Le Morne Brabant

Le Morne Brabant is a peninsula at the extreme south-western tip of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius on the windward side of the island. It is highlighted by an eponymous basaltic monolith with a summit 556 metres (1,824 ft) above sea level. The summit covers an area of over 12 hectares (30 acres). There are many caves and overhangs on the steep slopes. It is largely surrounded by a lagoon and is a well known tourist attraction. It is also a refuge for two rare plants, the Mandrinette and, growing only on the sides of the mountain, the Boucle d'Oreille.

The peninsula was notorious in the early 19th century as a refuge for runaway slaves. After the abolition of slavery on Mauritius, on 1 February 1835 a police expedition traveled there to inform the slaves that they had been freed. However, the purpose of the expedition was misunderstood and the slaves leapt to their deaths from the rock.^{[citation needed]} Since then the date is celebrated by Mauritian creoles as the Annual Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery.^{[citation needed]}

The peninsula of Le Morne benefits from a micro-climate. Le Morne Brabant Mountain was submitted to the candidate list of the World Heritage sites in 2003. In 2008, the nomination process concluded when UNESCO inscribed the site on the World Heritage List.

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