Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, which is an island nation off the southeast of the African continent, gained its independence from the British on 12th March, 1968. The British took control of the islands which includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands in 1810 from France during the Napoleonic Wars.
The island of Mauritius was the only home to the dodo which became extinct about 80 years after the initial European colonization.
The island was first colonized by the Dutch in 1638 and populated by traders, planters and their slaves, labourers, merchants and artisans. The island was name in honour of Prince Maurice of Nassau by the Dutch and was abandoned in 1710.
The French claimed Mauritius in 1715 and became a prosperous colony under the French East India Company. The French Government took control in 1767 and served as a naval base during the Napoleonic Wars but was captured by the British in 1810.
Mauritius has one of the most successful and competitive economies in Africa with one of the highest per capita income in Africa at USD 7,420 in 2010. The economy is based on tourism, textiles, sugar, financial services, information and communication technology, seafood, hospitality and property development, healthcare, renewable energy, and education and training.
Happy 44th Independence Day, Mauritius from Kuantan, Malaysia.