Bicentenary of the British Conquest of Mauritius

The Mauritius Post issued today 3rd December 2010 a set of 2 postage stamps on the theme: 'Bicentenary of the British Conquest of Isle de France (1810 - 2010).  This issue fits into the 'Bicentenary of the Battle of Grand-Port' issue of August of this year.

So, after being defeated by the French at Grand-Port, the British decided to conquer Mauritius again.  They landed their troops on the northern coast of the island, between Grand Baie and Poudre d'Or, at noon on the 29th November 1810. 

After a skirmish with some opposing French soldiers in the region of Montagne Longue and elsewhere, the British forces continued their march towards Port Louis.  On learning that other British forces were about to land, Isidore Decaen, Governor and Commander in Chief of Isle de France, delegated his men to negotiate for a cessation of hostilities.

The French acknowledged defeat and the 'Acte de Capitulation' was signed on the early hours of the morning on the 3rd December 1810 in the British camp in the outskirts of the Pamplemousses district.

The Rs7 stamp portrays the onward march of the British towards Port Louis, while the Rs2 stamp shows the 'Acte de Capitulation' signed by the French.  The FDC features a map of Mauritius illustrating the itineraries (dark arrows) of the triumphant march of the British forces.

It should also be noted that an unbelievable flaw occurred while printing the Rs2 stamp.  In fact, the Rs2 should have been Rs21 (which is the local fee for registered mails)...

Laboudonnais: un château dans la nature

Récemment, le Château de Labourdonnais a rouvert ses portes au public après des mois de rénovations.  Ce château, appartenant à la famille Wiehe et situé au coeur d'un verger centenaire à Mapou, au nord du pays, propose un voyage enchanteur dans l'Histoire et l'art de vivre de l'Ile Maurice du XIXe siècle.  Une expérience touristique unique qui vous fera découvrir les multiples facettes et richesses de l'île. 

La Mauritius Post a ainsi émis, le 30 octobre dernier, une Enveloppe Souvenir avec un timbre de la série Anthurium (2004) pour marquer cet événement.

Le château dans toute sa splendeur

World Statistics Day 2010

On 20 October 2010, the World celebrated the first World Statistics Day to raise awareness of the many achievements of official statistics premised on the core values of service, integrity and professionalism.  In this context, the MPL released a Special Commemorative Cover to mark this event, affixed with 2 stamps of the Dodo series (2007).

In July 1945, the Statistical Bureau was created in Mauritius, on 7 April 1951 the Statistics Act 1951 came into force and in January 2010, Mauritius became the first country to ratify the African Charter of Statistics.

The message of the UN Secretary-General for this auspicious event is as follows:

"Let us make this historic event a success by acknowledging and celebrating the role of statistics in the social and economic development of our societies and by dedicating further efforts and resources to strengthening national statistical capacity."

 Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General

 Letter to World Leaders, July 2010

110th Birth Anniversary of SSR

The MPL issued a gold postage stamp of denomination Rs100 on September 18th 2010 to mark the 110th Birth anniversary of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (1900 - 1985).  This is the first time in Mauritius that the Rs100 denomination is released.

SSR is considered as the most outstanding personality in Mauritius.  Son of an indentured labourer, he became the first Prime Minister of Mauritius (1968 - 1982) after its independence in 1968.  He was also the Governor General (1983 - 1985) a few years before the island attained status of Republic.

The FDC illustrates the statue of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, located at Port Louis Waterfront.

Bicentenary of the Battle of Grand Port (1810 - 2010)

By the end of the 18th century, there were frequent skirmishes between the French and the English naval vessels in the Indian Ocean.  After conquering the Seychelles (1794), Rodrigues (1794) and Reunion (1810), the British naval forces set sail to capture Isle de France (Mauritius).

The French could hardly offer any resistance as there were only 4000 soldiers including 2000 reservists on shore...  The battle lasted for 5 days, the peak of the battle being on the night of the 23-24 August 1810 with serious casualties on both sides.  The British forces were defeated.  This battle was the only naval victory of the French over the British, under Napoléon Bonaparte.

The Rs14 stamp depicts the battle scene while the Rs21 one illustrates the Ile de la Passe, a fortified islet which controlled the entrance to the harbour and which the British took possession on the 14th of August 1810.

Shanghai Expo 2010

The Mauritius Post Ltd issued a commemorative stamp of denomination Rs30 on 20 August 2010 to mark the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai (01 May - 31 October).

Mauritius' participation in the Expo was built around the concept Mauritius: a City State, and aimed at showcasing the country's strategic location, its economic vibrancy, modernity, environmental consciousness, harmounious blend of cultures, artistic and cultural heritage and natural beauty.

The Mauritian Pavilion features a verandah house (maison créole), with a map of Mauritius on the floor with various geographical landmarks and symbols representing the different aspects and sectors of the country.

The stamp depicts the Two Pence Blue Post Office Mauritius, famously known as the Blue Penny Stamp, considered as a gem in the world of philately.  The original stamp was issued in 1847, Mauritius thus becoming the 5th country in the world to have issued postage stamps.

The FDC features the logo of the World Expo 2010 which represents the Chinese character 世, which means 'world', modified to represent 3 people together with the 2010 date.

Al-Idrissi: Geographer and Cartographer

This stamp pays tribute to the famous Arab geographer and cartographer Al-Idrissi.  He contributed to the enrichment of the maritime history of the Indian Ocean and the world.  The iconic figure of Al-Idrissi or Sharif Al-Idrissi (about 110-1165) celebrated here, is famous for his Book of Roger (1154-1157), the state-of-the-art world atlas in pre-modern times.  This map which shows the sphericity of the Earth, as the cartographer believed the world was round, was a reference in the world of cartography till the 16th century.

The FDC depicts the famous planisphere which Al-Idrissi designed for King Roger II of Sicily in 1154.  It was almost 6 feet in diameter, inscribed on silver and weighing some 450 pounds.  The map portrayed is upside down (South/North) as was customary with the Arabs following Chinese Tradition.

Birth Centenary of Renganaden Seeneevassen (1910-2010)

The MPL released on April 11 2010 a special commemorative cover, affixed with 2 stamps of the Indigenous Flowers definitive set, to celebrate the birth centenary of Renganaden Seeneevassen, a famous politician whose father was an immigrant from South India and his mother a Mauritian Tamil lady.

 

In 1935 he left Mauritius to read Law in England  and returned back in 1940 as a barrister.  He joined the Labour Party and became one of its influential leaders.  As a distinguished orator and with exceptional leadership attributes, he passionately argued the case for universal suffrage and against proportional representation, which he believed would divide the country.  His dream was a true Mauritian nation without discrimination of race or creed.

In 1957, as the first Mauritian Minister of Education, he introduced a new Code of Education which for the first time ensured a fair and equitable educational system.  Renganaden Seeneevassen is remembered for his kindness, compassion and selfless determination to improve the conditions of his countrymen.  

He passed away on 5th June 1958, ten years before the independence of Mauritius.

FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010

South Africa hosted, from June 11 to July 11 2010,  the XIXth edition of the FIFA World Cup.  Nine countries, out of the fourteen of the Southern Africa Postal Operators Association (SAPOA), marked this historical event (it was the first time the African Continent was hosting the FIFA World Cup) by a joint issue.

The Mauritius Post Ltd issued, on 9th April 2010 a set of 3 First Day Covers, with three stamps affixed on each, illustrating the national flag of each country.

The design of the stamp features a graphic image of soccer players in action, a soccer ball, the national flag of each country and last but not least: Zakumi - the official mascot especially designed for the World Cup in South Africa.  The name 'Zakumi' is a composition of 'Za' standing for South Africa and 'kumi', which means '10' in various languages across Africa.

The Mauritius Post Ltd also released a gold foil souvenir sheet consisting of nine postage stamps of Rs7, representing the nine issuing SAPOA countries.

The nine participating countries are as follows:

Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.