The Republic of Seychelles (say-SHELLS or say-SHELL) (Creole: Repiblik Sesel) is a nation of 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 to the southwest, and the Maldives to the northeast. A creole is a language descended from a pidgin that has become the native language of a group of people. ... The Indian Ocean is the third-largest body of water in the world, covering about 20% of the Earths water surface. ... Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. ... The Republic of Mauritius is an island country in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. ... Réunion is an island, as well as an overseas département (département doutre-mer, or DOM) of France, located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. ... The Union of Comoros (until 2002 the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros) is principally a three-island country in southern Africa, situated at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. ... The Republic of Maldives is a country consisting territorially of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India. ...

(In Detail)
National motto: Finis Coronat Opus (Latin: The End Crowns the Work)
Official languages	Creole; English and French
Capital	Port Victoria
President	James Michel
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 177th 455 km² Negligible
Population  - Total (year)  - Density	Ranked 180th 81,188 (2005 est.) 178/km²
Independence  - Date	From the United Kingdom June 29, 1976
Currency	Seychelles rupee
Time zone	UTC +4
National anthem	Koste Seselwa
Internet TLD	.sc
Calling Code	248

File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Transparent version of 125px width This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Flag ratio: 1:2 The flag of the Seychelles was adopted on June 18, 1996. ... Here is a list of state mottos for countries and their subdivisions around the world. ... Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Seychellois Creole, also known as Kreol, is the lingua franca of the Seychelles, as well as being an official language with English and French, unlike Mauritian Creole, which has no official status in Mauritius. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Victoria Port Victoria is the capital of the Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of the Mahé island. ... This page contains a list of presidents of Seychelles. ... James Alix Michel (born 1944) has been the president of the Seychelles since April 14, 2004. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ... Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population. ... Independence is autonomous self-government of a country by its residents and indigenous population. ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... The currency of Seychelles is the rupee, divided into 100 cents. ... -1... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of which Internet domain names consist of. ... .sc is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for Seychelles. ...

History

Main article: History of Seychelles The Seychelles islands remained uninhabited for more than 150 years after they became known to Western explorers. ...

While Arab traders were probably the first to visit the uninhabited Seychelles, the first recorded sighting of them took place in 1505, by the Portuguese. As a transit point for trading between Africa and Asia, they were occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control of the islands starting in 1756, naming them after Jean Moreau de Sechelles, the then French finance minister. Arab (disambiguation). ... Events March 5 - Papal dispensation issued for the marriage of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon June 27 - Henry VIII of England repudiates his engagement to Catherine of Aragon, at his fathers command King Alexander_of_Poland signed Nihil_novi act - Poland became Nobles Democracy Poland prohibits peasants from leaving... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... This article is about sea pirates. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Events March 17 - St. ...

The 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. The 1979 constitution declared a socialist one-party state, which lasted until 1992. Events February 11 - 1st session of the United States Senate is open to the public. ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... The Republic of Mauritius is an island country in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom and are its former colonies. ... An organizations constitution defines its form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules. ... The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Seychelles By 1963, political parties had developed in the Seychelles colony. ...

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. President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... The head of government is the leader of the government or cabinet. ... France-Albert René (often abbreviated to simply Albert René or F. A. René; born November 16, 1935) was the long-time leftist President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004. ... An organizations constitution defines its form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... James Alix Michel (born 1944) has been the president of the Seychelles since April 14, 2004. ... Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ...

The unicameral Seychellois parliament, the 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. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... Alternative meanings: Parliamentary system, Parliament (band), Parliament (cigarette). ...

Districts

Main article: Districts of Seychelles

Seychelles is divided into 23 administrative regions, called districts:

Geography

Map of the Seychelles

Main article: Geography of Seychelles map of Seychelles (CIA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... map of Seychelles (CIA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Map of Seychelles Map of Africa showing the location of Seychelles The Seychelles is a small island nation located in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar and about 1,600km (1,000 miles east of Kenya The nation is an archipelago of 115 tropical islands, some granite and some of...

The Seychelles constitute an archipelago in the Indian Ocean of about 115 islands, of which 33 are inhabited. The group of islands around 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, Port 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. An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... The Indian Ocean is the third-largest body of water in the world, covering about 20% of the Earths water surface. ... Granite is a common and widely-occurring group of intrusive felsic igneous rocks that form at great depths and pressures under continents. ... Orders see Anthozoa zsnobordinkid505@aol. ... Atoll in the western pacific ocean For the programming language, see ATOLL programming language. ... Victoria Port Victoria is the capital of the Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of the Mahé island. ...

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 March to May. The Seychelles are fortunate to lay outside the tropical cyclone belt. Map of the climate of the Earth The climate (ancient Greek: κλίμα) is the weather averaged over a long period of time. ... A monsoon is a periodic wind, especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ...

Seychelles largely escaped the Asian Tsunami of December 2004 spawned by an earthquake. However, the islands did see significant flooding and damage - as well as large loss of marine life and deathtoll of three persons. Animation of the tsunami caused by the earthquake (see also the full-length version) The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Seychelles Economy - overview: Since Seychelles independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. ...

Since independence in 1976, per capita output has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the 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. A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... Species Thunnus alalunga Thunnus albacares Thunnus atlanticus Thunnus maccoyii Thunnus obesus Thunnus orientalis Thunnus thynnus Thunnus tonggol Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. ...

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 Gulf War and once again following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. 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. Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... Fishing from a Pier Fishing is both the recreation and sport of catching fish (for food or as a trophy), and the commercial fishing industry of catching or harvesting seafood (either fish or other aquatic life-forms, such as shellfish). ... Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, or intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of semi-manufactures. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... A budget deficit occurs when an entity (often a government) spends more money than it takes in. ... Social welfare can be taken to mean the welfare or well-being of a society. ... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ...

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, Mauritius, and Madagascar. The black market is the sector of economic activity involving illegal economic dealings, typically the buying and selling of merchandise illegally. ... The currency of Seychelles is the rupee, divided into 100 cents. ... The Union of Comoros (until 2002 the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros) is principally a three-island country in southern Africa, situated at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. ... The Republic of Mauritius is an island country in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. ... Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Seychelles About 90% of the Seychellois people live on Mahe Island. ...

As the islands of the Seychelles had no indigenous population, the current Seychellois are composed of immigrants, mostly of French, African, Indian and Chinese descent. French and English are official languages along with a French-based Creole. Most Seychellois are Christians, mostly Catholics. The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ... Han Chinese (Simplified: 汉; Traditional: 漢; Pinyin: hàn) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Seychellois Creole, also known as Kreol, is the lingua franca of the Seychelles, as well as being an official language with English and French, unlike Mauritian Creole, which has no official status in Mauritius. ... The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Seychelles

• Music of Seychelles

The Seychelles are an independent island chain in the Indian Ocean, formerly a colony of France. ...

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Seychelles
• Transportation in Seychelles
• Military of Seychelles
• Foreign relations of Seychelles

Telephones - main lines in use: 17,844 (1997) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,249 (1997) Telephone system: domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2... Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 280 km paved: 176 km unpaved: 104 km (1996 est. ... Military branches: Army, Coast Guard (includes Air Wing), Presidential Protection Unit (includes Presidential Guard), Police Force (includes Police Mobile Unit, a special weapons and tactics unit capable of assisting the Army in maintaining internal stability) Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 23,210 (2002 est. ... Seychelles follows a policy of what it describes as positive nonalignment and strongly supports the principle of reduced superpower presence in the Indian Ocean. ...

External links

• Official tourist board info (http://www.aspureasitgets.com/)
• Official website of Seychelles (http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/)
• Seychelles Nation Online (http://www.nation.sc/)
• Seychelles Magic (travel) (http://www.sey.net/)
• Aerial videos etc. (http://www.helicopterseychelles.com/video.html)
• Seychelles Pictures (http://www.meckimac.com/page2.html)
• CIA World Factbook on Seychelles (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/se.html)