MAURITIUS

The Island of Mauritius is a member of the British commonwealth of nations with a capital of Port Louis. It was colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th century. and became a Dutch colony in the 17th century calling it after Prince Maurits van Nassau. The French took control in 1715 and the British in 1810, both used it as a naval base for the surrounding area. Independence from the UK was achieved in 1968. There was no indigenous peoples of the island before the Portuguese but was the only place the Dodo existed and was extinct 80 years after colonisation begun.

The note above is the 10 Rupee note from 1985 (ND) with the Government building on the front and the Reduit Bridge on the reverse.