Origins
The first French settlers arrived in Mauritius (then Isle de France (Mauritius), 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, around 20% of the total population. 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). Within the Afro-Creole community, a significant proportion of them have some degree of French lineage.Demographic factors
Franco-Mauritians comprise 2% of the population of Mauritius and own many of the largest businesses in the country. Most Franco-Mauritians are Roman Catholic.Notable people
* Angry Anderson, rock singer-songwriter, television presenter-reporter and actor * Claude de Baissac * Lise de Baissac * Joanna Bérenger, politician * Paul Bérenger, former Prime Minister of Mauritius * Benoit Bouchet, windsurfer * Havana Brown (musician), Havana Brown, Mauritian-Australian DJ, singer, recording artist, record producer, songwriter and dancer * Antoine Toussaint de Chazal, plantation owner and artist * Enzo Couacaud, Mauritian-born French Tennis Player * Adrien d'Épinay, politician and slave-owner * Prosper d'Épinay, sculptor and caricaturist * Laurina Fleure, Australian Model and TV Personality * Andrew Florent Australian tennis player * Oliver Florent Australian rules footballer * Firoz Ghanty, painter, poet, and activist * Genevieve Gregson, Australian Athlete * * Marie Leblanc, writer * J. M. G. Le Clézio, a French author of Franco-Mauritian origins awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature. * Chad le Clos, Swimming, representing South Africa * Francoise Lionnet, professor * Amédée Maingard, war hero, politician and businessman * Alfred de Marigny, author * Jean-Paul de Marigny, footballer, Football Manager, former Socceroo * Virgile Naz, lawyer and politician * Françoise Pascal, actress, singer, dancer, fashion model, and producer * Charles Thomi Pitot, politician * Pierre De Sornay, writer * Auguste Toussaint, archivist and author * Alix d'Unienville, spy, war hero and author * Corinne Leclair, swimmer, represented Mauritius at 1992 Summer Olympics * Veronique Marrier D'Unienville, archer, represented Mauritius at 2008 Summer Olympics * Heather Arseth, swimmer, represented Mauritius at 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics * Marie-Hélène Pierre, badminton player * Aurelie Halbwachs, cyclist, represented Mauritius at 2008 Summer Olympics, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics * Yannick Lincoln, cyclist * Marinne Giraud, tennis player * Rémi Feuillet, judoka * Priscilla Morand, judoka * Camille Koenig, swimmer *See also
* Mauritian of Indian origin * Mauritian of African origin * Mauritian of Chinese originReferences