Mauritius was discovered by Arabs in 975, but people started to live there only in 1598. Dutchmen were the first local residents. Moreover, Mauritius is named after the Dutch prince, Maurice van Nassau.
The island was descended from Dutchmen to French, and from those to British. Mauritius has become independent only in 1968. By this time there were already lived Indian and Chinese overseas, Creole people and others.