Rodrigues

Rodrigues
Autonomous outer island
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Travail, Solidarité, Fierté" (French) "Labour, Solidarity, Pride"
Anthem: Motherland
Islands of Mauritius labelled in black. Tromelin and Chagos archipelago are claimed by Mauritius.
Coordinates: 19°43′S 63°25′E / 19.717°S 63.417°E / -19.717; 63.417Coordinates: 19°43′S 63°25′E / 19.717°S 63.417°E / -19.717; 63.417
Country	Mauritius
Capital	Port Mathurin
Government
• Body	Regional Assembly
• Chief Commissioner	Serge Clair
• Chief Executive	Davis Hee Hong Wye
• Minister for Rodrigues	Sir Anerood Jugnauth
Area[1]
• Total	108 km2 (42 sq mi)
Population (2014)[note 1]
• Total	41,669
• Estimate (2013)	38,379[2]
• Density	386/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Rodriguan
Languages[note 2][3]
• Vernacular languages	Rodriguan Creole French English
Time zone	MUT (UTC+4)
Calling code	+230
Currency	Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Drives on	left
Internet TLD	.mu

Rodrigues (French: île Rodrigues) is a 108-square-kilometre (42 sq mi) autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about 560 kilometres (350 mi) east of Mauritius.^[1] It is part of the Mascarene Islands which include Mauritius and Réunion. It is of volcanic origin surrounded by coral reef, and just off its coast lie some tiny uninhabited islands. The island used to be the tenth District of Mauritius; it gained autonomous status on 10 December 2002, and it is governed by the Rodrigues Regional Assembly. The capital of the island is Port Mathurin.

Its inhabitants are Mauritian citizens. As of 2014, the island's population was about 41,669, according to Statistics Mauritius.^[2] Most of the inhabitants are of mixed African and French descent. Its economy is based mainly on fishing, farming, handicraft and a developing tourism sector.^[4]

The island (together with Agaléga and Saint Brandon) forms part of the larger territory of the Republic of Mauritius with the President as head of state and the Chief Commissioner as head of government.

Etymology and history

The uninhabited island was named after the Portuguese explorer D. Diogo Rodrigues in February 1528. Many maps also describe it as Diego Roiz. 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 supposedly contains them, and the Cantino planisphere of c.1500 and some other contemporary maps clearly show the three islands of the Mascarenes as Dina Arobi (or Harobi), Dina Margabin and Dina Moraze. These are apparently corrupted transliterations or transcriptions of the Arabic ديفا هاراب Diva Harab ("Desert Island"), ديفا مغربين Diva Maghrebin ("Western Island") and ديفا ماشريق Diva Mashriq ("Eastern Island"). While the second clearly refers to Réunion, sources disagree about which of the other is Mauritius and which one Rodrigues, which are both to the east of Réunion and arranged in a somewhat stylised way on these maps. However, even in its original state, Rodrigues had some karst, while Mauritius even after suffering 500 years of deforestation can by no means be called "desert" even in a colloquial sense.^[5]

The island was located again in February 1507. Part of the fleet of Afonso de Albuquerque and Tristão da Cunha, Diogo Fernandes Pereira's Cirne spotted Réunion on 9 February after a cyclone diverted their course. The other two islands were subsequently rediscovered. The initial name was Diogo Fernandes; Domingo Froiz was given as a name some years later, and by 1528 it had been again renamed after the Portuguese navigator D. Diogo Rodrigues and has remained so since. The orthography has been less stable at first, with the name being transcribed Diogo Rodriguez (Spanish maps), Diego Roiz, Diego Ruys (Dutch maps) (or even "Diego Ruy's Island"), Dygarroys or Bygarroys. Some early French sources called it Île Marianne.

Due to the island lying far off the beaten track of seafarers at that time, it received few visits. From 1601, the Dutch began visiting the island somewhat more regularly for fresh supplies of food. In 1691 the Huguenot François Leguat and seven 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. With British occupation, slavery was abolished.

In 1883, the eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa was heard at Rodrigues Island and it remains the furthest point at almost 4,800 km (3,000 mi), at which the explosion was heard.^[6] The sound was described as "the roar of heavy guns". Naval ships were ordered to investigate as it was feared the sound was due to a ship in distress firing its guns. Having been heard from about 5,000 km (3,100 mi) away on the other side of the Indian Ocean, the noise remains the loudest sound in recorded history.

In 1968, Rodrigues was joined with Mauritius when it attained independence; In 2002 when it became an autonomous region of Mauritius, the island was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Rodrigues.

In 1997, the 40-foot-long (12-meter) Russian yacht Admiral Nevelskoi was found in the lagoon of Rodrigues Island. Formerly captained solo by professor Leonid Lysenko for the Russian Maritime State University as a research ship, Lysenko was forced to abandon ship in 1995 when the mast and rudder broke, leaving the vessel and its pilot to drift for 21 days before Lysenko was rescued by the crew of the Ukrainian vessel Arkaja, at which time the Admiral Nevelskoi was abandoned. Lysenko was certain that the ship would eventually sink to the bottom of the ocean, however the vessel continued to drift at sea without crew for over 2 years before finally washing up on Rodrigues, at which time it was removed from the water and brought ashore. In 2010, Russian Honorary Consul Eric Typhis Degtyarenko located the yacht and contacted the Maritime State University, at which time the ship was converted to a maritime museum in recognition as Russia's only link to the Indian Ocean.^[7]

Geography

Calcarenitic shore of Rodrigues island, at Pointe Coton

Rodrigues is a volcanic island rising from a ridge along the edge of the Mascarene Plateau. The tectonically active Rodrigues Triple Point lies on the seafloor nearby. Rodrigues is only 1.5 million years old, even if the plateau under the lagoon surrounding Rodrigues may be much more ancient than the island.^[8] Over time Rodrigues has developed a unique environment, including many endemic species.

Rodrigues is situated about 560 km (350 mi) kilometres to the east of Mauritius. It is about 18 km (11 mi) long and 6.5 km (4.0 mi) wide with an area of 108 km² (42 sq mi).^[1][9] The shape is that of a whale back with a central ridge and deep cut valleys. The island is hilly with a central spine culminating in the highest peak, Mountain Limon at 398 m (1,306 ft). Rodrigues is the only Mascarene island with extensive limestone deposits and caves. A large fringing reef surrounds the island forming a lagoon within which lie eighteen small islets.^[10][11]

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 an overall species-poor but highly adapted ecosystem. A species of coral, two species of Pomacentrus damselfish and many species of crustaceans are only found on Rodrigues' reefs.^[12]

A treeless landscape from 2004. Some goats are grazing.

Climate

The isolation and location of the island give a microclimate specific to Rodrigues, with two seasons. Rodrigues enjoys a mild tropical maritime climate with persistent trade winds blowing throughout the year. Mean summer temperature is 25.9 °C (78.6 °F) and mean winter temperature is around 22.3 °C (72.1 °F). The temperature difference between summer and winter is 3.6 °C. January to March are the hottest months and August is the coolest month. The wettest month is February; September and October are the driest months. The climate is hotter and dryer than in Mauritius. Cyclones may arise from November to April, and Rodrigues is more often hit than Mauritius.^[13]

Biodiversity

Rodrigues was characterised by endemic plant and animal species in abundance, but since the seventeenth century much of its biodiversity has been eradicated. The island was home to a now extinct endemic species of flightless bird, the Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria). An endemic species of bat, the Rodrigues flying fox, is currently listed as critically endangered.

To restore some forest areas, Grande Montagne, Anse Quitor and two islets, Ile aux Sables and Ile aux Cocos have been declared nature reserves (under the Forest and Reserves Act 1983).^[14]

Government and politics

Rodrigues Regional Assembly

The island of Rodrigues is a constituency of the Republic of Mauritius and is dependent on the latter. However, on 20 November 2001, the Mauritius National Assembly unanimously adopted two laws giving Rodrigues its autonomy, creating a decentralised government system. This new legislation has allowed the implementation of a regional assembly in Rodrigues constituting 18 members and an executive council headed by a Chief Commissioner. The council meets every week to make decisions, draw up laws and manage the budget. The Chief Commissioner has the main task of informing the Mauritian Prime Minister of the management of the island's concerns. The last election of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly was held on 5 February 2012. The Organisation du Peuple de Rodrigues (OPR) party was the winner and obtained eleven seats, while the Mouvement Rodriguais (MR) obtained 8 and Front Patriotique Rodriguais (FPR) 2 seats.^[15] The current chief commissioner is Louis Serge Clair and the Chief Executive of Rodrigues is Davis Hee Hong Wye.

Electoral regions

The island include six (6) electoral regions, namely; La Ferme (Region 1), Marechal (Region 2), Saint Gabriel (Region 3), Baie aux Huitres (Region 4), Port Mathurin (Region 5) and Grande Montagne (Region 6). Rodrigues Regional Assembly election are held every five years.

Zones

Rodrigues is divided into 14 municipalities or zones. For statistical purposes, the zones are further subdivided into a total of 182 localities. The zones have between a minimum of six localities (La Ferme) and 22 (the capital Port Mathurin).^[16]

	Zone Nr.	Municipality	Population[note 1]
	05 !Zone 5	Port Mathurin	5,929
	08 !Zone 8	Lataniers-Mont Lubin	3,806
	09 !Zone 9	Petit Gabriel	3,658
	12 !Zone 12	Rivière Cocos	2,893
	10 !Zone 10	Mangues-Quatre Vents	2,870
	11 !Zone 11	Plaine Corail-La Fouche Corail	2,832
	13 !Zone 13	Port Sud-Est	2,717
	04 !Zone 4	Oyster Bay	2,594
	07 !Zone 7	Roche Bon Dieu-Trèfles	2,059
	14 !Zone 14	Coromandel-Graviers	1,944
	01 !Zone 1	Piments-Baie Topaze	1,445
	02 !Zone 2	La Ferme	1,112
	03 !Zone 3	Baie Malgache	1,076
	06 !Zone 6	Grand Baie-Montagne Goyaves	844
		Rodrigues	35,779

Demographics

The population estimate (as of 24 December 2012) for the island of Rodrigues was 39,242.^[2] The main religion is Roman Catholicism with small minorities of other religions like Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. Most of the inhabitants are of mixed African and French descent and there is a minority of mixed-raced peoples; descendants of the first European settlers.

The main language is Rodriguan Creole, but English and French are used as the language of government administration, the courts and business.^[4] Rodriguan Creole is very similar to Mauritian Creole, though some words are pronounced differently. Peoples born in Rodrigues island are called Rodriguans.

Education

The education system in Rodrigues is similar to that throughout the rest of Mauritius. The government provides free education to students up to the tertiary level.

Economy

The economy of Rodrigues is mostly dependent upon Mauritius. The main sources of income and economic activity are tourism, fishing, cultivation of vegetables (especially of onions, garlic and chili), and animal rearing. The handicraft industry has proven to be beneficial to the economy of the island. However, the income derived from the export of sea products, cattle, and food crops is smaller than the costs of imported products, creating a deficit.

Culture

Music and folklore

The traditional music of the island is known as Sega Tambour. The music has an accentuated beat, usually accompanied by an accordion, clapping and the use of improvised percussion instruments like bamboo. The folk dance music is similar to polkas, quadrilles, waltzes and Scottish reels.

Cuisine

Rodrigues cuisine consists of dishes from local products: fruit, vegetables, seafood (fish, octopus, crab, shrimp, lobster) and meat. National dishes include sausages with kreolinės, rougaille sauce, octopus with curry, Azim salad and Rodrigues cake.

Sports

The most common sport in Rodrigues is football. There are local competitions almost throughout the year and in specific competitions, the winning team travels to Mauritius for sport exchange. Volleyball is also popular.

See also

• Mauritius
• Réunion

Notes

References

External links

• Official website

Outer islands of Mauritius
Outer islands	Agaléga Cargados Carajos (Saint Brandon) Rodrigues
Islets	Mauritius Coin du Mire Île aux Aigrettes Île Albatross Île aux Benitiers Île aux Cerfs Île aux Lubines Île aux Serpents Île aux Tonneliers Île Barkley Île Crabe Île D'Ambre Île de L'Est Île de la Passe Île des deux Cocos Île Fournaise Île Fregate Île Plate Île Roches Île Ronde Île Sancho Île Vacoas Îlot du Mort Îlot Seychelles Le Souffleur Mouchoir Rouge Pointe Bernache Reservoir Islets Rodrigues Île aux Chats Île aux Cocos Île aux Diamants Île aux Fous Île aux Pintades Île aux Sables Île Caterine Île Crabe Île deux Fréres Île Frégate Île Gombranie Île Hermitage Île Marianne Île Paille en Queue Île Plat
Fishing banks	Soudan Nazareth Saya de Malha Hawkins
Claims Disputes	Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute Tromelin