Seychelles (redirected from Seychelle Islands)

Seychelles (sāshĕlz`), officially Republic of Seychelles, republic (2005 est. pop. 81,000), c.110 sq mi (285 sq km), comprising approximately 100 islands in the Indian Ocean, c.600 mi (970 km) N of Madagascar and c.1,000 mi (1,600 km) E of Mombasa, Kenya. The capital and only urban center and port is Victoria, located on the largest island, Mahé (c.55 sq mi/140 sq km), where about 90% of the population lives.

Land, People, Economy, and Government

Mahé and the other principal islands (Praslin, La Digue, Silhouette, and Curieuse) are granitic; there are also around 50 coralline islands. The population is mainly of mixed Asian, African, and European descent; most of the inhabitants are Roman Catholic and speak a creole language, although English and French are the official languages. Fish, cinnamon, copra, and vanilla are exported. Tourism has expanded rapidly since the 1970s, and in the 1990s it became the nation's most important industry. Fishing (especially tuna) is the second leading economic activity, and there is some light manufacturing. The government is headed by a president, who is elected for a five-year term and is aided by a council of ministers. There is a 34-member legislative assembly. The country is divided into 23 administrative districts.

History

Probably known earlier to the Arabs, the Seychelles were explored by Vasco da Gama in 1502. In 1756 the French claimed the islands, and colonization by French planters and their slaves from Mauritius (Île de France) began in 1768. Britain took possession of the Seychelles in 1794 and gained permanent control of them by the Treaty of Paris (1814). The islands were administered as part of Mauritius until 1903, when they were constituted a crown colony. The first elections to a legislative council were held in 1948.

The Seychelles became self-governing in 1975 and gained independence within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1976. The first president, James Mancham, was overthrown in a bloodless coup in 1977 and replaced by Albert René, the head of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front. René suspended the existing constitution and in 1979 established a presidential government and one-party rule. He also introduced significant social reforms, maintained ties with Western nations, and fostered economic diversification. A multiparty democracy was reestablished in the Seychelles under the new constitution of 1993; René won reelection in 1993, 1998, and 2001. He retired in Apr., 2004, and was succeeded by his vice president, James Michel. In Aug., 2006, Michel was elected president in his own right.

Bibliography

See M. Franda, The Seychelles (1982).

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Seychelles

 officially Republic of Seychelles

Island country, western Indian Ocean. Area: 176 sq mi (455 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 82,800. Capital: Victoria. The mixed population is of French, African, and Asian ancestry. Languages: Creole, English, French. Religion: Christianity (predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant). Currency: Seychelles rupee. Located east of northeastern Tanzania, Seychelles is composed of two main island groups: the Mahé group of 40 central, mountainous, granitic islands and a second group of more than 70 outlying, flat, coralline islands. The country has a developing economy that depends heavily on tourism. Exports include fish, copra, and cinnamon. It is a republic with one legislative house; its head of state and government is the president. The first recorded landing on uninhabited Seychelles was made in 1609 by an expedition of the British East India Company. The archipelago was claimed by the French in 1756 and surrendered to the British in 1810. It became a British crown colony in 1903 and a republic within the Commonwealth in 1976. A one-party socialist state since 1979, it held multiparty elections in 1992 and adopted a new constitution in 1993.