Seychelles Facts

Seychelles Facts and History

Africa

The Seychelles – vacation paradise in the Indian Ocean

The Seychelles cover an area of approx. 455 km², spread over 117 islands in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar. The islands were discovered by Portuguese sailors, settled by the French in the 19th century and belonged to Great Britain until the declaration of independence in 1976. The main industry in the Seychelles is tourism, because the islands are among the most attractive exotic holiday destinations on earth.

But what exactly is it that makes the Seychelles so special? The 117 islands, which geographically belong to Africa and are among the most beautiful and enchanting islands on earth, attract with crystal clear, turquoise water and gentle, fine sandy and very white beaches. Countless tropical plant species grow on the granite rocks, there is a colorful underwater world for divers, the climate is tropical-equatorial with hardly any seasonal fluctuations, and there are hardly any particular health or safety risks.

Yes, those named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles (1690-1761), Louis XV. Treasury Secretary, named islands are nothing short of paradise. According to legend, this is where the famous Labuse treasure lies, those treasures that the French corsair Jean François Houdoul dit La Buse captured in the course of his career. Less entwined with legends but no less famous is the Coco de Meer, the fruit of the Seychelles palm. It is considered the world’s largest coconut species and grows on the Seychelles island of Praslin. The breathtaking nature of the Seychelles is also home to more than 1,000 recorded animal and fish species that live on or near the islands. The Seychelles are also home to the world’s largest population of giant tortoises. The oldest of them lives on Bird Island and was baptized Esmeralda.

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Name of the country Republic of Seychelles
Form of government republic
Geographical location The Seychelles are off the African east coast and lie north of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
National anthem Taste Seselwa
Population approx. 95,000 (Credit: Countryaah: Seychelles Population)
Ethnicities People of French, African, Indian, British and Chinese origins
Religions
  • Christianity (especially Roman Catholic and Anglican
  • Hinduism
  • Islam
  • Bahai
Languages English, French and Creole
Capital Victoria on the main island of Mahé
Surface 455 km², spread over 115 islands, water area approx. 400,000 km²
Highest mountain Morne Seychellois with a height of 966 m
International license plate SY
Currency Seychelles rupee (SCR)
Time difference to CET + 3 h
International phone code 00248
Mains voltage, frequency 240 volts and 50 hertz
Internet TDL (Top Level Domain) .sc

Seychelles: history

Discovery and Possession

Exactly one does not know, but presumptions assume that the Seychelles were discovered by Arab traders long before the ships of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama anchored in 1502. In 1609 the British ship Ascension reached the Seychelles. The crew stocked up on provisions there. After Bertrand François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the governor of Mauritius, sent an expedition to the Seychelles under the command of Captain Lazàrd Picault in 1742, the main island was named Mahé in his honor. A second French expedition followed in 1756, as a result of which the archipelago was formally taken over for France. The Seychelles were named after the then French finance minister of Louis XV. named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles.

Colonial existence and change of ownership

According to Abbreviationfinder website, the first permanent settlement of the Seychelles took place in the 18th century by French citizens and their African slaves. The Seychelles were initially under French rule.

When the Seven Years’ War raged in Europe and the so-called coalition wars in North America and Asia, the British and French fought each other in the Indian Ocean. It was about Mauritius, and the settlers of the French Seychelles had to get along without much support from the mother country for this time. From the recent bitter sea war between France and Great Britain (1794-1811) the English emerged victorious and as new masters over the Seychelles. The islands came to the English colony of Mauritius. The British takeover of the islands was sealed in the Treaty of Paris in 1814. The British administration took place from Mauritius.

The Seychelles only became an independent colony in 1903. In 1948 a parliament was introduced and in 1964 the Seychelles People’s United Party and the Seychelles Democratic Party were founded.

In independence

The self-government of the Seychelles in 1970 followed six years later on June 29th. 1976 after independence, even if the island republic remained in the Commonwealth. The Seychelles experienced the first three years of independence as the First Republic. But in 1979 it was abolished and a one-party regime was established. This Second Republic ended with the 1993 constitution (still in force today), which established the Third Republic. The former unity party Seychelles People’s Progressive Front (SPPF) is still a ruling party, but is faced with an opposition and has a responsibility.

On December 26th In 2004 the Seychelles were hit by the East Asian tsunami, which was triggered by a seaquake off Indonesia. Buildings, ports, ships, hotels and roads were destroyed on the islands. The total damage was approximately $ 30 million.

Seychelles Facts