Rodrigues, named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is one of the
Mascarene Islands. With a peak elevation of approximately 355 meters, it is
located 560 km east of Mauritius island, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It is 109
km² in size, and surrounded by a coral reef. The
capital of the island is Port Mathurin.
As of 2006, the island's population was about 40,000. The main language is Rodriguan Creole, while French and English are spoken or understood by some of the
inhabitants. The main religion is Roman Catholicism with a small minorities of
other religions. Most of the inhabitants are of mixed African and French descent. The main industries are handicraft, farming, fishing and tourism.
History
From the 10th century, Arabs have been known to visit the
Mascarene Islands. A 12th century map by the
Arab geographer Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi, clearly shows the three islands of the
Mascarenes as Dina Arobi (Mauritius), Dina Margabin (Réunion) and Dina Moraze (Rodrigues). The
island was named after the Portuguese navigator Dom
Diogo Rodrigues in 1528.
From 1601, the Dutch began visiting the island, for fresh
supplies of food. In 1691 the Huguenot, François Leguat and 7 companions landed on the island, intending to set up a farming colony of Protestant
refugees. Farming was not successful, but there was an abundance of tortoises, turtles, birds, fish and other seafood.
During the 18th century several attempts were made by the French to develop the island. African slaves (ancestors of the present
population) were brought to Rodrigues to develop stockbreeding and farming.
In 1809, after a brief battle with the French, British troops took possession of Rodrigues. And with British occupation, slavery was abolished.
In 1968 Mauritius annexed the island of Rodrigues. Today, it is an autonomous region of
Mauritius, which aspires to full sovereignty.
Natural history
Rodrigues is a volcanic island rising from a ridge along the edge of the Mascarene Plateau. Estimated to be from 1-4 million years old, over time Rodrigues has developed a
unique environment, including many endemic species: 42 species of trees; the Rodrigues Fruit Bat; two species of bird, the Rodrigues fody and the
Rodrigues warbler; and on the reef a species of
coral, two species of damselfish and many new species of
crustaceans.[1] Other
endemic animals such as Rodrigues giant tortoises and Rodrigues Solitaires are now extinct.
The coral reef of Rodrigues is of particular interest as it is self-seeding - it receives
no coral zooplankton from elsewhere. This has led to the development of the endemic coral
and a small number of species being present.
The coffee plant café marron, was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in
1979.[2][3]
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Convention on Biological Diversity - Third National Report for the Republic of Mauritius, Section
5.2.1, p. 26 (DOC). Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit in collaboration with the UNEP/GEF (October 2006).
Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
- ^ http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/plants/islandplants/marron.html
- ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5307047
Further reading
External links
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Coordinates:
19°43′S, 63°25′E
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