Seychelles is an island country in East Africa. The archipelago is located in the western part of the Indian Ocean, northeast of the island of Madagascar. There are 115 officially registered islands and islets. The country consists of two large groups of islands: the central group of Mahé, forty granitic and mountainous islands, with tropical vegetation, lagoons and beaches of great tourist attraction; and the secondary group, formed by seventy flat and coral islands. The capital is the city of Vitória, with a population of 23 200 residents (2004).
Located to the south of the equator, it has a humid tropical climate and occupies an area that is often subject to cyclones.
Economy
The archipelago today has an exclusive economic zone, more than one million square kilometers. The seas are rich in fish, but the tourism income is essentially lived, which has been increasing since the opening of the Mahé airport in 1971. With the population growth, problems of limitation of the cultivated land surface are approaching, in addition to the poverty of the soils. The Seychelles’ main trading partners are the United States of America, the United Kingdom, China and Thailand.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita(metric tons, 1999), is 2.7.
Population
The population is 81 541 residents (2006), which corresponds to a population density of 178.44 residents/km2. The birth and death rates are, respectively, 16.03% and 6.29%. Average life expectancy is 72.08 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.840 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) was not assigned (2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 88 000 residents. The island of Mahé, where the capital is located, concentrates 90% of the population. Seychelles Creoles represent 89% of the population, followed by Indians (5%), Malagasy (3%), Chinese (1.6%) and English (1.5%). The main religions are Catholicism (89%) and Protestantism (8%). Creole is the most widely spoken language, but English and French are also common languages.
History
The first colonizers were the French at the end of the 18th century. They took their black slaves there, to which the deportees from France joined in the 19th century. However, a war between the French and the English would grant Britain territory in 1903. Asians from China, India and Malaysia arrived later and in fewer numbers. The peoples later came to mix, generating a population with mixed ancestry.
In 1976 the archipelago became independent. Since 1979 it has had a one-party regime and a socialist government. For Seychelles democracy and rights, please check getzipcodes.
The archipelago is experiencing currency problems following the closure of the American satellite observation base, with the president of Seychelles passing a law in 1995 that offered judicial immunity to anyone who invested 10 million dollars in the country. However, the law was subsequently withdrawn and another law against money laundering was passed.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Seychelles, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Seychelles. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Seychelles
Check out the maps of this eastern African group of islands in the Indian Ocean. View the maps of Aldabra Islands, Farquhar Group, Mahe Island and Desroches.
