Ep. 48 - Port Louis, Mauritius
Join us on a five minute expedition to the small island country of Mauritius and its capital, Port Louis. Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, French, British - This little island has seen lots of different folks throughout its history. Learn more about the unique story of this country and its unrivaled beauty in our first adventure of 2024!
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Transcription:
*Intro music*
Heeeeeello and welcome to the 48th installment of The Friday Take Five. You’re listening to the best five minute podcast for history and adventure. I’m Mark, your host, and like every other week, I’m doing my best to scratch an itch for both the history lovers and travel bugs out there. If you wind up at the end of our five minute adventure with a renewed appreciation for history, or a new travel destination added to your bucket list, then I’ve done my job. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy, episode number 48.
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On this fine first Friday of the year, where it’s quite chilly for many in the Northern hemisphere, we’re taking a five minute adventure to a country currently in their “hot” season in the southern hemisphere. Episode 48, is an adventure to the country of Mauritius, and its capital city of Port Louis. If you had asked me a few months ago to find Mauritius on a world map, you would likely have been left disappointed for a good 10 to 15 minutes. That is, if I didn’t give up on looking completely.
However, in searching for incredible beauty and great origin stories from around the world, I happened upon the deeply unique Mauritius, and I was immediately hooked.
For those unaware, Mauritius is an independent island country roughly 700 miles east of Madagascar. It’s an African country, but its geographic location also led to the country developing its own distinct identity from any other country in the world.
It’s believed by many that Arab sailors first happened upon the island in approximately the year 975. They named it Dina Arobi, but then moved on in their travels without much of a second thought. About 525 years later, the Portuguese were the next that visited the island and gave it names of their own. Another 90 years later, the Dutch finally happened upon the uninhabited island and decided to take it for themselves, naming it after Maurice, prince of Orange.
For the next hundred years, the Dutch tried and failed to exploit the resources of the island, but they were not able to create consistent yields and so they eventually gave up.
Enter the French. In 1715, they took control of the island and renamed it along with neighboring islands in the Isle de France. During the rule of France, slaves were imported to the island from multiple countries in Africa, ballooning the population from 15 to roughly 50 thousand. With their arrival, they renamed a port city originally created by the Dutch and named the Harbor of Tortoises, and they renamed it Port Louis. Named after Louis XV. Prior to the opening of the Suez Canal, the city grew into an important stopping point for ships making their way around the southern tip of Africa on the way to Asia. By the early 1800s, during the Napoleonic wars, Port Louis became a base from which the French navy led expeditions against the British.
However, eventually the Brits got fed up and fought back. The French won the initial engagement, but the British eventually landed on the island 3 months later and shortly after France surrendered their holdings to the British on the condition that the settlers, along with their language and customs, would be allowed to remain. It’s this condition that helped Mauritius retain its French influence today.
By the mid 1900s, Britain was itching to get rid of Mauritius, along with many of its other colonial holdings.
This would ultimately clear the path forward for Mauritius to declare independence and craft its own future, which it did in 1968.
Since declaring independence, the economy of Mauritius has continued to develop and Port Louis has evolved into a trusted place for business and a strong financial center for Africa. Moreover, it’s a beautiful part of the world.
An hour by foot from the capital will bring you to Le Pouce, the third highest mountain on the island and one that is highly accessible, and beautiful. Just an hour from the capital city by car will bring you to Le Morne Brabant, a peninsula on the southern tip of the island with incredible blue waters, and the world renown underwater waterfalls. Along with the great geographic sites there are plenty of whales to watch and dolphins with which to swim. Needless to say, Mauritius is one of those places with both incredible beauty, a great story, and I simply can’t wait to get there.
That’s all for this week folks. I hope you enjoyed another five minute adventure and are considering adding Port Louis, Mauritius, to your bucket list. I definitely have.
*Transition music*
Hey there! Thanks for going on another adventure with me in episode 48. If you haven’t already, be sure to give the show a 5 star rating on podcasting platforms, and share this episode with a friend. Have your own stories about Port Louis, feedback on the show or suggestions for new episodes? I’d love to hear it so follow me and DM me on socials @FridayTakeFive or email me at thefridaytakefive@gmail.com. Stay curious, stay adventuring, and have a great weekend!
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