Seychelles — map and facts

About Seychelles

Seychelles is an archipelago nation in the western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar, comprising 115 islands with a total land area of only 459 square kilometres. Victoria, on the island of Mahé, is the capital and only city, and one of the world's smallest capitals. The population is approximately 100,000 people, making Seychelles the least populous country in Africa. It is a presidential republic; President Wavel Ramkalawan, elected in 2020, leads a government that ended three decades of dominance by the People's Party. The economy is anchored in tourism and fishing, with tuna processing being a major industry. Seychelles has the highest per capita income in Africa, supported by a thriving luxury tourism sector. Seychellois Creole, English, and French are all official languages. The population is a diverse mix of African, Asian, French, and British ancestry, reflecting the islands' history as a crossroads of the Indian Ocean trade. The country is internationally recognised for its conservation commitments, having protected more than 50 percent of its territory as nature reserves.

Geography and Landscape

Seychelles is divided into two main island groups. The Inner Islands are granite formations — rare among ocean islands — centred on Mahé, which at 157 square kilometres is by far the largest island, rising to 905 metres at Morne Seychellois. Praslin, home to the Vallée de Mai — a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the endemic coco de mer palm — and La Digue are the other main granitic islands. The Outer Islands are mostly low-lying coral atolls and reef islands, extending south-west towards Madagascar. The Indian Ocean climate is warm year-round, with average temperatures around 27–29°C. The north-west monsoon, bringing the calmer, wetter season, runs from November to March, while the south-east trade winds prevail from May to September. Mahé's Morne Seychellois National Park protects dense tropical forest. The surrounding ocean is extraordinarily biodiverse, with extensive coral reefs supporting marine life including whale sharks, hawksbill turtles, and manta rays. The coco de mer palm, endemic to Praslin and Curieuse, produces the world's largest seed.

History

The islands of Seychelles were uninhabited when first recorded by Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, who noted them in 1502. Arab traders likely knew of the islands earlier. The first recorded landing was by a British East India Company expedition in 1609. France claimed the islands in 1742 after an expedition led by Lazare Picault, naming them after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, the French finance minister. French colonisation began in 1770 with the establishment of the first permanent settlement on Sainte Anne Island near Mahé, bringing enslaved workers from Africa and Madagascar. Britain took possession following the Napoleonic Wars, and Seychelles became a British Crown Colony in 1903, previously having been administered as part of Mauritius. Independence was achieved on 29 June 1976, with James Mancham as first president. A coup in 1977 brought France-Albert René to power, who established a one-party socialist state that lasted until the introduction of multiparty politics in 1993. Seychelles has since developed as a stable, prosperous small island nation.