Mahébourg is a small village on the south-eastern coast of the island of Mauritius, having a population of 15,457 as of 2015. It is considered the main town of the Grand Port District

Mahébourg is named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, one of the most successful governors of the French colonial period. The town was originally built by the Dutchduring their brief period of colonisation of the island. It was close to their landing port, had ample water supply from many rivers and streams and had a scenic view of the large bay area. Mahébourg underwent major development around 1806, during the French colonisation era. The well-planned wide streets in the old section of Mahébourg still bear testimony to this Dutch and French colonial past. After the French chose Port Louis as the main port, Mahébourg declined into a sleepy coastal city. The past is still preserved today in the Historical Naval Museum which also recounts the epic naval battles of the past between the French Navy and the Royal Navy. The Frederik Hendrik museum in Vieux Grand Portrecounts the history of the early Dutch settlement of the island.

Courtesy of Wikipedia