Seychelles Islands
Seychelles, officially called the Republic of Seychelles, is the smallest African country, located in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles consists of several islands, amounting to 155 islands, 42 of which are rocky granite islands, and 113 coral islands.
The largest of these islands is Mahe Island; Where the capital of the Republic of Seychelles is located, which is the city of Victoria, and includes 90% of the population of the Republic. The Seychelles was named by this name by French General Corneille Nicholas Murphy; After the French Finance Minister Jean Moreau de Seychelles in 1756 AD, it follows a presidential republican system of government, and includes under its rule 25 administrative regions.
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Here are some of the best things to do in Seychelles. It is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world with arguably the best beaches in the world, stunning natural beauty and a wealth of adventure activities to experience. This tropical paradise should be on everyone's wish list!
Geography of Seychelles
Location
The Seychelles Islands are a marine archipelago, located geographically in the Indian Ocean, northeast of the island of Madagascar, at the junction of the roads between the two continents: Asia and Africa, and away from the coast of East Africa, a distance of 1,600 km, and they do not share borders with any country, while the Seychelles Islands are located astronomically in The time zone is UTC +4H;[1] where its coordinates extend between 4°35′S and 55°40′E.
Space
The total area of the Republic of Seychelles is 455 km2, and it has a coastline of 491 km long. The islands consist of tropical forests, with an area of 88.5% of the total area of the Republic, while the proportion of agricultural land reaches only 6.5%. The Mahe Islands group is volcanic in nature, but it is outside the cyclone zone.
Seychelles history
The Republic of Seychelles was not inhabited in the past, and there are no indigenous inhabitants of the country, and although it did not witness any form of life until the seventeenth century, travelers and explorers visited it since antiquity; The Portuguese traveler Vasco da Gama was the first to locate the Seychelles islands in 1502 AD, and named them the Admiral Islands; It means prince of the sea; In honor of himself.
In 1517 AD, the Portuguese drew a map of the region, and named the islands surrounding the Seven Sisters.
The first to set foot on the islands were the British explorers from the East India Company, and this happened in 1609 AD, after their ships veered into the sea.
It is also mentioned that Arab traders flocked to the island in the Middle Ages for the nuts of Coco de Mer, and the islands did not witness any A form of life for a hundred and fifty years afterwards.
The French occupation
The French attempts began in the eighteenth century to occupy the islands, and in 1744 the French occupied the island known today as Mauritius, and drew a map of the island of Mahe, and after twelve years, they occupied the islands, and named the island of Mahe after the French Finance Minister Jean Moreau de Seychelles, then the name was given later on all islands.
Mahe Island witnessed the first human life on its land in 1770 AD; Where a French colony was established consisting of 15 French, 7 slaves, and 5 Indians, they relied on agriculture to secure their food, and when the French Revolution broke out in 1790 AD, the island declared its independence from France, and it remained a source of supply for French, British, and Arab merchant ships.
British occupation
The British took control of Seychelles in 1811 AD, and many problems escalated regarding the slave trade between the city’s residents and the British government, which was allowing the slave trade, and these problems led to the migration of many slave traders from the island, and the islands’ population was reduced by half, and as a result of the campaigns launched Islanders against the slave trade, approximately 2,500 people were rescued from slavery, and brought to the island.
The population's greatest dependence was on cotton cultivation and sugar cane, in addition to coconuts, and fishing. In 1903, the Seychelles Islands were officially declared a British colony, but the population continued to speak French, and to follow French customs and traditions as well, and at the outbreak of World War II, a group of French-speaking farmers took control of the islands.
Independence
The residents of Seychelles demanded their own laws at the outbreak of World War II, and in 1939 the first political party was formed in Seychelles, and the first legislative assembly in the country was elected in 1948, and the political movements that demanded the rights of the population took place in the sixties of the last century, while the first constitutional conference was held in 1970 AD, at which time James Muncho was the first Prime Minister of Seychelles.
The independence of the Seychelles was declared as a state on June 29, 1976 AD, and James Muncho was appointed as its president, but Albert Renee quickly planned a bloodless coup, then was appointed president of the country, ruling it for 16 years, until 2004 AD; where René handed over the chair of government to James Michel; The current President of the Republic of Seychelles.
Seychelles
93,186 people live in Seychelles, according to 2016 statistics; The republic includes five ethnic groups: the French, the Arabs, the Chinese, the Indians, and the Africans. The official language of Seychelles is Seychellois Creole, spoken by 89.1% of the population, along with English, French, and other languages, according to 2010 statistics.
The majority of the population is Roman Catholic, with a percentage of 76.2%, while the percentage of Protestants is 10.6%, and there are other Christian denominations, at a rate of 2.4%, while Hinduism constitutes 2.4%, Islam is 1.6%, and other religions.
Tourism in Seychelles
The Seychelles has a very important and vital tourism sector. It is one of the most important contributors to the local economy.
Because of its picturesque location, and its charming nature-rich islands, Seychelles annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world; The number of tourists arriving to the island reached 276,233 in 2015.
Seychelles is witnessing an active and thriving tourist movement at the present time, and excellence in construction, the construction of hotels, tourist resorts, and even its beaches, which are considered the most beautiful and best in the world, in addition to the fact that its distinguished services to tourists are the best in the whole world and for the Republic of Seychelles.
Hundreds of beautiful tourist beaches, which tourists can visit and enjoy their beauty, and for this reason two sites from the Republic were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980.