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The British Empire had a significant influence on the history of the islands in the western Indian Ocean. In turn, the location, size, culture, and environment of these islands shaped the history of empire. This chapter investigates these islands’ strategic significance, their role in trade and commerce, and their diverse colonial cultures. It also considers these islands as sites of confinement and scientific research. Taken together, this chapter highlights the pivotal role played by western Indian Ocean islands—and their distinctive cultures, environments, and geographies—in the expansion and maintenance of Britain’s maritime empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. |
