Mauritian of French origin

Franco-Mauritian
Franco-Mauriciens
Languages
Religion
Roman Catholicism, Others

A Mauritian of French origin, as the name implies, is a Mauritian person whose ancestors are from France. A member of such group is usually identified as a Franco-Mauritian.

Origins

The first French settlers arrived in Mauritius (then Isle de France) in 1722, after the previous attempts of settlement by the Dutch had failed, and the island had once again become abandoned. They lived and prospered on the island, ruling it until the British invasion of 1810. The French by now strongly identified with the island, and the terms of capitulation allowed the settlers to live on as a distinct francophone ethnic group for the next 158 years under British rule before Mauritius attained independence. By 1920 the French Mauritian population on the island was between 70,000 to 80,000 out of 375,000 inhabitants representing around 20% of the total population.[1]

Not all Franco-Mauritians have pure French lineage, many also have British or other European ancestors that came to Mauritius and were absorbed in the Franco-Mauritian community or the gens de couleur (Coloureds). There are an estimated 15,000–20,000 Franco-Mauritians; French lineage is also found within the gens de couleur community with many having predominantly French ancestors—a further 30,000 people with considerable French bloodline. Within the Afro-Creole community, a large amount of people have some French ancestors from slavery.

Demographic factors

Franco-Mauritians comprise 2% of the population of Mauritius and own many of the largest businesses in the country.[2]

Most Franco-Mauritians are Roman Catholic.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sentimental Domain: Island of Mauritius, Scene of "Paul et Virginie," Seeks Return to French Control" (PDF). New York Times. 11 January 1920. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  2. ↑ "The legacy of Indian migration to European colonies". The Economist. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.


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