A volcanic island east of Madagascar, a multicultural Indian Ocean republic famed for coral lagoons and as the former home of the extinct dodo.
Geography
Mauritius lies roughly 900 km east of Madagascar. Volcanic ridges including Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire at 828 m radiate from a central plateau, surrounded by an almost continuous coral reef.
Dodo
The flightless dodo was endemic to Mauritius and was driven to extinction by European sailors and introduced pigs and rats by 1681. Its image remains the national symbol on coats of arms and stamps.
Independence
The island was successively colonized by the Dutch (1638), French (1715), and British (1810). It gained independence within the Commonwealth in 1968 and became a republic in 1992.
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Mauritius (Island) starts with M and ends with D. Browse other islands along the same letter.
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