History

History

The island was discovered by the Portuguese in 1505. It was first colonized by the Dutch in 1638, and named in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau. The French controlled the island during the eighteenth century and renamed it Ile de France. The island was taken by the British in 1814, which restored its former name.
Independence came in 1968, but remained Mauritius monarch as head of state of the UK and only became a republic in 1992, being a member of the Commonwealth. The island has a stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights. As a result, has attracted considerable foreign investment, thus earning the highest income per capita in Africa.