Mauritius was discovered by the Europeans in the 16th century. It was visited by the Portuguese in the early 16th century and was subsequently ruled by the Dutch, the French and the British.
Cornelius Gooyer established the first permanent Dutch settlement with a garrison of 25 in 1638. Slaves from Madagascar were brought to Mauritius by the Dutch in the mid-17th century.
After the abolition of slavery during British rule, indentured laborers from India arrived in Mauritius during the 19th century via Aapravasi Ghat which is today recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Mauritius has one of the most stable and successful economies in Africa and is ranked high in terms of competitiveness, investment climate, governance and freest economy, the Gross Domestic Product estimate was at $20.225 billion and GDP per capita income over $15,595 in 2012, one of the highest in Africa.
Approximate costs of living including accommodation will range from between 300-400 USD per month on an accommodation sharing basis.