Claim: Mauritius was a Dutch colony beginning in 1638.

Mauritius -LRB- -LSB- məˈrɪʃəs -RSB- or -LSB- məˈrɪʃiːəs -RSB- Maurice -RRB- , officially the Republic of Mauritius -LRB- République de Maurice -RRB- , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2000 km off the southeast coast of the African continent . The country includes the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues -LSB- 560 km east of Mauritius -RSB- , and the outer islands -LRB- Agaléga , St. Brandon and two disputed territories -RRB- . The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues form part of the Mascarene Islands , along with nearby Réunion , a French overseas department . The area of the country is 2,040 km2 . The capital and largest city is Port Louis . Formerly a Dutch colony -LRB- 1638 -- 1710 -RRB- and a French colony -LRB- 1715 -- 1810 -RRB- , Mauritius became a British colonial possession in 1810 and remained so until 1968 , the year in which it attained independence . The government uses English as its main language .   The sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom -LRB- UK -RRB- . The UK excised the archipelago from Mauritian territory in 1965 , three years prior to Mauritian independence . The UK gradually depopulated the archipelago 's indigenous population and leased its biggest island , Diego Garcia , to the United States . Access to the archipelago is prohibited to casual tourists , the media , and its former inhabitants . Mauritius also claims sovereignty over Tromelin Island from France .   The people of Mauritius are multiethnic , multi-religious , multicultural and multilingual . The island 's government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system , and Mauritius is highly ranked for democracy and for economic and political freedom . Along with the other Mascarene Islands , Mauritius is known for its varied flora and fauna , with many species endemic to the island . The island is widely known as the only known home of the dodo , which , along with several other avian species , was made extinct by human activities relatively shortly after the island 's settlement . Mauritius is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the largest religion .