Renaming Mauritius

Situated in the Indian Ocean's Mascarene Islands, Mauritius has undergone a few names changes. Each time control of the island shifted from one nation to another, it was rebranded under a new identity.


Arabic
Though they never settled Mauritius, Arabic sailors bestowed a few different names on the island; Dina Margabin, Dina Robin, Dina Arobi/Harab. The names can be translated, among others, as Square Isle, Desert Isle, or Abandoned Isle.


Portuguese
Portugal's primary involvement with the island was from the late 16th Century to the early 17th Century. Though they never created a permanent settlement, Portuguese maps from this time show the island marked as "Cirne"(Swan Island).

Dutch
The Dutch settled Mauritius in 1658 and gifted the island (temporarily) with its modern name, in honor of Maurice, Prince of Orange. In less than a century, the Dutch abandoned their settlement. (It was during this period that the island's dodo bird went extinct.)

Maurice, Prince of Orange
French and British
In 1715, just five years after being abandoned by the Dutch, France claimed the island and renamed it the Isle of France. A common theme of European history is Britain and France fighting over, well, pretty much anything. By the early 19th Century, this led to British control of island and restoration of the name, "Mauritius" (This time for good.)

Thanks for reading.

Speaking of islands off the coast of Africa, try out this scent-free article on the Perfume Isles

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Map Attribution: By Yashveer Poonit - Own work
This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  CIA WorldFactBook-Political world.svg (by).This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Mauritius location map.svg (by Uwe Dedering).This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Rodrigues Island location map.svg (by Xfigpower).This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  B.I.O.T location map.svg (by Chumwa).This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Agalega Islands map-en.svg (by Sting).This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  La Réunion arrondissement commune map.svg (by Sémhur)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29741455

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