Couleurs de l'ile de Maurice | Mauritius

Postcard

Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometers (560 mi) east of Madagascar. Its capital city is Port Louis. Mauritius became independent from the UK in 1968.

In 1598 a Dutch squadron landed at Grand Port and named the island "Mauritius", in honour of Prince Maurits van Nassau, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. However, it was not until 1638 that there was a first attempt of Dutch settlement. It was from here that Dutch navigator Abel Tasman set out to discover the western part of Australia. The Dutch abandoned Mauritius in 1710.

Stamps

A Tourloulou Crab and International year of chemistry (2011).