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Seychelles
*** Shopping-Tip: Seychelles
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'''Repiblik Sesel
République des Seychelles
Republic of Seychelles'''
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Image:Flag of the Seychelles.svg 125px|
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Image:Seychelles_coa.png
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Flag of Seychelles In Detail)
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Coat of Arms of Seychelles In Detail)
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''List of state mottos National motto: Finis Coronat Opus
(Latin: The End Crowns the Work)''
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image:LocationSeychelles.png
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| '''
Official languages'''
|
English language English,
French language French and
Seychellois Creole
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| '''
Capital '''
|
Victoria, Seychelles Victoria
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| '''
List of Presidents of Seychelles President'''
|
James Michel
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| '''
Area'''
- Total
- % water
|
List of countries by area Ranked 177th 455
square kilometre km² Negligible
|-
| '''
Population '''
- Total (year)
-
Population density Density
|
List of countries by population Ranked 182st 81,188 (2005 est.)
178/km²
|-
|'''
Human Development Index HDI''' (
2003) .html">List of countries by Human Development Index
51st) –
high
|-
| '''
Independence'''
- Date
| From the
United KingdomJune 29,
1976
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| '''
Currency'''
|
Seychelles rupee
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| '''
Time zone'''
|
Coordinated Universal Time UTC +4
|-
| '''
National anthem'''
| ''
Koste Seselwa''
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| '''
Top-level domain Internet TLD'''
|
.sc
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| '''
List of country calling codes Calling Code'''
| 248
|}The '''Republic of Seychelles''' (say-SHELLS; say-SHELL in French) (
Seychellois Creole Creole: ''Repiblik Sesel'') is an
archipelago nation of 115 islands in the
Indian Ocean, some 1,600 km east of mainland
Africa, northeast of the island of
Madagascar. Other nearby island countries and territories include
Mauritius and
Réunion to the south,
Comoros and
Mayotte to the southwest, and the
Suvadives of the
Maldives to the northeast.
History
''Main article:
History of Seychelles''
While
Arab traders were probably the first to visit the uninhabited Seychelles, the first recorded sighting of them took place in
1505, by the
Portugal Portuguese. As a transit point for trading between
Africa and
Asia, they were occasionally used by
pirates until the
France French began to take control of the islands starting in
1756, naming them after
Jean Moreau de Sechelles, the then French finance minister.
The
United Kingdom British contested control over the islands with the French between
1794 and
1811, with the British eventually gaining the upper hand and being ceded the islands in
1814. The Seychelles became a
crown colony separate from
Mauritius in
1903 and independence was granted in
1976, as a
republic within the
Commonwealth of Nations Commonwealth. The 1979
constitution declared a
socialism socialist one-party state, which lasted until
1992.
Politics
''Main article:
Politics of Seychelles''
The Seychellois
president, who is both
head of state and
head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term of office. The previous president,
France-Albert René, was democratically elected after the
constitutional reforms of
1992, though he had been in power since a
coup d'état in
1977. He stood down in
2004 in favour of his vice-president,
James Michel. The
cabinet is presided over and appointed by the president, subject to the approval of a majority of the legislature.
The
unicameral Seychellois
parliament, the
National Assembly of Seychelles National Assembly or ''Assemblée Nationale'', consists of 34 members, of whom 25 are elected directly by popular vote, while the remaining 9 seats are appointed proportionally according to the percentage of votes received by each party. All members serve five-year terms.
Politics is a topic of hot debate in the country - with many claiming there is a social and economic divide between the two leading parties and their supporters.
The Seychelles are part of the
Indian Ocean Commission.
Districts
Image:BigBenVictoriaSeychelles.JPG thumb|the famous clock tower in the center of Victoria, capital of Seychelles
''Main article:
Districts of Seychelles''
Seychelles is divided into 25 administrative regions, called districts:
Geography
Image:Se-map.gif thumb|Map of the Seychelles
{{main|Geography of Seychelles}}
The Seychelles constitute an
archipelago in the
Indian Ocean of about 115 islands, of which 33 are inhabited. The group of islands around
Mahé, Seychelles Mahé consist of
granite and are the largest and most populated of the country. The remaining outer group consists of smaller
coralline
atolls. The capital city,
Victoria, Seychelles Victoria, is situated on Mahé, which is the largest island and home to about 80% of the total population, as well as the Seychelles' highest point, the
Morne Seychellois at 905 m.
The local
climate is tropical, tempered by marine influences and fairly humid. The southeast
monsoon is a generally cooler season which lasts from late May to September, while the warmer northwest monsoon lasts from October to May. The Seychelles are fortunate to lie outside the
tropical cyclone belt.
Seychelles largely escaped the
2004_Indian_Ocean_Earthquake Asian Tsunami of December 2004 spawned by an earthquake. However, the islands did see significant flooding and damage - as well as loss of marine life and death toll of two persons.
Image:Seychelles praslin anselazio.jpg thumb|Anse Lazio on Praslin, an island of the Seychelles
Image:Seychelles 25 cents.JPG thumb|25 cent coins from Seychelles
Economy
{{main|Economy of Seychelles}}
Since independence in
1976, per capita output has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the
tourism tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labour force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by
tuna fishing. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services.
At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of
farming,
fishing, and small-scale
manufacturing. The vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in
1991-
1992 due largely to the country's significantly overvalued exchange rate, the
Gulf War and once again following the
September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.. Other issues facing the government are the curbing of the
budget deficit, including the containment of
social welfare costs, and further
privatisation of public enterprises. The government has a pervasive presence in economic activity, with public enterprises active in petroleum product distribution, insurance, banking, imports of basic products, telecommunications, and a wide range of other businesses.
Growth slowed in
1998–
2001, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Also, tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term economic prospects. The
black market value of the
Seychelles rupee is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency the tourist sector should remain sluggish as tourists seek cheaper destinations such as nearby
Comoros and
Madagascar. A reduction in the number of flights serving the country, primarily due to the inability by airline companies to repatriate funds, has also constrained the growth of the tourism industry. The recent entry of Emirates and Quatar airlines has yet to result in increased growth.
At official exchange rates Seychelles remains the richest country in Africa in terms of
GDP per capita. (US$7,504 as of
2005), although if the parallel exchange rate, or purchasing power parity rates, are used, it ranks behind Mauritius and Botswana. Because of economic contraction (the economy declined by about 2% in 2004 and 2005 and is set to decline by at least the same level in 2006) the country is moving downwards in terms of per capita income.
It is important to note that Seychelles is, per capita, the most highly indebted country in the world according to the World Bank, with total public debt around 122.8% of GDP. Approximately two thirds of this debt is owed domestically, with the balance due to multilaterals, bilaterals and commercial banks. The country is in arrears to most of its international creditors and has had to resort to pledged commercial debt to continue to be able to borrow. This high debt burden is a direct consequence of the overvalued exchange rate — in essence, the country is living beyond its means, and financing its lifestyle by borrowing domestically and internationally.
Demographics
Image:Victoria (Seychelles).jpg thumb|Victoria, Seychelles
''Main article:
Demographics of Seychelles''
As the islands of the Seychelles had no indigenous population, the current Seychellois are composed of immigrants, mostly of
France French,
African,
Indian, and
ethnic Chinese Chinese descent.
French language French and
English language English are official languages along with a French-based
Seychellois Creole Creole. Most Seychellois are Christians, mostly
Catholic Church Catholics.
Culture
''Main article:
Culture of Seychelles''
*
Music of Seychelles
Fauna and flora
Image:Palm_spider.jpg thumb|palm spider, Seychelles
The early colonial history of Seychelles is infamous for the disappearance of most of the giant tortoises from the granitic islands, felling of coastal and mid-level forests and extinction of species such as the Chesnut flanked white eye, the Seychelles parakeet and the saltwater crocodile. The Seychelles today is known for success stories in protecting its flora and fauna. Conservation started in the 1960's by a small group of local enthusiasts. Although many of the conservation laws date back to British colonial days, the Seychelles government has strictly protected the natural heritage of the islands for many years. Flagship
species, the Seychelles Magpie Robin and the Seychelles Warbler, have been spectacularly rescued from the brink of extinction by BirdLife International and Nature Seychelles with the support of the government. These birds, once restricted to one island each, have been translocated to many others. Seychelles has 12
endemic (ecology) endemic bird species including the Seychelles Flycatcher, Scops Owl, White Eye, Swiftlet, Kestrel, Blue Pigeon and Sunbird.
Seychelles is home to 2 U.N.E.S.C.O World Heritage Sites run by the Seychelles Islands Foundation. They are the island of Aldabra, which is the world's largest raised coral atoll and also the Vallée de Mai on Praslin island, billed as the original site of the Garden of Eden. The Cousin Island Special Reserve, purchased by BirdLife International in 1968, is an internationally-known bird and marine sanctuary which has won several awards for conservation and ecotourism. Seychelles has six national marine parks including the St. Anne National Marine Park located adjacent to the captial, Port Victoria which are managed by the government parastatal, Marine Parks Authority. Much of the land territory (about 40%) and a substantial part of the coastal sea around Seychelles are protected as National Parks, including Marine Parks, and Reserves.
Several private island owners, especially those with up market hotel resorts, have collaborated with the government and the NGO Nature Seychelles to restore island habitats and to re-introduce threatened species. These islands incude Fregate, Denis and Cousine. Uniquely for this region, the management of these islands employ full time conservation officers and fund conservation programmes.
The Seychelles are home to 81 endemic plant species. Well-known is the
Coco de mer, a species of palm that grows only on the islands of
Praslin and
Curieuse. Sometimes nicknamed the 'love nut' because of its suggestive shape, the coco-de-mer is the world's largest seed. The
jellyfish tree is to be found in only a few locations today. This strange and ancient plant has resisted all efforts to propagate it. Other unique plant species include the Wrights Gardenia found only on Aride Island Special Reserve.
The giant tortoises from Aldabra now populate many of the islands of the Seychelles. These unique reptiles can be found even in captive herds. The granitic islands of Seychelles were once thought to have at least three distinct species of giant tortoises but recent genetic research on living as well as preserved specimens has shown they are all of Aldabra origin.
Seychelles hosts some of the largest seabird colonies in the world. Islands such as Bird, Aride, Cousin, Aldabra and Cosmoledo host many species of seabirds including the Sooty tern, Fairy tern, White-tailed tropic bird, Noddies and Frigatebirds.
The marine life around the islands, especially the more remote coral islands, can be spectacular. More than 1000 species of fish have been recorded. Since the use of spearguns and dynamite for fishing was banned through efforts of local conservationists in the 1960's, the wildlife is unafraid of snorklers and divers. Coral bleaching in 1998 has unfortunately damaged most reefs. The taking of marine turtles was completely stopped in 1994, but most turtle populations except on Cousin and Aldabra, have not fully recovered. The use of gill nets for shark fishing as well as the practice of shark finning are now banned.
Miscellaneous topics
*
List of Seychellois List of Notable Seychellois
*
Communications in Seychelles
*
Transportation in Seychelles
*
Military of Seychelles
*
Foreign relations of Seychelles
*
Religion in Seychelles
Further reading
* ''Birds of the Seychelles'' Ian Bullock, Adrian Skerrett, Tony Disley
* ''Bradt travel Guide: Seychelles'' Lynnath Beckleya and Lyn Mair
* ''The History of Slavery in Mauritius and the Seychelles, 1810-1875'' Moses D. E., Nwulia
* ''Insight Guide: Mauritius, Réunion and Seychelles'' Emily Hatchwell
* ''Insight Pocket Guide: Seychelles'' Judith Skerrett
* ''Lonely Planet World Guide: Mauritius, Réunion and Seychelles'' Jan Dodd, Madeleine Philippe
* ''Political Castaways'' Christopher Lee
* ''The Seychelles'' Michael Friedel
* ''Seychelles'' Vincenzo Paolillo
* ''Seychelles: Garden of Eden in the Indian Ocean'' Sarah Carpin
* ''Seychelles: The New Era'' France René
* ''Seychelles Since 1770: History of a Slave and Post-Slavery Society'' Deryck Scarr
* ''
'Rivals in Eden' and 'Hard Times in Paradise
''' Bill McAteer
External links
{{commonscat|Seychelles}}
{{wiktionary}}
Government
-
Virtual Seychelles official portal of the Republic of Seychelles
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The Seychelles Nation official website of "The Nation" a government supported newspaper
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SBC official website of the Seychelles Broadcasting Company, government run media company (Radio & TV)
Overviews
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BBC News Country Profile - ''Seychelles''
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CIA World Factbook - ''Seychelles''
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Library of Congress Country Study - ''Seychelles'' data as of August 1994
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Open Directory Project - ''Seychelles'' directory category
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Encyclopedia of the Nations - ''Seychelles''
Local Websites
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The Seychelles internet portal
-
Sesel.net - The Seychelles Forum
-
Seychelles Surfing Photo Gallery
-
Seychelles nature
Tourism
*{{wikitravel}}
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Official tourist board info
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Ecotourism
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Seychelles Travel Guide
Other
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Seychelles Pictures Stunning Photos of Seychelles
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Seychelles Photo Gallery
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Seychelles Nation Online
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Seychelles Magic (travel)
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Aerial videos etc.
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Seychelles Pictures
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Seychellois The Seychelles Photo Gallery
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Pictures from The Seychelles
{{Africa}}
{{Link FA|nl}}
Category:African Union member states
Category:Archipelagoes
Category:Members of the Commonwealth of Nations
Category:Seychelles *
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*** Shopping-Tip: Seychelles
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