.
The local culture is an amalgamation of different customs and traditions, which over the last 400 years have created a unique Mauritian identity. This is where Europe, India, China and Africa all merge as one. Every thing about Mauritius, its religion, cuisine, language, literature and folklore, reflects its multicultural backdrop as well as a distinct flavour unique to Mauritius alone.
Mauritius is situated in the Indian Ocean, off the South East Coast of Africa. It is a part of the Mascarene Islands, an archipelago of volcanic origin. The island is formed around a central plateau, encircled by a mountain range; its coastline is surrounded by an unbroken coral reef. Mauritian territory includes the islands of Rodrigues, Agalega and Cargados Carajos.
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