- published: 13 Dec 2012
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Rodrigues (French: île Rodrigues) is a 108 square km autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about 560 kilometres (350 mi) east of Mauritius. 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. 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.
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.
D. Diogo Rodrigues, D. Diogo Roiz (c. 1490-1496; Lagos, Portugal – 21 April 1577; Colvá, Gôa) was a Portuguese explorer of the Indian Ocean who sailed as an ordinary helmsman under the command of D. Pedro Mascarenhas around Goa. They sailed from the Cape of Good Hope eastward into little-known waters of the newly discovered route to Gôa. It was after him that the island of Rodrigues was\is named between 4 and 9 February 1528 after discovering it during his only return journey from Gôa via Cochin (left on 15 January 1528) to Portugal, following which he rose to the rank of a knight (cavaleiro). He then returned to Gôa and made a mark in the history of the Portuguese empire in the subcontinent around the mid 16th century.