Rodrigues island is a small island, as part of Mauritius. It is located in the middle of Indian Ocean, 650km NorthEast
of Mauritius. It is the smallest of the Mascareigne islands, with a surface of 105km2.The population is about 38.000 people, mostly creole.Rodrigues is named after the Portuguese navigator, Don Diégo Rodriguez, who was the first European to discover the uninhabited island in 1528. Dutch sailors were the next to pay a call, albeit very briefly, in 1601, followed a few years later by the French.At first Rodrigues was simply a place where ships could take refuge from storms and replenish their supplies of fresh water and meat. Giant tortoises were especially prized since they could be kept alive on board for months. Over the years thousands were taken or killed until they completely died out. Rodrigues also had a big flightless bird, the solitaire, which went the same sorry way as its distant cousin, the dodo.