Seychelles

Overview

The Seychelles is an island nation off the coast of East Africa, north of Madagascar, made up of about 115 islands, some granite-based (the Inner Islands) and others low-lying coral atolls (the Outer Islands). The country has the smallest population of any African state, with only about 100,000 people, and remained uninhabited until French and later British colonization in the 18th century, a rarity compared to other Pacific and Indian Ocean island nations, which were typically settled much earlier by Polynesian or other indigenous groups. The official languages are English, French, and Seychellois Creole, and the population is an ethnic mix of African, French, Indian, and Chinese descended communities.

Vallée de Mai National Park, on Praslin Island, is the natural habitat of the endemic coco de mer palm, whose seed is known as the largest and heaviest in the world, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. Aldabra Atoll, one of the largest coral atolls in the world, is home to the largest wild population of giant tortoises on Earth and, owing to its uninhabited, pristine state, has also been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982. Mahé, the main island and site of the capital, Victoria, with its granite coastline and dense rainforest, is the most developed and populous island in the archipelago. La Digue, with its traditional ox-cart transportation and the beach of Anse Source d'Argent, framed by granite boulders, offers one of the region's most frequently photographed coastal scenes.

The Seychelles' coral reefs and clear waters offer excellent diving and snorkeling, though coral bleaching events in 1998 and 2016 caused significant damage to some reefs, requiring ongoing recovery efforts. Giant tortoises, living freely on Aldabra and also kept in captivity for viewing on other islands, have become a symbol of the archipelago. The coastal granite boulders, uniquely found only in the Seychelles and a few other locations among tropical islands, give the beaches a distinctive landscape feature. Local cuisine is built on Creole foundations with French, Indian, and African influences, with fresh fish dishes, often prepared with coconut milk and curry spices, as signature items, along with fruit bat curry, regarded as a traditional Seychellois specialty.