March 12: National Day of Mauritius
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Mauritius.
History Note
Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. It includes the main island of Mauritius, the smaller island of Rodrigues, and several tiny islands nearby.
Though Mauritius was known to sailors, it was uninhabited until the Dutch established a settlement in 1638. They brought enslaved people from Africa to create sugar plantations and work in them.
Mauritius was home to the dodo, a flightless member of the pigeon family that was about the size of a wild turkey. Because of hunting by humans and competition with non-native animals brought to the island, the dodo became extinct in the 17th century.
The Dutch left in 1710 for economic reasons, and people from France attempted to keep the plantations going. The British took over the island in 1810. After slavery was abolished in the British Empire, many people from India came to Mauritius to work as indentured servants.
Mauritius became an independent country on March 12, 1968. That date is now celebrated as the country’s National Day.
Mauritius is a parliamentary republic with 1.3 million people. Because of the large number of people with Indian heritage, nearly half of the population are Hindus. About one-fourth are Roman Catholic, and another 17% are Muslim.
People in Mauritius celebrate National Day in 2017. Photo by OlegD / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Cybèle Coutet Craig performs the national anthem of Mauritius in this video.
Find more resources about Mauritius at Homeschool History.
