DJ Trava

Mauritius is an island nation off the cost of Africa in the southwest Indian ocean. It is located about 900 kilometers or about 560 miles off the coast of Africa. The other islands are St. Brandon, Rodrigues and Agalega Island. Mauritius is a part of the Mascarene Islands. The islands of French Reunion are about 200 kelimoters or 350 miles to the southwest, the Rodrigues island is 570 kilometers or 350 miles to the north east. This island is famous for being the only place where the now extinct dodo bird was found. This island was known by Austronesian sailors and Arabs as early as the tenth century. Portugese explorers first came ti the island in 1507 and established visiting bases but did not live here. The Dutch arrived when ships blown off course by a severe storm forced their landing on the island in 1598, they named the island in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau. In 1630 the Dutch established the first European settlement on the island. Due to sever weather, cyclones and the decline of the settlement the Dutch abandoned the island a decade latter. In 1715 the French seized the island. Under French control the island developed a prosporus economy based on sugar. During the Napoleonic Wars the British gained control of the island. Today the government is elected every 5 years. There are 20 mainland constituency covering the island of Rodrigues. These elections tend to be a battle between two coalition parties. Mauritius is part of the Indian Ocean Commission, the South African Development Communty and the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie. This island nation is the best governed country in Africa according to the Ibrahim Index of African Governmants. Today Mauritius luxury hotel offer relaxing views of the beautiful blue waters of the Indian Ocean. This island has come into its own as a destination in these modern times.

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