The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago comprising around 115 islands and islets, mostly uninhabited, in the Indian Ocean.
The earliest recorded sighting of the Seychelles by Europeans took place in 1502 by the Portuguese Admiral Vasco da Gama, who passed through the Amirantes and named them after himself (islands of the Admiral).
The earliest recorded landing on The Seychelles was in January 1609, by the crew of The Ascension under Captain Alexander Sharpeigh during the fourth voyage of the British East India Company.
The islands were mainly used by pirates until they became a French colony in 1744. They were then named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Minister of Finance under Louis XV.
The Seychelles was ceded to Britain by France in 1814 and was ruled as part of Mauritius until it became a crown colony in 1903.
In the 1960s political parties were formed, campaigning for independence, the most significant in the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP), led by James Mancham, and the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP), led by France-Albert René (born November 16, 1934). René demanded complete independence while Mancham favored integration with Britain.
In 1975 internal self-government was agreed. The two parties then formed a coalition government with Mancham as prime minister.
On June 29, 1976 Seychelles became an independent Republic within the Commonwealth, with Mancham as president and René as prime minister. June 29th is celebrated each year as Independence Day.
The following year René staged an armed coup while Mancham was attending a commonwealth conference in London, and declared himself president. After a brief suspension of the constitution, a new one was adopted, creating a one party state, with the SPUP being renamed the Seychelles People's Progressive Front. René, as the only candidate, was formally elected president in 1979 and then re-elected in 1984.
In the 1980s there were a series of coup attempts against President René, some of which were supported by South Africa.
René ruled as sole leader under a socialist one-party system until 1993, when he was forced to introduce a multi-party system.
The current flag of Seychelles was adopted on January 8, 1996. The current flag, with five oblique bands of blue, yellow, red, white, and green, was adopted to represent the diversity of the country's political landscape and natural beauty. The colors used in the current flag are the official colors of the nation's two major political parties–SPUP and the SDP.
René stepped down in 2004 in favour of his vice-president, James Michel, who was re-elected in 2006 and again in 2011.
Seychelles is the smallest African country.
The population of the Seychelles is an estimated 94,228. It is the smallest population of any African state.
90% of the population is a mix of freed slaves from the African continent and Madagascar plus European settlers.
The people of Seychelles are called Seychellois.
Seychelles is the only United Nations member whose name has no letters in common with ‘Britain’.
Victoria is the capital city of Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, the archipelago's main island. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government. In 2010, the population of Greater Victoria (including the suburbs) was 26,450.
Seychelles has a higher proportion of its population in jail than any other country.
Seychelles has competed at every summer Olympics since 1980, except Seoul 1988. To date, no Seychellois athlete has ever won an Olympic medal.
The islands are the only home of the endangered Seychelles black parrot, which is actually brown. It is the national bird of the Seychelles.
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise lives on many of the islands of the Seychelles. The Aldabra population is the largest in the world. These unique reptiles can be found even in captive herds.
Bird Island in the Seychelles is home to Esmeralda, the world’s heaviest tortoise at 363 kg (800 lb).
Seychelles is also home to the world’s largest land crab, the 3ft-long coconut crab. There are a further 26 species of crabs and 5 species of hermit crabs that live on the islands.
The extremely rare jellyfish tree, whose fruits look like jellyfish, is found on the island of Mahé. This strange and ancient plant is in a genus of its own (Medusagynaceae).
One delicacy of Seychellois cuisine is shark chutney, which typically consists of boiled skinned shark, finely mashed, and cooked with squeezed bilimbi juice and lime. It is mixed with onion and spices, and the onion is fried and it is cooked in oil.
In the 1960s, about 33% of the Seychelles working population worked at plantations, and 20% worked in the public or government sector. During the plantation era, cinnamon, vanilla, and copra were the main exports.
Today manufacturing, construction, and industrial fishing, notably tuna fishing, account for about 28.8% of the GDP.
Since the use of spearguns and dynamite for fishing was banned in the 1960s, the wildlife is unafraid of snorkelers and divers.
In 1971, with the opening of Seychelles International Airport, tourism became a serious industry.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent their honeymoon in the Seychelles in May 2011.
Seychelles boasts the highest nominal per capita GDP in Africa, excluding the French regions.
Despite the country's newfound economic prosperity, poverty remains widespread due to a high level of income inequality, one of the highest in the world, and unequal wealth distribution.
Sources Hutchinson Encyclopedia, Daily Express
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| Map of Seychelles |
HISTORY
The earliest recorded sighting of the Seychelles by Europeans took place in 1502 by the Portuguese Admiral Vasco da Gama, who passed through the Amirantes and named them after himself (islands of the Admiral).
The earliest recorded landing on The Seychelles was in January 1609, by the crew of The Ascension under Captain Alexander Sharpeigh during the fourth voyage of the British East India Company.
The islands were mainly used by pirates until they became a French colony in 1744. They were then named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Minister of Finance under Louis XV.
The Seychelles was ceded to Britain by France in 1814 and was ruled as part of Mauritius until it became a crown colony in 1903.
 |
| Victoria, capital of Seychelles 1903 |
In the 1960s political parties were formed, campaigning for independence, the most significant in the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP), led by James Mancham, and the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP), led by France-Albert René (born November 16, 1934). René demanded complete independence while Mancham favored integration with Britain.
In 1975 internal self-government was agreed. The two parties then formed a coalition government with Mancham as prime minister.
On June 29, 1976 Seychelles became an independent Republic within the Commonwealth, with Mancham as president and René as prime minister. June 29th is celebrated each year as Independence Day.
The following year René staged an armed coup while Mancham was attending a commonwealth conference in London, and declared himself president. After a brief suspension of the constitution, a new one was adopted, creating a one party state, with the SPUP being renamed the Seychelles People's Progressive Front. René, as the only candidate, was formally elected president in 1979 and then re-elected in 1984.
 |
| Seychelles former President France-Albert René By Joe Laurence / Seychelles News Agency |
In the 1980s there were a series of coup attempts against President René, some of which were supported by South Africa.
René ruled as sole leader under a socialist one-party system until 1993, when he was forced to introduce a multi-party system.
The current flag of Seychelles was adopted on January 8, 1996. The current flag, with five oblique bands of blue, yellow, red, white, and green, was adopted to represent the diversity of the country's political landscape and natural beauty. The colors used in the current flag are the official colors of the nation's two major political parties–SPUP and the SDP.
René stepped down in 2004 in favour of his vice-president, James Michel, who was re-elected in 2006 and again in 2011.
FUN SEYCHELLES FACTS
Seychelles is the smallest African country.
The population of the Seychelles is an estimated 94,228. It is the smallest population of any African state.
90% of the population is a mix of freed slaves from the African continent and Madagascar plus European settlers.
The people of Seychelles are called Seychellois.
Seychelles is the only United Nations member whose name has no letters in common with ‘Britain’.
Victoria is the capital city of Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, the archipelago's main island. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government. In 2010, the population of Greater Victoria (including the suburbs) was 26,450.
 |
| Victoria By Esskay at the German language Wikipedia, |
Seychelles has a higher proportion of its population in jail than any other country.
Seychelles has competed at every summer Olympics since 1980, except Seoul 1988. To date, no Seychellois athlete has ever won an Olympic medal.
The islands are the only home of the endangered Seychelles black parrot, which is actually brown. It is the national bird of the Seychelles.
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise lives on many of the islands of the Seychelles. The Aldabra population is the largest in the world. These unique reptiles can be found even in captive herds.
 |
| An Aldabra giant tortoise. By Bjørn Christian Tørrissen |
Bird Island in the Seychelles is home to Esmeralda, the world’s heaviest tortoise at 363 kg (800 lb).
Seychelles is also home to the world’s largest land crab, the 3ft-long coconut crab. There are a further 26 species of crabs and 5 species of hermit crabs that live on the islands.
The extremely rare jellyfish tree, whose fruits look like jellyfish, is found on the island of Mahé. This strange and ancient plant is in a genus of its own (Medusagynaceae).
One delicacy of Seychellois cuisine is shark chutney, which typically consists of boiled skinned shark, finely mashed, and cooked with squeezed bilimbi juice and lime. It is mixed with onion and spices, and the onion is fried and it is cooked in oil.
 |
| Shark chutney (right), with lentils and shredded green papaya. By IGTaylor |
In the 1960s, about 33% of the Seychelles working population worked at plantations, and 20% worked in the public or government sector. During the plantation era, cinnamon, vanilla, and copra were the main exports.
Today manufacturing, construction, and industrial fishing, notably tuna fishing, account for about 28.8% of the GDP.
Since the use of spearguns and dynamite for fishing was banned in the 1960s, the wildlife is unafraid of snorkelers and divers.
In 1971, with the opening of Seychelles International Airport, tourism became a serious industry.
 |
| Beach of Anse Source d'Argent on the island of La Digue. Tobias Alt, Tobi 87 |
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent their honeymoon in the Seychelles in May 2011.
Seychelles boasts the highest nominal per capita GDP in Africa, excluding the French regions.
Despite the country's newfound economic prosperity, poverty remains widespread due to a high level of income inequality, one of the highest in the world, and unequal wealth distribution.
Sources Hutchinson Encyclopedia, Daily Express
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