Due to its sheer remoteness Mauritius was completely uninhabited until the 16th century, when it was occupied by a small Dutch force that named it after Prince Maurice of Nassau. It was abandoned in 1710 and then re-occupied five years later by the French, who imported African slaves to work on the sugar plantations. Mauritius was later captured by the British in 1810 and became part of the British Empire in 1814. After the abolition of slavery in the 1830s, Indian labourers were imported and their descendants now comprise more than two-thirds of the population, further contributing to the country’s impressive ethnic diversity today. Mauritius remained a British colony until 1957, when it was granted internal self-government with an electoral system based on the Westminster model. Despite being British for almost 150 years, French influence from the early 19th century remained the dominant cultural force.
Full independence was granted in 1968, when the independence movement, led by Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, finally triumphed and the colony became the Republic of Mauritius, with Ramgoolam as its leader. Post-independence Mauritian politics have been dominated by the Ramgoolam family (Navin Ramgoolam, the Prime Minister since 2005 is the son of Sir Seewoosagur) and by the two principal figures of the Mauritian Left, Paul Bérenger and (later Sir) Anerood Jugnauth.
48% Hindu, 32% Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), 17% Muslim, 2% Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, 1% other.
Social conventions:Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Visitors should respect the traditions of their hosts, particularly when visiting a private house. The type of hospitality the visitor receives is determined by the religion and social customs of the host, which are closely related. It is appropriate to give a gift as a small token of appreciation if invited for a meal. Dress is normally informal although men will need to wear a suit for particularly formal occasions.
The two official languages of Mauritius are English and French (with French being the most dominant). The most commonly used languages on the street are Creole (pidgin French with other languages added to the mix), Hindi and Bhojpuri. Urdu and Chinese are also spoken. All people speak either some English or some French.
