What are the Mascarene Islands?
Q: What are the Mascarene Islands?
A: The Mascarene Islands are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, including Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues.
Q: Who first visited the Mascarene Islands?
A: The Mascarene Islands were first visited by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas in April 1512.
Q: How were the Mascarene Islands formed?
A: The Mascarene Islands were formed by the volcanism of the Réunion hotspot beneath the Mascarene Plateau.
Q: What is the ecology of the Mascarene Islands?
A: The Mascarene Islands are a distinct ecoregion with a unique flora and fauna, including extinct animals like the dodo and the Rodrigues solitaire, and still has some endemic birds and reptiles.
Q: Did the Mascarene Islands have humans before ships found them?
A: Before the ships found the islands, the Mascarene Islands had no humans.
Q: Who governs Mauritius?
A: Mauritius styles itself as the Republic of Mauritius and is self-governed.
Q: What is the nearest landmass to the Mascarene Islands?
A: The nearest landmass to the Mascarene Islands is Madagascar, which is 680 km northwest of Réunion.
