{{Short description|Island country in the Indian Ocean}}
{{About|the country|the ship|HMS Seychelles{{!}}HMS ''Seychelles''|the album|Seychelles (album)|the French commune|Seychalles}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Seychelles
| common_name = Seychelles
| native_name = {{small|{{name in various languages
| name = {{nobold|''(in other official languages)''}}
| fr = {{lang|fr|République des Seychelles}}
| crs = {{lang|crs|Repiblik Sesel}}
}}}}
| image_flag = Flag of Seychelles.svg
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Seychelles.svg
| symbol_type = Coat of arms
| national_motto = {{native phrase|la|Finis Coronat Opus|italics=off}}
"The End Crowns the Work"
| national_anthem = [[Koste Seselwa]] (Seychellois Creole)
"Unite Seychellois"
[[File:Koste_Seselwa_(instrumental).ogg]]
| image_map = Location Seychelles AU Africa.svg
| map_caption = {{map caption |countryprefix= |location_color=dark blue |region=Africa |region_color=dark grey |subregion=the [[African Union]] |subregion_color=light blue}}
| capital = [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|4|37|S|55|27|E|type:city}}
| largest_city = capital
| languages_type = Official languages
| languages = {{unbulleted list |[[Seychellois Creole|Creole]] |[[English language|English]] |[[French language|French]]}}[ https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Seychelles_2017 - Constitution of the Seychelles - “The National languages of Seychelles shall be Creole, English and French”]
| languages2_type = Minority language
| languages2 = {{unbulleted list |[[Tamil language|Tamil]]}}
| ethnic_groups = 97% [[Seychellois Creole people|Seychellois Creoles]]{{efn|Native and predominant ethnic group of the country; the creoles trace their mixed origin to mainland [[East Africa]]n ethnicities and the [[Malagasy peoples|Malagasy]]. They account for vast majority of the population.[{{cite web | title=SeychellesThe World Factbook | website=- | date=2023-07-12 | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/seychelles/#people-and-society | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723184004/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/seychelles/#people-and-society | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 July 2023 | access-date=2023-07-20}}]}}
3% others{{efn|Non-Seychellois minority ethnic groups include smaller pockets of ethnic [[French people|French]], [[Indian people|Indian]], [[Chinese people|Chinese]], and [[Arabs|Arab]] peoples.[
| demonym = {{unbulleted list |Seychellois |Seychelloise |Seselwa {{small|(Creole)}}}}
| government_type = Unitary [[presidential system|presidential republic]]
| leader_title1 = [[President of Seychelles|President]]
| leader_name1 = [[Patrick Herminie]]
| leader_title2 = [[Vice-President of Seychelles|Vice-President]]
| leader_name2 = [[Sebastien Pillay]]
| leader_title3 = Speaker of the National Assembly
| leader_name3 = [[Azarel Ernesta]]
| legislature = [[National Assembly (Seychelles)|National Assembly]]
| sovereignty_type = Independence
| sovereignty_note = from the [[United Kingdom]]
| established_event1 = Independence declared
| established_date1 = 29 June 1976
| area_km2 = 457
| area_rank = 181st
| area_sq_mi = 177
| percent_water = Negligible
| population_estimate = 121,355][{{Cite web |date=2024-08-31 |title=MID-YEAR 2024 ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION (ERP) |url=http://www.nbs.gov.sc/downloads/1620-mid-2024-estimated-resident-population/download |website=National Bureau of Statistics}}]
| population_estimate_year = 2024
| population_estimate_rank = 200th
| population_census_year = 2022
| population_density_km2 = 262.3
| population_density_sq_mi =
| population_density_rank = 67th
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $4.490 billion[{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2025: Edition (Seychelles) |url=https://www.imf.org/en/publications/weo/issues/2025/10/14/world-economic-outlook-october-2025 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] October, 14 2025 |language=en}}]
| GDP_PPP_year = 2026
| GDP_PPP_rank = 177th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $43,850[{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2025: Edition (Seychelles) |url=https://www.imf.org/en/publications/weo/issues/2025/10/14/world-economic-outlook-october-2025 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] October, 14 2025 |language=en}}]
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 49th
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $2.250 billion[{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2025: Edition (Seychelles) |url=https://www.imf.org/en/publications/weo/issues/2025/10/14/world-economic-outlook-october-2025 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] October, 14 2025 |language=en}}]
| GDP_nominal_year = 2026
| GDP_nominal_rank = 186th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $21,940[{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2025: Edition (Seychelles) |url=https://www.imf.org/en/publications/weo/issues/2025/10/14/world-economic-outlook-october-2025 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] October, 14 2025 |language=en}}]
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 50th
| Gini = 32.1
| Gini_year = 2019
| Gini_change =
| Gini_ref = [{{cite web|title=GINI index|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=SC&order=wbapi_data_value_2007+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&page=1&sort=asc|publisher=World Bank|access-date=20 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121072813/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=SC&order=wbapi_data_value_2007+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&page=1&sort=asc|archive-date=21 January 2018|url-status=live}}]
| Gini_rank =
| HDI = 0.848
| HDI_year = 2023
| HDI_change = increase
| HDI_ref = [{{Cite web |date=6 May 2025 |title=Human Development Report 2025 |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506051232/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf |archive-date=6 May 2025 |access-date=6 May 2025 |publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]] |language=en}}]
| HDI_rank = 54th
| currency = [[Seychellois rupee]]
| currency_code = SCR
| time_zone = [[Seychelles Time|SCT]]
| utc_offset = +04:00
| drives_on = left
| calling_code = [[+248]]
| cctld = [[.sc]]
| today =
}}
'''Seychelles'''{{efn|Treated as singular or plural. The presence of the definite article ("the Seychelles") also varies.[{{cite journal |last1=Motschenbacher |first1=Heiko |title=Greece, the Netherlands and (the) Ukraine: A Corpus-Based Study of Definite Article Use with Country Names |journal=Names |date=2 January 2020 |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=1–16 |doi=10.1080/00277738.2020.1731241 |hdl=11250/2676009 |hdl-access=free }}]}} ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Seychelles.ogg|s|eɪ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛ|l|(|z|)}}, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|eɪ|ʃ|ɛ|l|(|z|)}};[{{cite EPD|18}}][{{cite LPD|3}}] {{IPA|fr|sɛʃɛl|lang}}[{{cite web|url=https://en.langenscheidt.com/french-german/seychelles|title=Seychelles – English translation in German – Langenscheidt dictionary French-German|access-date=29 December 2018|language=en, de, fr}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/Seychelles/121797|title=Traduction: Seychelles – Dictionnaire français-anglais Larousse|access-date=29 December 2018|language=en, fr}}][{{cite web|url=https://en.pons.com/translate?q=Seychelles&l=enfr&in=fr&lf=fr|title=Seychelles {{!}} French » English {{!}} PONS|access-date=29 December 2018|language=en, fr}}] {{small|or}} {{IPA|fr|seʃɛl|}}[{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/french-english/seychelles|title=English Translation of "Seychelles" {{!}} Collins French-English Dictionary|access-date=29 December 2018|language=en, fr}}]), officially the '''Republic of Seychelles''' ({{langx|fr|link=no|République des Seychelles}}; [[Seychellois Creole]]: {{lang|crs|Repiblik Sesel}}),[{{cite encyclopedia | url=https://www.britannica.com/facts/Seychelles | title=Seychelles Facts | Britannica | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica }}] is an [[archipelagic country]] consisting of 115 islands[{{cite web|url=https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/Seychelles_Cooperation_Framework_2024-2028.pdf|title=United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Seychelles 2024 - 2028|access-date=2026-05-30|date=2023|publisher=[[United Nations]]|page=15}}] in the [[Indian Ocean]]. Its capital and largest city, [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]], is {{convert|1500|km|nmi|abbr=off|round=50}} east of mainland [[Africa]]. Nearby island countries and territories include the [[Maldives]], [[Comoros]], [[Madagascar]], [[Mauritius]], and the [[French Fifth Republic|French]] [[overseas departments and regions of France|overseas departments]] of [[Mayotte]] and [[Réunion]] to the south; and the [[Chagos Archipelago]] to the east.
Seychelles is the [[list of African countries by area|smallest country in Africa]] as well as the [[list of African countries by population|least populated sovereign African country]], with an estimated population of 100,600 in 2022.[{{cite web | title=World Bank Open Data | website=World Bank Open Data | url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=SC | language=la | access-date=2023-07-20}}]
The Seychelles archipelago was uninhabited prior to sustained external contact. Although Arab and Swahili sailors likely knew of the islands earlier through [[Indian Ocean trade]] routes, there is no evidence of permanent settlement before European involvement. The islands were first recorded by Europeans in the 16th century, but were not settled until the 18th century, when France formally claimed them. During the period of French colonization, enslaved Africans were brought to the islands for plantation labor; many had already been captured and enslaved through existing African-[[Arab slave trade]] or [[Indian Ocean slave trade]].
It faced competing French and British interests until it came under full British control in the early 19th century. After Britain assumed control in the early 19th century, slavery was abolished and later replaced in part by indentured laborers from India. Since proclaiming independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, it has developed from a largely [[Agriculture|agricultural]] society to a market-based diversified economy, characterized by [[service sector|service]], [[public sector]], and [[tourism]] activities. From 1976 to 2015, nominal [[GDP]] grew nearly 700%, and [[purchasing power parity]] nearly 1600%. Since the late 2010s, the government has taken steps to encourage [[wikt: foreign investment|foreign investment]].
As of the early 21st century, Seychelles has the highest [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|nominal per capita GDP]] and the highest [[Human Development Index]] ranking of any African country.[{{cite web |title=World Bank Country and Lending Groups – World Bank Data Help Desk |url=https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups |publisher=[[World Bank]]}}{{date?}}] According to the 2024 [[V-Dem Democracy indices]], Seychelles is the 43rd-ranked electoral democracy worldwide, the 1st-ranked [[democracy in Africa|liberal democracy in Africa]], and the 2nd-ranked electoral democracy on the continent.[{{cite web |last=V-Dem Institute |date=2023 |title=The V-Dem Dataset |url=https://www.v-dem.net/data/the-v-dem-dataset/ |access-date=14 October 2023}}] Seychellois culture and society is an eclectic mix of French, British, Indian and African influences, with infusions of Chinese elements. The country is a member of the [[United Nations]], the [[African Union]], the [[Southern African Development Community]], and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].
== History ==
{{Main|History of Seychelles}}
[[File:Gama_armada_of_1502_(Livro_de_Lisuarte_de_Abreu).jpg|thumb|left|The first Europeans to discover the Seychelles were the [[4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)|4th Portuguese India Armada]], led by [[Vasco da Gama]].]]
===Early history===
Seychelles was uninhabited throughout most of recorded history, although simulations of [[Austronesian peoples|Austronesian]] migration patterns indicate a good probability that they visited the islands.[{{cite book |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Scott M. |last2=Callaghan |first2=Richard |chapter=Seafaring simulations and the Origin of Prehistoric Settlers to Madagascar |page=52 |title=Islands of Inquiry: Colonisation, Seafaring and the Archaeology of Maritime Landscapes |editor1-last=O'Connor |editor1-first=Sue |editor2-last=Clark |editor2-first=Geoffrey |editor3-last=Leach |editor3-first=Foss |series=Terra Australis |issue=29 |publisher=ANU E Press |location=Canberra, ACT, Australia |url=https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/33708/1/459300.pdf |date=2008 |isbn=9781921313905}}] Tombs visible until 1910 at Anse Lascars on Silhouette Island have also been conjectured to belong to later [[Maldivians|Maldivian]] and [[Arabs|Arab]] traders visiting the archipelago.[{{Cite book |last=Guébourg |first=Jean-Louis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lsfav10mYCMC |title=Les Seychelles |date=2004 |publisher=Ed. Karthala |isbn=2-84586-358-6 |location=Paris |language=fr |oclc=419931142 |pages=27–28 |via=Google Books}}] [[Vasco da Gama]] and his [[4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)|4th Portuguese India Armada]] discovered the Seychelles on 15 March 1503; the first sighting was made by [[Thomé Lopes]] aboard ''Rui Mendes de Brito''. Da Gama's ships passed close to an elevated island, probably [[Silhouette Island]], and the following day [[Desroches Island]]. Later, the Portuguese mapped a group of seven islands and named them ''The Seven Sisters.''[{{cite web |title=Seychelles: Settlement and the development of the plantation economy (1770–1944) |publisher=Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa |url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/seyoverview1.htm |access-date=8 January 2022 |archive-date=11 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411214438/https://www.eisa.org/wep/seyoverview1.htm |url-status=dead }}] The earliest recorded landing was in January 1609, by the crew of the ''Ascension'' under Captain [[Alexander Sharpeigh]] during the fourth voyage of the British [[East India Company]].
A transit point for trade between Africa and Asia, the islands were said to be occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control in 1756 when a Stone of Possession was laid on [[Mahé]] by Captain [[Corneille Nicholas Morphey]]. The islands were named after French politician [[Jean Moreau de Séchelles]], and were formally part of the colony of [[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Isle de France]].[{{cite web |publisher=National Assembly of Seychelles |title=Our History |url=http://www.nationalassembly.sc/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=16&Itemid=53 |access-date=12 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628122148/http://www.nationalassembly.sc/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=16&Itemid=53 |archive-date=28 June 2012 |url-status=live }}] In August 1770, the French ship ''Thélémaque'' under Captain Leblanc Lécore landed 15 white settlers and 13 African and Indian slaves on [[Ste. Anne Island]].[{{Cite web |last=Govinden |first=Gerard |date=2020-08-27 |title=250th Anniversary of First Settlement |url=https://nation.sc/articles/5891/250th-anniversary-of-first-settlement |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=Seychelles Nation |language=en}}]
During the [[French Revolutionary Wars]], the [[Royal Navy]] frigate [[HMS Orpheus (1780)|HMS ''Orpheus'']] under Captain Henry Newcombe arrived at Mahé on 16 May 1794. {{ill|Jean-Baptiste Quéau de Quinssy|fr}}, the senior administrator in the Seychelles, refused to resist ''Orpheus'' and instead successfully negotiated with the British, resulting the islands remaining under French control as "neutral" territory. After British forces completed their [[invasion of Isle de France]] in December 1810, they assumed control over the Seychelles, which was formalised in the 1814 [[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Treaty of Paris]] that ended the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]]. Seychelles became a separate [[crown colony]] from Mauritius in 1903. [[Elections in Seychelles]] were held in 1966 and 1970.
{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 250
| image1 = Seychelles 1953 coronation stamp.JPG
| image2 = Queen Elizabeth Seychelles stamp 1977.jpg
| footer = Seychellois stamps with portrait of [[Queen Elizabeth II]]
}}
[[File:Victoria Seychelles 1900s.jpg|thumb|left|Victoria, Seychelles 1900s]]
=== Independence ===
In 1976, Seychelles gained independence from the [[United Kingdom]] as a republic. It has since become a member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]].[{{cite web |url=http://www.seychelles.com/en/about_seychelles/history.php |title=History of Seychelles |publisher=seychelles.com |year=2009 |access-date=9 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608091646/http://www.seychelles.com/en/about_seychelles/history.php |archive-date=8 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}] In the 1970s Seychelles was "the place to be seen, a playground for film stars and the international jet set".[Joanna Symons (21 March 2005). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africaandindianocean/seychelles/732553/Seychelles-Lifes-a-breeze-near-the-equator.html "Seychelles: Life's a breeze near the equator"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504225308/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africaandindianocean/seychelles/732553/Seychelles-Lifes-a-breeze-near-the-equator.html |date=4 May 2018 }}. ''Telegraph.co.uk''.] In 1977, a [[1977 Seychelles coup d'état|coup d'état]] by [[France-Albert René]] ousted the first president of the republic, [[James Mancham]].[{{cite web |url=http://africanhistory.about.com/od/seychelles/p/SeychellesHist1.htm |title=africanhistory.about.com |work=About.com Education |publisher=africanhistory.about.com |access-date=23 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314184227/http://africanhistory.about.com/od/seychelles/p/SeychellesHist1.htm |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=live }}] René discouraged over-dependence on tourism and declared that he wanted "to keep Seychelles for the Seychellois".[{{cite web |title=Seychelles – Return to a Multiparty System |url=https://countrystudies.us/seychelles/26.htm |website=countrystudies.us}}]
In the 1980s there were a series of coup attempts against President René, some of which were supported by South Africa. In 1981, [[Mike Hoare]] led a team of 43 South African mercenaries masquerading as holidaying rugby players in the [[1981 Seychelles coup d'état attempt]].[Hoare, Mike The Seychelles Affair (Transworld, London, 1986; {{ISBN|0-593-01122-8}})] Clodo later stood trial in South Africa (where he was acquitted) as well as in his home country Germany for air piracy.[Bartus László: Maffiaregény {{ISBN|9634405967}}, Budapest 2001]
In 1986, an attempted coup led by the Seychelles Minister of Defence, Ogilvy Berlouis, caused President René to request assistance from India. In [[Operation Flowers are Blooming]], the Indian Navy's {{sclass|Nilgiri|frigate|1||1972}} {{INS|Vindhyagiri|F42|2}} arrived in Port Victoria to help avert the coup.[{{cite journal |last1=Brewster |first1=David |last2=Rai |first2=Ranjit |title=Flowers are blooming: the story of the India Navy's secret operation in the Seychelles |journal=Naval Review: Annual Review of World Seapower |date=2011 |volume=99 |issue=1 |pages=58–62 |hdl=1885/13331 }}]
The first draft of a new constitution failed to receive the requisite 60% of voters in 1992, but an amended version was approved in 1993.[{{cite web |title=FAO.org |url=https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC132619/ |website=www.fao.org}}]
In January 2013, Seychelles declared a state of emergency when the tropical [[cyclone Felleng]] caused torrential rain, and flooding and landslides destroyed hundreds of houses.[{{cite web|url=http://www.un-spider.org/about-us/news/en/6428/2013-02-01t161200/international-chapter-activated-flooding-republic-seychelles|title=International Chapter activated for flooding in the Republic of Seychelles|publisher=United Nation|access-date=1 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203214223/http://www.un-spider.org/about-us/news/en/6428/2013-02-01t161200/international-chapter-activated-flooding-republic-seychelles|archive-date=3 February 2013|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/weather/2013/01/201312993838165255.html|title=State of Emergency declared in the Seychelles|publisher=Aljazeera|access-date=1 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130060303/http://www.aljazeera.com/weather/2013/01/201312993838165255.html|archive-date=30 January 2013|url-status=live}}]
Following the coup in 1977, the president always represented the same political party until the October [[2020 Seychellois general election]], which was historic in that the opposition party won. [[Wavel Ramkalawan]] was the first president who did not represent United Seychelles (the current name of the former Seychelles People's Progressive Front).[{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/25/seychelles-election-marks-first-opposition-victory-in-44-years|title=Seychelles election marks first opposition victory in 44 years|website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=25 October 2020}}][{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54692210|title=Seychelles elections: How a priest rose to become president|work=BBC News|date=28 October 2020}}]
In January 2023, Seychelles announced its final stages of completing its marine spatial plan. It would become the second largest ocean area at {{convert|1.35|e6km2|sqmi|abbr=unit}} behind [[Norway]], in support of its [[blue economy]].[{{cite web |title=Ocean conservation: Seychelles' marine spatial plan in final stages of completion |url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/18023/Ocean+conservation+Seychelles+marine+spatial+plan+in+final+stages+of+completion |website=www.seychellesnewsagency.com}}]
In October 2025, [[2025 Seychellois general election|presidential runoff]] was won by former parliamentary speaker and main opposition leader, [[Patrick Herminie]], meaning Herminie's party, [[United Seychelles]] (US) returned to power.[{{cite news |title=Seychelles presidential election: Opposition leader Patrick Herminie defeats Wavel Ramkalawan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7p72rj2geo |work=www.bbc.com |date=12 October 2025}}] On 26 October 2025, Patrick Herminie was sworn in as Seychelles' sixth president.[{{cite news |title=Patrick Herminie sworn in as Seychelles sixth president |url=https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idRW693627102025RP1/ |access-date=27 October 2025}}]
== Politics==
{{main|Politics of Seychelles}}
The Seychelles president, who is [[head of state]] and [[head of government]], is elected by popular vote for a five-year term of office. The cabinet is presided over and appointed by the president, subject to the approval of a majority of the legislature. As of 2026, the president is [[Patrick Herminie]].
The [[unicameral]] Seychellois parliament, the [[National Assembly (Seychelles)|National Assembly]] or ''Assemblée Nationale'', consists of 35 members, 26 of whom are elected directly by popular vote, while the remaining nine seats are appointed proportionally according to the percentage of votes received by each party. All members serve five-year terms.
The [[Supreme Court of Seychelles]], created in 1903, is the highest trial court in Seychelles and the first court of appeal from all the lower courts and tribunals. The highest court of law in Seychelles is the Seychelles Court of Appeal, which is the court of final appeal in the country.[{{cite web|url=http://www.bas.sc/seychelles-legal-system/the-judiciary|title=The Judiciary|publisher=Bar Association of Seychelles|access-date=18 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301051942/http://www.bas.sc/seychelles-legal-system/the-judiciary|archive-date=1 March 2016}}]
=== Political culture ===
[[File:James Michel in meeting.jpg|thumb|President [[James Michel]] in his office in [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]], 2009]]
Seychelles' long-term president [[France-Albert René]] came to power after his supporters overthrew the first president [[James Mancham]] on 5 June 1977 in a [[coup d'état]] and installed him as president. René was at that time the prime minister. René ruled as a [[strongman (politics)|strongman]] under a [[socialist]] [[one-party system]] until 1993, when he was forced to introduce a multi-party system. He stepped down in 2004 in favour of his vice-president, [[James Michel]], who was re-elected in [[2006 Seychellois presidential election|2006]], [[2011 Seychellois presidential election|2011]] and again in [[2015 Seychellois presidential election|2015]].[{{Cite web|url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/4301/James+Michel+secures+third+term+winning+.+percent+votes+in+Seychelles+presidential+run-off|title=James Michel secures third term winning 50.15 percent votes in Seychelles presidential run-off|website=www.seychellesnewsagency.com}}][{{cite web | title=Results reflect popular will, observers say | work=Seychelles Nation | url=http://www.nation.sc/index.php?art=23584 | access-date=30 May 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928140238/http://www.nation.sc/index.php?art=23584 | archive-date=28 September 2011 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}][{{cite news | title=Seychelles re-elects President Michel | work=Reuters | url=https://af.reuters.com/article/seychellesNews/idAFLDE74K0E820110521?sp=true | access-date=23 May 2011 | date=21 May 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725212131/http://af.reuters.com/article/seychellesNews/idAFLDE74K0E820110521?sp=true | archive-date=25 July 2012 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}][{{cite web|title=Vote buying claims mar Seychelles election |work=Agence France-Presse |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ix-TzZJRTJJ_PAHQoACqmS7xSQ3Q?docId=CNG.07d4a47a8ce76f0e07e322726bdf65a2.b1 |date=19 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525013907/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ix-TzZJRTJJ_PAHQoACqmS7xSQ3Q?docId=CNG.07d4a47a8ce76f0e07e322726bdf65a2.b1 |archive-date=25 May 2012 }}] On 28 September 2016, the Office of the President announced that Michel would step down effective 16 October, and that Vice President [[Danny Faure]] would complete the rest of Michel's term.[{{cite web |title=Seychelles vice president to complete term of resigning president |author=George Thande |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-seychelles-politics-idUSKCN11Y0DM |work=Reuters |date=28 September 2016 |access-date=28 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160929145955/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-seychelles-politics-idUSKCN11Y0DM |archive-date=29 September 2016 |url-status=live }}]
On 26 October 2020, [[Wavel Ramkalawan]], a 59-year-old Anglican priest, was elected the fifth President of the Republic of Seychelles. Ramkalawan was an opposition MP from 1993 to 2011, and from 2016 to 2020. He served as the [[Leader of the Opposition (Seychelles)|Leader of the Opposition]] from 1998 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2020. Ramkalawan defeated incumbent Danny Faure by 54.9% to 43.5%. This marked the first time the opposition had won a presidential election in Seychelles.[{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54681360|title=Seychelles election: Wavel Ramkalawan in landmark win|work=BBC News|date=25 October 2020}}][{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/25/seychelles-opposition-candidate-wins-presidential-election |title=Seychelles opposition candidate wins presidential election |work=Al Jazeera |date=25 October 2020 |access-date=5 February 2021}}]
The primary political parties are the former long-time ruling socialist [[People's Party (Seychelles)|People's Party]] (PP), known until 2009 as the Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) now called [[United Seychelles]] (US), and the [[social liberalism|socially liberal]] [[Seychelles National Party]] (SNP).[{{cite web|url=http://www.seychelles4u.com/Seychelles-Info/mobile|title=Seychellen4you – Seychelles Info|website=www.seychelles4u.com|language=de-DE|access-date=21 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322020108/http://www.seychelles4u.com/Seychelles-Info/mobile/|archive-date=22 March 2017|url-status=live}}]
The [[2020 Seychellois general election|election]] of the National Assembly was held on 22–24 October 2020. The Seychelles National Party, the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy and the Seychelles United Party formed a coalition, [[Linyon Demokratik Seselwa]] (LDS). LDS won 25 seats and US got 10 seats of the 35 seats of the National Assembly.[{{cite news |title=EISA Seychelles: 2020 National Assembly election results overview |url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/sey2020results0.htm |work=www.eisa.org |archive-date=12 August 2023 |access-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812235320/https://www.eisa.org/wep/sey2020results0.htm |url-status=dead }}] However, in the 2025 Seychellois general [[2025 Seychellois general election|election]] United Seychelles won 15 out of 26 seats in the parliament.[{{cite news |title=TRT Afrika - Seychelles opposition candidate wins presidential runoff, incumbent leader concedes defeat |url=https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/2f7bc8c20dfa |work=www.trtafrika.com |language=en}}]
=== Foreign relations ===
{{Further|Foreign relations of Seychelles}}
Seychelles is a member of the [[United Nations]], the [[African Union]], the [[Indian Ocean Commission]], [[La Francophonie]], the [[Southern African Development Community]] and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].
Between 1979 and 1983, various plots to overthrow the non-aligned government of France-Albert René were, according to leading participants, supported by the United States, France, and South Africa. Commonly cited reasons for such attempts include René's socialist politics, his non-aligned stance toward the Western and Eastern Blocs, and the United States' military lease in the country, which was set to expire in 1990. All coup efforts in this period failed.[{{Cite book |last=Blum |first=William |title=Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II |date=2014 |publisher=[[Zed Books Ltd]] |isbn=978-1-78360-177-6 |edition=Updated |location=London |pages=267–269}}] Under the Obama administration, the US began running drone operations out of Seychelles.[{{Cite book|title=Tomorrow's Battlefield: US Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa|last=Turse|first=Nick|publisher=Haymarket Books|year=2015|isbn=978-1-60846-463-0|location=Chicago|pages=13, 55}}] In the Spring of 2013, members of the [[Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Africa|Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa]] mentored troops in Seychelles, along with a variety of other African nations.[[http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-11-08/news/55894379_1_k-dhowan-maritime-security-indian-ocean "India gifts second fast attack craft INS Tarasa to the Seychelles Coast Guard"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402131651/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-11-08/news/55894379_1_k-dhowan-maritime-security-indian-ocean |date=2 April 2015 }}. ''Times of India''. 8 November 2014] India also signed a pact to develop [[Assumption Island]]. Spread over {{convert|11|km2|0|abbr=on}}, it is strategically located in the [[Indian Ocean]], north of [[Madagascar]]. The island is being leased for the development of strategic assets by India.[Shubhajit Roy (12 March 2015) [http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-seychelles-sign-four-pacts-to-boost-security-cooperation/ "India to develop strategic assets in 2 Mauritius, Seychelles islands"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311205408/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-seychelles-sign-four-pacts-to-boost-security-cooperation/ |date=11 March 2015 }}. ''The Indian Express''.] In 2018, Seychelles signed the UN [[Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]].[{{cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26&clang=_en |title=Chapter XXVI: Disarmament – No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons |publisher=United Nations Treaty Collection |date=7 July 2017}}][{{cite news |title=President of Seychelles signs treaty banning nuclear weapons, meets with leaders at UN |url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/9806/President+of+Seychelles+signs+treaty+banning+nuclear+weapons%2C+meets+with+leaders+at+UN |work=Seychelles News Agency |date=27 September 2018}}]
=== Incarceration ===
{{Further|List of countries by incarceration rate}}
In 2014, Seychelles had the highest incarceration rate in the world of 799 prisoners per 100,000 population, exceeding the United States' rate by 15%.[{{cite web | url=http://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison_population_rate?field_region_taxonomy_tid=All | title=Highest to Lowest – Prison Population Rates Across the World | publisher=World Prison Brief | date=2014 | access-date=22 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111000721/http://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison_population_rate?field_region_taxonomy_tid=All | archive-date=11 November 2016 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}] However, the country's actual population was less than 100,000; as of September 2014, Seychelles had 735 actual prisoners, 6% of whom were female and were incarcerated in three prisons.[{{cite web | url=http://www.prisonstudies.org/country/seychelles | title=Data for prison population in Seychelles | publisher=World Prison Brief | date=2014 | access-date=22 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107120440/http://prisonstudies.org/country/seychelles | archive-date=7 November 2016 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}]
The incarceration rate in Seychelles has since dropped significantly. It is no longer among the top ten countries with the highest rate of incarceration. In 2022, the incarceration rate was 287 per 100,000 population, being just the 31st highest in the world.[{{cite news |title=Incarceration Rates by Country 2022 |url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/incarceration-rates-by-country |work=worldpopulationreview.com}}]{{better source needed|date= July 2026}}
=== Modern piracy ===
Seychelles is a key participant in the fight against Indian Ocean [[piracy]] primarily committed by [[Piracy off the coast of Somalia#Effects and perceptions|Somali pirates]].[{{cite web | url=http://www.worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/a-pirate-s-prison-tucked-inside-seychelles-paradise/c1s4825/#.VayUIflViko | title=A Pirate's Prison Tucked Inside Seychelles Paradise | publisher=Worldcrunch | date=6 March 2012 | access-date=22 October 2016 | author=Colonnello, Paolo | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017100317/http://www.worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/a-pirate-s-prison-tucked-inside-seychelles-paradise/c1s4825/#.VayUIflViko | archive-date=17 October 2016 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}] Former president [[James Michel]] said that piracy costs between $7 million – $12 million a year to the international community: "The pirates cost 4% of the Seychelles [[gross domestic product|GDP]], including direct and indirect costs for the loss of boats, fishing, and tourism, and the indirect investment for the maritime security." These are factors affecting local fishing – one of the country's main national resources – which had a 46% loss in 2008–2009.[ International contributions of patrol boats, planes or drones have been provided to help Seychelles combat sea piracy.][
=== Administrative divisions ===
{{main|Districts of Seychelles}}
Seychelles is divided into twenty-six administrative regions comprising all of the inner islands. Eight of the districts make up the capital of Seychelles and are referred to as Greater [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]]. Another 14 districts are considered the rural part of the main island of [[Mahé]]. Two more districts divide the island of [[Praslin]] and one covers [[La Digue]] as well as satellite and other [[Granitic Seychelles|Inner Islands]]. The rest of the [[Outer Islands (Seychelles)|Outer Islands]] (''{{lang|fr|Îles Eloignées}}'') make up the last district recently created by the tourism ministry.
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-3}}
'''Greater Victoria'''
*[[Bel Air, Seychelles|Bel Air]]
*[[La Rivière Anglaise]] (''English River'')
*[[Les Mamelles]]
*[[Mont Buxton]]
*[[Mont Fleuri]]
*[[Plaisance, Seychelles|Plaisance]]
*[[Roche Caiman]]
*[[Saint Louis, Seychelles|Saint Louis]]
{{col-3}}
'''Rural Mahé'''
*[[Anse aux Pins]]
*[[Anse Boileau]]
*[[Anse Etoile]]
*[[Au Cap]]
*[[Anse Royale]]
*[[Baie Lazare]]
*[[Beau Vallon, Seychelles|Beau Vallon]]
*[[Bel Ombre, Seychelles|Bel Ombre]]
*[[Cascade, Seychelles|Cascade]]
*[[Glacis, Seychelles|Glacis]]
*[[Grand'Anse Mahé]]
*[[Pointe La Rue]]
*[[Port Glaud]]
*[[Takamaka, Seychelles|Takamaka]]
{{col-3}}
'''Praslin'''
*[[Baie Sainte Anne]] (Anse Volbert)
*[[Grand'Anse Praslin]] (Grande Anse)
'''La Digue and remaining Inner Islands'''
*[[La Digue]] (Anse Réunion)
{{col-end}}
== Geography ==
{{main|Geography of Seychelles|Geology of Seychelles}}
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2017}}
[[File:Praslin vom Nid d'Aigle.jpg|thumb|center|800px|View of [[Praslin]], the second largest island of Seychelles]]
[[File:Se-map.gif|thumb|upright=1.25|Map of Seychelles]]
{{multiple image
|image1 = Early Jurassic breakup of Gondwana.png
|image2 = Gondwana breakup.png
|footer = [[Early Jurassic]] breakup of [[Gondwana]] (left) and A- [[Early Cretaceous]], B- [[Late Cretaceous]], C-[[Paleocene]], D- Present Day (right)
|total_width=440
}}
An island nation, Seychelles is located in the [[Somali Sea]] segment of the Indian Ocean, northeast of [[Madagascar]] and about {{convert|1600|km|nmi|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} east of [[Kenya]]. The Constitution of Seychelles lists 155 named islands,][{{cite web | url= https://greybook.seylii.org/w/se/CAP42#!fragment//BQCwhgziBcwMYgK4DsDWszIQewE4BUBTADwBdoByCgSgBpltTCIBFRQ3AT0otokLC4EbDtyp8BQkAGU8pAELcASgFEAMioBqAQQByAYRW1SYAEbRS2ONWpA | title= Constitution of Seychelles | website= seylii.org | publisher= | date= | access-date= | archive-date= 24 January 2021 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210124161053/https://greybook.seylii.org/w/se/CAP42#!fragment//BQCwhgziBcwMYgK4DsDWszIQewE4BUBTADwBdoByCgSgBpltTCIBFRQ3AT0otokLC4EbDtyp8BQkAGU8pAELcASgFEAMioBqAQQByAYRW1SYAEbRS2ONWpA | url-status= dead }}] and a further 7 reclaimed islands have been created subsequent to the publication of the Constitution. The majority of the islands are uninhabited, with many dedicated as nature reserves. Seychelles' largest island, [[Mahé]], is located {{convert|835|nmi|km|-1|order=flip|abbr=on}} from [[Mogadishu]] ([[Somalia]]'s capital).[{{Cite web |last=Werema |first=Gilbert J. |date=19 February 2013 |orig-date=29 December 2012 |title=Safeguarding Tourism and Tuna: Seychelles' Fight against the Somali Piracy Problem |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2194720 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250426211821/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2194720 |archive-date=26 April 2025 |access-date=13 February 2026 |format=PDF |via=[[SSRN]] |ssrn=2194720}}]
Seychelles sits atop a large submerged [[granite]] block known as the [[Seychelles microcontinent]], which was sandwiched between [[Madagascar]] and [[India]] before the breakup of [[Gondwanaland]].[{{Cite book | last = Wegener | first = A. | author-link = Alfred Wegener | title = The Origin of Continents and Oceans | year = 1924 | publisher = Methuen | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-486-61708-4 }}] After Madagascar separated from India during the [[Late Cretaceous]], interaction with the [[Réunion hotspot]] caused the diverging oceanic rift to jump several times, breaking off a piece that is currently on the [[Somali plate]] and includes Seychelles, [[Mauritius]], and Réunion, as well as another fragment on the present [[Indian plate]] that includes [[Lakshadweep]], the [[Chagos Archipelago]], and the [[Maldives]].[{{cite journal|last1=Torsvik|first1=Trond H.| author1-link = Trond Helge Torsvik|first2=Hans |last2=Amundsen |first3=Ebbe H. |last3=Hartz |first4=Fernando |last4=Corfu |first5=Nick |last5=Kusznir |first6=Carmen |last6=Gaina |first7=Pavel V. |last7=Doubrovine |first8=Bernhard |last8=Steinberger |first9=Lewis D. |last9=Ashwal |first10=Bjørn |last10=Jamtveit |date=24 February 2013|title=A Precambrian microcontinent in the Indian Ocean|journal=[[Nature Geoscience]]|volume=6|issue=3|pages=223–227|url=http://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/escidoc:246388:1/component/escidoc:246387/19819.pdf|access-date=5 December 2015|issn=1752-0894|doi=10.1038/ngeo1736|bibcode=2013NatGe...6..223T |hdl=10852/62002|hdl-access=free }}][{{Cite journal| last1 = Plummer | first1 = P. S.| last2 = Belle | first2 = E. R.| title = Mesozoic tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Seychelles microcontinent| year = 1995 | journal = [[Sedimentary Geology (journal)|Sedimentary Geology]] | volume = 96 | issue = 1 | pages = 73–91| doi = 10.1016/0037-0738(94)00127-G | bibcode = 1995SedG...96...73P}}]
A group of 44 islands (42 granitic and 2 coralline) occupy the shallow waters of the Seychelles Bank and are collectively referred to as the inner islands. They have a total area of {{cvt|244|km2|sqmi|0}}, accounting for 54% of the total land area of the Seychelles and 98% of the entire population.
The islands have been divided into groups. There are 42 granitic islands known as the [[Granitic Seychelles]]. These are in descending order of size: [[Mahé Island|Mahé]], [[Praslin]], [[Silhouette Island|Silhouette]], [[La Digue]], [[Curieuse Island|Curieuse]], [[Felicite Island|Félicité]], [[Fregate Island|Frégate]], [[Ste. Anne Island|Ste. Anne]], [[North Island, Seychelles|North]], [[Cerf Island|Cerf]], [[Marianne Island|Marianne]], [[Grand Sœur Island|Grande Sœur]], [[Thérèse Island|Thérèse]], [[Aride Island|Aride]], [[Conception Island, Seychelles|Conception]], [[Petite Sœur Island|Petite Sœur]], [[Cousin Island|Cousin]], [[Cousine Island|Cousine]], [[Long Island, Seychelles|Long]], Récif, [[Round Island, Praslin|Round (Praslin)]], [[Anonyme Island|Anonyme]], [[Mamelles Island|Mamelles]], [[Moyenne Island|Moyenne]], [[Ile aux Vaches Marines]], [[L'Islette]], [[Sèche Island|Beacon (Ile Sèche)]], [[Cachée Island|Cachée]], [[Cocos Island|Cocos]], [[Round Island, Mahé|Round (Mahé)]], l'Ilot Frégate, Booby, Chauve Souris (Mahé), Chauve Souris (Praslin), Ile La Fouche, [[Hodoul Island|Hodoul]], L'Ilot, Rat, Souris, St. Pierre (Praslin), Zavé, Harrison Rocks (Grand Rocher).
[[File:La Digue asv2024-10 img21 Union Estate.jpg|thumb|Beach of Anse Source d'Argent on the island of [[La Digue]]]]
There are two coral sand [[cay]]s north of the granitics on the edge of the Seychelles Bank: [[Denis Island|Denis]] and [[Bird Island, Seychelles|Bird]]. There are two [[coral island]]s south of the Granitic: [[Coëtivy Island|Coëtivy]] and [[Île Platte|Platte]].
[[File:Anse Lazio beach Praslin Seychelles.jpg|thumb|left|Beach of [[Anse Lazio]] on the island of [[Praslin]]]]
There are 29 coral islands in the [[Amirantes|Amirantes group]], west of the granitic: [[Desroches]], Poivre Atoll (comprising three islands—Poivre, Florentin and South Island), Alphonse, D'Arros, St. Joseph Atoll (comprising 14 islands—St. Joseph, Île aux Fouquets, Resource, Petit Carcassaye, Grand Carcassaye, Benjamin, Bancs Ferrari, Chiens, Pélicans, Vars, Île Paul, Banc de Sable, Banc aux Cocos and Île aux Poules), Marie Louise, Desnœufs, African Banks (comprising two islands—African Banks and South Island), Rémire, St. François, Boudeuse, Étoile, Bijoutier.
There are 13 coral islands in the [[Farquhar Group]], south-southwest of the Amirantes: [[Farquhar Atoll]] (comprising 10 islands—Bancs de Sable, Déposés, Île aux Goëlettes, Lapins, Île du Milieu, North Manaha, South Manaha, Middle Manaha, North Island and South Island), Providence Atoll (comprising two islands—Providence and Bancs Providence) and St Pierre.
[[File:Beau Vallon beach asv2024-10.jpg|thumb|Beach on Mahé Island]]
There are 67 [[Raised coral atoll|raised coral islands]] in the [[Aldabra Group]], west of the Farquhar Group: [[Aldabra Atoll]] (comprising 46 islands—Grande Terre, Picard, Polymnie, Malabar, Île Michel, Île Esprit, Île aux Moustiques, Ilot Parc, Ilot Émile, Ilot Yangue, Ilot Magnan, Île Lanier, Champignon des Os, Euphrate, Grand Mentor, Grand Ilot, Gros Ilot Gionnet, Gros Ilot Sésame, Héron Rock, Hide Island, Île aux Aigrettes, Île aux Cèdres, Îles Chalands, Île Fangame, Île Héron, Île Michel, Île Squacco, Île Sylvestre, Île Verte, Ilot Déder, Ilot du Sud, Ilot du Milieu, Ilot du Nord, Ilot Dubois, Ilot Macoa, Ilot Marquoix, Ilots Niçois, Ilot Salade, Middle Row Island, Noddy Rock, North Row Island, Petit Mentor, Petit Mentor Endans, Petits Ilots, Pink Rock and Table Ronde), [[Assumption Island]], Astove and [[Cosmoledo Atoll]] (comprising 19 islands—Menai, Île du Nord (West North), Île Nord-Est (East North), Île du Trou, Goélettes, Grand Polyte, Petit Polyte, Grand Île (Wizard), Pagode, Île du Sud-Ouest (South), Île aux Moustiques, Île Baleine, Île aux Chauve-Souris, Île aux Macaques, Île aux Rats, Île du Nord-Ouest, Île Observation, Île Sud-Est and Ilot la Croix).
In addition to these 155 islands, as per the Constitution of Seychelles, there are 7 reclaimed islands: Ile Perseverance, Ile Aurore, [[Romainville Island, Seychelles|Romainville]], [[Eden Island, Seychelles|Eden Island]], Eve, Ile du Port and Ile Soleil.
South Island, African Banks has been eroded by the sea. At St Joseph Atoll, Banc de Sable and Pelican Island have also eroded, while Grand Carcassaye and Petit Carcassaye have merged to form one island. There are also several unnamed islands at Aldabra, St Joseph Atoll and Cosmoledo. Pti Astove, though named, failed to make it into the Constitution for unknown reasons. Bancs Providence is not a single island, but a dynamic group of islands, comprising four large and about six very small islets in 2016.
=== Climate ===
The climate is very humid, as the islands are small,[{{cite web | url = https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6268.htm | title = Background Note: Seychelles | publisher = U.S. Department of State |website= state.gov| access-date = 25 May 2010 | df = dmy-all }} ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''] and is classified by the [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]] as a [[Tropical rainforest climate|tropical rain forest]] (''Af''). The temperature varies little throughout the year. Temperatures on Mahé vary from {{convert|24|to|30|°C|°F|0}}, and rainfall ranges from {{convert|2900|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} annually at [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]] to {{convert|3600|mm|in|0||sigfig=2|abbr=on}} on the mountain slopes. [[precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] levels are somewhat less on the other islands.[{{cite web| url= http://www.stgt.com/seychelles/html/climate.htm| title= Climate | website= STGT.com| publisher= Stuttgart Information| access-date=23 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120306150756/http://www.stgt.com/seychelles/html/climate.htm|archive-date=6 March 2012}}]
During the coolest months, July and August, the average low is about {{convert|24|°C|°F|0}}. The southeast trade winds blow regularly from May to November, and this is the most pleasant time of the year. The hot months are from December to April, with higher humidity (80%). March and April are the hottest months, but the temperature seldom exceeds {{convert|31|°C|°F|0}}. Most of the islands lie outside the cyclone belt, so high winds are rare.[
{{cite web
|url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/080/c00253.htm
|title = World Weather Information Service – Victoria
|publisher = [[World Meteorological Organization]]
|website = wmo.int
|date =
|access-date = 16 November 2012
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130313184413/http://worldweather.wmo.int/080/c00253.htm
|archive-date = 13 March 2013
|url-status = live
}}
]
|source 2 = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration[{{NOAA normals|id=RA-I/SC/63980 |title= Seychelles INTL AP Climate Normals 1971–1990 | accessdate=16 November 2012
}}
]
|date = March 2012
}}
=== Wildlife ===
{{main|Wildlife of Seychelles}}
{{multiple image
| total_width = 300
| perrow = 2
| image1 = Seychelles Paradise-flycatcher.jpg
| image2 = Bird flocks Bird Island Seychelles.jpg
| footer = Left: [[Seychelles paradise flycatcher]]; right: bird flocks on [[Bird Island, Seychelles]]
}}
[[file:Aldabra Female on Curieuse.JPG|thumb|upright|An [[Aldabra giant tortoise]]]]
Seychelles is among the world's leading countries to protect lands for [[threatened species]], allocating 42% of its territory for [[conservation (ethic)|conservation]].[{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/mapped-the-countries-with-the-most-protected-areas/|title=Mapped: The countries with the most protected land (#1 might surprise you)|work=The Telegraph|access-date=7 February 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223043633/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/mapped-the-countries-with-the-most-protected-areas/|archive-date=23 February 2018|url-status=live}}] Like many fragile island ecosystems, Seychelles saw the [[Biodiversity loss|loss of biodiversity]] when humans first settled in the area, including the disappearance of most of the [[Aldabrachelys|giant tortoise]]s from the granitic islands, the felling of coastal and mid-level forests, and the extinction of species such as the [[Seychelles chestnut-flanked white-eye|chestnut flanked white eye]], the [[Seychelles parakeet]], and the [[saltwater crocodile]]. However, extinctions were far fewer than on islands such as [[Mauritius]] or [[Hawaii]], partly due to a shorter period of human occupation. Seychelles today is known for success stories in protecting its flora and fauna. The rare [[Seychelles black parrot]], the national bird of the country, is now protected.
The [[freshwater crab]] genus ''[[Seychellum]]'' is endemic to the granitic Seychelles, and a further 26 species of crabs and five species of [[hermit crab]]s live on the islands.[{{cite book | first= Janet |last= Haig|year=1984 |chapter=Land and freshwater crabs of the Seychelles and neighbouring islands |page=123 |editor=David Ross Stoddart |title=Biogeography and Ecology of the Seychelles Islands |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] |isbn=978-90-6193-107-2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hAu6qogRHloC&pg=PA123 | via= Google Books}}] From the year 1500 until the mid-1800s (approximately), the then-previously unknown [[Aldabra giant tortoise]] was killed for food by pirates and sailors, driving their numbers to near-extinction levels. Today, a healthy yet fragile population of 150,000 tortoises live solely on the atoll of Aldabra, declared a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].[{{cite web|url=https://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5078/Aldabra-Tortoise |publisher=Idaho Falls Zoo/City of Idaho Falls, Idaho |accessdate=15 October 2022 |title=Aldabra giant tortoise}}][{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/185/ |title=Aldabra Atoll – UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher=UNESCO |accessdate=15 October 2022}}] Additionally, these ancient reptiles can further be found in numerous zoos, botanical gardens, and private collections internationally. Their protection from poaching and smuggling is overseen by [[CITES]], whilst [[captive breeding]] has greatly reduced the negative impact on the remaining wild populations. The granitic islands of Seychelles supports three extant species of [[Seychelles giant tortoise]].
Seychelles hosts some of the largest [[Bird colony|seabird colonies]] in the world, notably on the outer islands of Aldabra and Cosmoledo. In [[granitic Seychelles]] the largest colonies are on [[Aride Island]] including the world's largest numbers of two species. The [[sooty tern]] also breeds on the islands. Other common birds include [[cattle egret]] (''Bubulcus ibis'') and the [[fairy tern]] (''Gygis alba'').[{{cite book| last= Attenborough| first= D| year= 1998| title= The Life of Birds| pages= 220–221| publisher= BBC |isbn= 0563-38792-0}}] More than 1,000 species of fish have been recorded.{{citation needed|date= January 2022}}
The granitic islands of Seychelles are home to roughly 268 [[Angiosperms|flowering plant]] species, of which 70 (28%) are endemic.[{{cite journal |title=Phylogenetic affinity of an enigmatic Rubiaceae from the Seychelles revealing a recent biogeographic link with Central Africa: gen. nov. Seychellea and trib. nov. Seychelleeae |date=2020 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106685 |last1=Razafimandimbison |first1=Sylvain G. |last2=Kainulainen |first2=Kent |last3=Senterre |first3=Bruno |last4=Morel |first4=Charles |last5=Rydin |first5=Catarina |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=143 |article-number=106685 |pmid=31734453 |bibcode=2020MolPE.14306685R }}][{{Cite web|url=https://macce.gov.sc/seychelles-clearing-house-mechanism/species/|title=Species – Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment|access-date=10 March 2024|archive-date=10 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310233837/https://macce.gov.sc/seychelles-clearing-house-mechanism/species/|url-status=dead}}] Particularly well known is the [[coco de mer]], a species of palm that grows only on the islands of [[Praslin]] and neighbouring [[Curieuse]]. Sometimes nicknamed the "love nut" (the shape of its "double" coconut resembles buttocks), the coco-de-mer produces the world's heaviest seed. The [[jellyfish tree]] is to be found in only a few locations on Mahé. This strange and ancient plant, in a genus of its own, ''[[Medusagyne]]'' seems to reproduce only in cultivation and not in the wild. Other unique plant species include Wright's gardenia (''[[Rothmannia annae]]''), found only on [[Aride Island]]'s Special Reserve. There are 6 potentially endemic species of orchid living on the islands.[{{cite web |last1=Leth |first1=Charlotte |title=Epiphytic Orchids of the Seychelles |url=http://www.africanorchids.dk/history/seychelles |website=African Orchids|access-date=25 January 2026}}]
Seychelles is home to two terrestrial ecoregions: [[Granitic Seychelles forests]] and [[Aldabra Island xeric scrub]].[{{cite journal |last1=Dinerstein |first1=Eric |last2=Olson |first2=David |last3=Joshi |first3=Anup |last4=Vynne |first4=Carly |last5=Burgess |first5=Neil D. |last6=Wikramanayake |first6=Eric |last7=Hahn |first7=Nathan |last8=Palminteri |first8=Suzanne |last9=Hedao |first9=Prashant |last10=Noss |first10=Reed |last11=Hansen |first11=Matt |last12=Locke |first12=Harvey |last13=Ellis |first13=Erle C |last14=Jones |first14=Benjamin |last15=Barber |first15=Charles Victor |last16=Hayes |first16=Randy |last17=Kormos |first17=Cyril |last18=Martin |first18=Vance |last19=Crist |first19=Eileen |last20=Sechrest |first20=Wes |last21=Price |first21=Lori |last22=Baillie |first22=Jonathan E. M. |last23=Weeden |first23=Don |last24=Suckling |first24=Kierán |last25=Davis |first25=Crystal |last26=Sizer |first26=Nigel |last27=Moore |first27=Rebecca |last28=Thau |first28=David |last29=Birch |first29=Tanya |last30=Potapov |first30=Peter |last31=Turubanova |first31=Svetlana |last32=Tyukavina |first32=Alexandra |last33=de Souza |first33=Nadia |last34=Pintea |first34=Lilian |last35=Brito |first35=José C. |last36=Llewellyn |first36=Othman A. |last37=Miller |first37=Anthony G. |last38=Patzelt |first38=Annette |last39=Ghazanfar |first39=Shahina A. |last40=Timberlake |first40=Jonathan |last41=Klöser |first41=Heinz |last42=Shennan-Farpón |first42=Yara |last43=Kindt |first43=Roeland |last44=Lillesø |first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow |last45=van Breugel |first45=Paulo |last46=Graudal |first46=Lars |last47=Voge |first47=Maianna |last48=Al-Shammari |first48=Khalaf F. |last49=Saleem |first49=Muhammad |title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm |journal=BioScience |date=June 2017 |volume=67 |issue=6 |pages=534–545 |doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014 |pmid=28608869 |doi-access=free |pmc=5451287 }}] The country had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 10/10, ranking it first globally out of 172 countries.[{{cite journal |last1=Grantham |first1=H. S. |last2=Duncan |first2=A. |last3=Evans |first3=T. D. |last4=Jones |first4=K. R. |last5=Beyer |first5=H. L. |last6=Schuster |first6=R. |last7=Walston |first7=J. |last8=Ray |first8=J. C. |last9=Robinson |first9=J. G. |last10=Callow |first10=M. |last11=Clements |first11=T. |last12=Costa |first12=H. M. |last13=DeGemmis |first13=A. |last14=Elsen |first14=P. R. |last15=Ervin |first15=J. |last16=Franco |first16=P. |last17=Goldman |first17=E. |last18=Goetz |first18=S. |last19=Hansen |first19=A. |last20=Hofsvang |first20=E. |last21=Jantz |first21=P. |last22=Jupiter |first22=S. |last23=Kang |first23=A. |last24=Langhammer |first24=P. |last25=Laurance |first25=W. F. |last26=Lieberman |first26=S. |last27=Linkie |first27=M. |last28=Malhi |first28=Y. |last29=Maxwell |first29=S. |last30=Mendez |first30=M. |last31=Mittermeier |first31=R. |last32=Murray |first32=N. J. |last33=Possingham |first33=H. |last34=Radachowsky |first34=J. |last35=Saatchi |first35=S. |last36=Samper |first36=C. |last37=Silverman |first37=J. |last38=Shapiro |first38=A. |last39=Strassburg |first39=B. |last40=Stevens |first40=T. |last41=Stokes |first41=E. |last42=Taylor |first42=R. |last43=Tear |first43=T. |last44=Tizard |first44=R. |last45=Venter |first45=O. |last46=Visconti |first46=P. |last47=Wang |first47=S. |last48=Watson |first48=J. E. M. |title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity |journal=Nature Communications |date=8 December 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |article-number=5978 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3 |pmid=33293507 |pmc=7723057 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free }}]
=== Environmental issues ===
Since the use of [[speargun]]s and dynamite for fishing was banned through efforts of local conservationists in the 1960s, the wildlife is unafraid of [[Snorkeling|snorkelers]] and [[Scuba diving|divers]]. [[Coral bleaching]] in 1998 has damaged most reefs, but some reefs show healthy recovery (such as [[Silhouette Island]]).
Seychelles claims to have achieved nearly all of its [[Millennium Development Goals]], with 7 out of 8 goals having been achieved.[{{cite web| url= http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/MDG/english/MDG%20Country%20Reports/Seychelles/Seychelles%20MDR2010Print.pdf|title=Seychelles Millennium Development Goals: Status Report 2010|date=August 2010| website= undp.org| publisher= [[United Nations Development Programme]] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181029044444/http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/MDG/english/MDG%20Country%20Reports/Seychelles/Seychelles%20MDR2010Print.pdf|archive-date=29 October 2018|url-status=live|access-date=29 October 2018}}] Environmental protection has been emphasized by the government.[{{Cite web |date=2020-09-17 |title=Seychelle Köztársaság Konzuli Képviselete |url=https://seychelles.hu/blog/2020/09/17/millennium-development-goals |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=seychelles.hu |language=hu}}]
The government's ''Seychelles Climate Guide'' describes the nation's climate as rainy, with a dry season with an ocean economy in the ocean regions. The Southeast Trades is on the decline but still fairly strong.[{{cite web| url= http://www.meteo.gov.sc/index.php/climate/climate-services/seychelles-climate-guide | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065927/http://www.meteo.gov.sc/index.php/climate/climate-services/seychelles-climate-guide |title= Seychelles Climate Guide| year= 2015| publisher= Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change| website= meteo.gov.sc| archivedate= 4 March 2016| access-date= }}] Reportedly, weather patterns there are becoming less predictable.[{{cite web | url= https://www.expertafrica.com/seychelles/info/seychelles-weather-and-climate | title= Seychelles weather and climate: Blue Economy| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926071503/https://www.expertafrica.com/seychelles/info/seychelles-weather-and-climate |archivedate= 26 September 2015 | website= Expertafrica.com| access-date= 8 December 2016}}]
== Demographics ==
{{main|Demographics of Seychelles}}
{{see also|Indo-Seychellois|Sino-Seychellois|Seychellois Creole people|Seychellois Creole|Franco-Seychellois}}
[[File:Seychelles-Mahé-victoria-kevin-gepford.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|[[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]], capital and largest city of Seychelles]]
When the British gained control of the islands during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], they allowed the French upper class to retain their land. Both the French and British settlers used enslaved Africans, and although the British prohibited slavery in 1835, African workers continued to come. The ''Gran blan'' ("big whites") of French origin dominated economic and political life. The British administration employed Indians on [[Indentured servant|indentured servitude]] to the same degree as in Mauritius resulting in a small Indian population. The Indians, like a similar minority of Chinese, were generally in the merchant class.[{{cite web |url=http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Seychelles.html |title=Culture of Seychelles |publisher=Everyculture.com |access-date=23 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422160631/http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Seychelles.html |archive-date=22 April 2012 |url-status=live }}]
Today, Seychelles is described as a fusion of peoples and cultures. Numerous Seychellois are considered multiracial: blending from African, Asian and European descent to create a modern creole culture. Evidence of this blend is also revealed in Seychellois food, incorporating various aspects of French, Chinese, Indian and African cuisine.[{{Cite web |date=2025-04-20 |title=Seychellois Cuisine: A Fusion of Flavors and Traditions, A Foodie's Guide - Island Hopper Guides |url=https://islandhopperguides.com/seychelles/seychelles-culture/seychellois-cuisine-a-fusion-of-flavors-and-traditions-a-foodies-guide/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |language=en-US}}]
As the islands of Seychelles had no indigenous population, the current Seychellois descend from people who immigrated, of which the largest ethnic groups were those of African, French, [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian]] and [[overseas Chinese|Chinese]] origin. The [[median]] age of the Seychellois is 34 years.[{{Cite web |title=Seychelles Population (2022) – Worldometer |url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/seychelles-population/#:~:text=The%20median%20age%20in%20Seychelles%20is%2034.2%20years. |access-date=2022-07-05 |website=www.worldometers.info |language=en}}]
===Languages===
[[French language|French]] and [[English language|English]] are official languages along with [[Seychellois Creole]], which is a [[French-based creole|French-based]] [[creole language]] related to those spoken in Mauritius and Réunion. Seychellois [[Creole language|Creole]] is the most widely spoken native language and de facto the [[national language]] of the country. Seychellois Creole is often spoken with English words and phrases mixed in.[{{cite web | url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/sc/languages | title=Seychelles languages | publisher=SIL International | edition=19th | location=Dallas, Texas | date=2016 | access-date=2 November 2016 | editor-last1=Lewis | editor-first1=M Paul | editor-last2=Simons | editor-first2=Gary F | editor-last3=Fennig | editor-first3=Charles D | work=Ethnologue: Languages of the World | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103235045/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/sc/languages | archive-date=3 November 2016 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}] About 91% of the population are native speakers of Seychellois Creole, 5.1% of English and 0.7% of French.[ Most business and official meetings are conducted in English and nearly all official websites are in English. National Assembly business is conducted in Creole, but laws are passed and published in English.
[[Tamil language|Tamil]] is also a prominent language in Seychelles, spoken primarily by the [[Indo-Seychellois]] community, who form a significant part of the country's multilingual society.][{{cite web |url=https://www.nation.sc/articles/16646/hindu-kavadi-procession-in-the-streets-of-victoria-on-sunday-february-5 |title=Hindu Kavadi procession in the streets of Victoria on Sunday February 5 |website=Nation.sc |access-date=2024-12-26}}]
=== Religion ===
{{main|Religion in Seychelles|Catholic Church in Seychelles|Hinduism in Seychelles|Islam in Seychelles}}
{{Multiple image
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| caption1 = [[St. Francis of Assisi Church, Baie Lazare]], Mahé island
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| caption2 = [[Hinduism in Seychelles|Arulmigu Navashakti Vinayakar Temple in Victoria]]
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According to the 2022 census, most Seychellois are Christians: 61.3% were [[Catholic Church in Seychelles|Catholic]], pastorally served by the exempt [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Victoria|Diocese of Port Victoria]]; 5.0% were [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] and 8.6% follows other sects of Christianity.[{{Cite web |date=2024-03-21 |title=Seychelles Population and Housing Census 2022 |url=https://www.nbs.gov.sc/downloads/1555-seychelles-population-and-housing-census-2022 |access-date=2026-06-02 |website=National Bureau of Statistics Seychelles |pages=30-31 |language=en-gb}}][{{cite web |url=http://www.nsb.gov.sc/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Population_and_Housing_Census_2010_Report.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=18 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514112130/http://www.nsb.gov.sc/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Population_and_Housing_Census_2010_Report.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2014}}]
[[Hinduism]] is the second largest religion, adhered to by more than 5.4% of the population.[{{cite web|url=http://www.pfsr.org/history-of-seychelles/the-hindu-temple-of-seychelles/|title=History of Seychelles Hindu temple|access-date=18 September 2020|archive-date=26 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926113235/http://www.pfsr.org/history-of-seychelles/the-hindu-temple-of-seychelles/|url-status=usurped}}]
[[Islam]] is followed by another 1.6% of the population. Other faiths accounted for 1.1% of the population, while a further 5.9% were non-religious or did not specify a religion.[{{cite book|author= D. B. Prell|title=Economic Study of the Seychelles Islands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_6yHAAACAAJ|year=1965|publisher=D.B. Prell}}][{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/Economic.Study.Seychelles.1965.D.B.Prell|title=Economic. Study. Seychelles. 1965. D. B. Prell|via=Internet Archive|year=1965}}] The Indian Ocean Tracking Station on Mahé used by the United States' [[Air Force Satellite Control Network]] was closed in August 1996 after the Seychelles government attempted to raise the rent to more than $10,000,000 per year.
Since independence in 1976, per capita output has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level[{{Cite journal|url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/183311468305933029/pdf/689590ESW0whit0isclosed050250201200.pdf|title=Seychelles: Economic Update.|last=Bank|first=World|date=2022|journal=World Bank Public Documents}}]. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labour force[{{Cite web|title=Seychelles - ILOSTAT|url=https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/country-profiles/syc/|website=ilostat.ilo.org|access-date=2026-01-30}}], compared to agriculture which today employs about 3% of the labour force. Despite the growth of tourism, farming and fishing continue to employ some people, as do industries that process coconuts and vanilla.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}[{{Cite web|title=Country Focus Report 2024 - Seychelles - Driving Seychelles' Transformation the Reform of the Global Financial Architecture|url=https://www.afdb.org/en/documents/country-focus-report-2024-seychelles-driving-seychelles-transformation-reform-global-financial-architecture|website=African Development Bank Group|date=2024-07-31|access-date=2026-01-30|language=en|first=African Development|last=Bank}}]
{{As of|2013}}, the main export products are processed fish (60%) and non-fillet frozen fish (22%).[[http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/syc/all/show/2013/ OEC – Products exported by the Seychelles (2013)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821072216/http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/syc/all/show/2013/ |date=21 August 2016 }}. Atlas.media.mit.edu. Retrieved on 8 December 2016.]
The prime agricultural products currently produced in Seychelles include [[sweet potatoes]], vanilla, coconuts and cinnamon. These products provide much of the economic support of the locals. Frozen and canned fish, copra, cinnamon and vanilla are the main export commodities.
The Seychelles government has prioritised a 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, banking, imports of basic products, telecommunications and a wide range of other businesses. According to the 2013 [[Index of Economic Freedom]], which measures the degree of limited government, market openness, regulatory efficiency, rule of law, and other factors, economic freedom has been increasing each year since 2010.[{{cite web|title=2013 Index of Economic Freedom|url=http://www.heritage.org/index/country/seychelles|publisher=The Heritage Foundation|access-date=23 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708011801/http://www.heritage.org/index/country/seychelles|archive-date=8 July 2013|url-status=unfit}}] {{unreliable source?|date=April 2022}}
The national currency of Seychelles is the [[Seychellois rupee]]. Initially tied to a basket of international currencies, it was unpegged and allowed to be devalued and float freely in 2008 on the presumed hopes of attracting further foreign investment in the Seychelles economy.[{{cite web |title=Seychelles rupee is among best performing currencies against the dollar in Africa |url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/15591/Seychelles+rupee+is+among+best+performing+currencies+against+the+dollar+in+Africa |website=www.seychellesnewsagency.com}}]
Seychelles has emerged as the least corrupt country in Africa in the latest Corruption Perception Index report released by [[Transparency International]] in January 2020.[{{cite web|url=https://www.pulse.com.gh/bi/strategy/here-are-the-16-least-corrupt-countries-in-africa/kd55vn5|title=Here are the 16 least corrupt countries in Africa|work=Pulse Ghana|date=23 January 2020|access-date=27 January 2021|archive-date=2 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202014643/https://www.pulse.com.gh/bi/strategy/here-are-the-16-least-corrupt-countries-in-africa/kd55vn5|url-status=dead}}]
=== Tourism ===
{{main|Tourism in Seychelles}}
[[File:General hotel.jpg|thumb|left|Beach resort at Seychelles]]
[[File:Seychelles 083.JPG|thumb|right|Aircraft at [[Seychelles International Airport]]]]
In 1971, with the opening of [[Seychelles International Airport]], tourism became a significant industry, essentially dividing the economy into plantations and tourism. The tourism sector paid better, and the plantation economy could expand only so far. The plantation sector of the economy declined in prominence, and tourism became the primary industry of Seychelles. Consequently, there was a sustained spate of hotel construction throughout almost the entire 1970s which included the opening of Coral Strand Smart Choice, Vista Do Mar and Bougainville Hotel in 1972.
In recent years the government has encouraged foreign direct investment to upgrade its hospitality infrastructure and service sectors. These policy frameworks, championed by the Seychelles Investment Board,[{{Cite web|title=Invest in Seychelles|url=https://investinseychelles.com/|website=Invest in Seychelles|date=1970-01-01|access-date=2026-01-30|language=en-gb}}] have catalyzed significant capital inflows[{{Cite web|url=https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2024/191/article-A001-en.xml|title=Seychelles: 2024 Article IV Consultation, Second Reviews Under the Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility and the Arrangement Under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, Requests for a Waiver of Nonobservance and Modification of Performance Criteria-Press Release; and Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Seychelles|date=28 Jun 2024|access-date=30 Jan 2026|website=The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) eLibrary|last=International Monetary Fund. African Dept.}}] into luxury real estate and integrated resort developments. Central to this growth was the World Bank's Sustainability and Climate Resilience Development Policy Loan[{{Cite web|url=https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P513769|title=Seychelles - Second Sustainability and Climate Resilience Development Policy Loan. World Bank Group|date=2023|access-date=30 January 2026|website=World Bank|last=World Bank}}]—which succeeded earlier structural adjustment programs to strengthen the business environment and fiscal management.
Since then the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, small-scale manufacturing and most recently the offshore financial sector, through the establishment of the Financial Services Authority and the enactment of several pieces of legislation (such as the International Corporate Service Providers Act, the International Business Companies Act, the Securities Act, the Mutual Funds and Hedge Fund Act, amongst others). In March 2015, Seychelles allocated [[Assumption Island]] to be developed by India.[[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-to-develop-two-islands-in-Indian-Ocean/articleshow/46533103.cms India to develop two islands in Indian Ocean – Times of India] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315162052/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-to-develop-two-islands-in-Indian-Ocean/articleshow/46533103.cms |date=15 March 2015 }}. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (11 March 2015). Retrieved on 8 December 2016.]
Owing to the effects of [[COVID-19]], Seychelles shut down its borders to international tourism in the year 2020. As the national vaccination programme progressed well, the nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism decided to reopen the borders to international tourists on 25 March 2021.
=== Energy ===
[[File:Seychelles electricity generation by source.png|thumb|Electricity generation in Seychelles in terawatt-hours]]
Although multinational oil companies have explored the waters around the islands, no oil or gas has been found.[{{Cite web|url=https://geoexpro.com/eddy-belle-promoting-the-seychelles/|title=Promoting the Seychelles: From Chemistry to Petroleum Geology|date=30 Jan 2026|website=GEOExPro|last=Belle|first=E.}}] In 2005, a deal was signed with US firm Petroquest, giving it exploration rights to about {{convert|30,000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} around Constant, Topaz, Farquhar and Coëtivy islands until 2014.[{{Cite web|title=Opening up to oil exploration -Archive -Seychelles Nation|url=https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/refined-petroleum/reporter/syc|website=www.nation.sc|access-date=2026-01-30}}] Seychelles imports oil from the Persian Gulf in the form of refined petroleum derivatives at the rate of about {{convert|5700|oilbbl/d|m3/day}}.[{{Cite web|title=The Observatory of Economic Complexity|url=https://oec.world/en/profile/[...bespoke]|website=The Observatory of Economic Complexity|access-date=2026-01-30|language=en}}] oil than is needed for internal uses: this surplus is strategically re-exported as bunker fuel for international shipping and aviation at Port Victoria[{{Cite web|url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099112524070022409/pdf/P5058561917c540a180561ab5097c106a2.pdf|title=Seychelles: Decarbonizing the energy sector for economic resilience.|date=2024|access-date=30 Jan 2026|website=The World Bank Group|last=World Bank}}]. There are no refining capacities on the islands. Oil and gas imports, distribution and re-export are the responsibility of Seychelles Petroleum (SEYPEC[{{Cite web|title=SEYPEC Marks 40 Years of Excellence and National Contribution {{!}} SEYPEC|url=https://www.seypec.com/news/2025/03/seypec-marks-40-years-excellence-and-national-contribution|website=www.seypec.com|access-date=2026-01-30}}]), while oil exploration is the responsibility of PetroSeychelles[{{Cite web|title=Seychelles gears up for oil exploration in its waters By Patrick Joubert|url=https://www.nation.sc/articles/14900/-seychelles-gears-up-for-oil-exploration-in-its-waters--by-patrick-joubert-|website=www.nation.sc|access-date=2026-01-30|language=bg}}], formerly the Seychelles National Oil Company (SNOC).
== Culture ==
=== Art ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2019}}
A National Art Gallery was inaugurated in 1994 on the occasion of the official opening of the National Cultural Centre, which houses the National Library and National Archives with other offices of the Ministry of Culture. At its inauguration, the Minister of Culture decreed that the exhibition of works of Seychellois artists, painters and sculptors was a testimony to the development of art in Seychelles as a creative form of expression, and provided a view of the state of the country's contemporary art. Painters have traditionally been inspired by Seychelles' natural features to produce a wide range of works in media ranging from watercolours to oils, acrylics, collages, metals, aluminium, wood, fabrics, gouache, varnishes, recycled materials, pastels, charcoal, embossing, etching, and giclee prints. Local sculptors produce fine works in wood, stone, bronze and [[cartonnage]]. There are several art galleries around the island such as the National Gallery in Victoria, the Traditional wooden house galleries Kenwyn House gallery and Kaz Zanana Art Gallery in Victoria, Pagoda Art and Design Gallery in the Seychelles Chinese Culture Centre near the Selwyn Clarke market, and Eden gallery on Eden Island.
=== Music ===
{{main|Music of Seychelles}}
Music and dance have always played prominent roles in Seychelles culture and local festivities. Rooted in African, Malagasy and European cultures, music characteristically features drums such as the [[Tambourine|tambour]] and [[Gong|tam-tam]], and simple string instruments. The violin and guitar are relatively recent foreign imports which play a prominent role in contemporary music.
Among popular dances are the [[Sega (genre)|Sega]], with hip-swaying and shuffling of the feet, and the [[Moutya]], a dance dating back to the days of slavery, when it was often used to express strong emotions and discontent.
The [[music of Seychelles]] is diverse, a reflection of the fusion of cultures through its history. The [[folk music]] of the islands incorporates multiple influences in a syncretic fashion. It includes African rhythms, aesthetic and instrumentation, such as the ''zez'' and the ''bom'' (known in Brazil as [[berimbau]]); European [[Contredanse (organisation)|contredanse]], [[polka]] and [[mazurka]]; French folk and pop; [[sega music|''sega'']] from [[Mauritius]] and Réunion; [[taarab]], [[soukous]] and other pan-African genres; and [[Polynesia]]n, [[Music of India|Indian]] and [[Arcadia (regional unit)|Arcadia]]n music.
Contombley is a popular form of percussion music, as is Moutya, a fusion of native folk rhythms with Kenyan [[benga music|benga]]. Kontredans, based on European [[contra dance]], is also popular, especially in district and school competitions during the annual Festival Kreol (International Creole Festival). Moutya playing and dancing often occur at beach bazaars. Music is sung in the [[Seychellois Creole]] of the French language, and in French and English.
In 2021,[{{cite web | url=https://kreolmagazine.com/culture/features/moutya-historic-inscription-during-unesco-event-in-paris/ | title=Moutya – Historic Inscription During UNESCO Event in Paris | International Magazine Kreol | date=2 November 2023 | access-date=10 February 2024 | archive-date=15 July 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715223609/https://kreolmagazine.com/culture/features/moutya-historic-inscription-during-unesco-event-in-paris/ | url-status=dead }}] the Moutya, a slave trade-era dance, was added to the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List]] as a symbol of psychological comfort in its role of resistance against hardship, [[poverty]], [[Servitude in civil law|servitude]] and [[social injustice]].[{{cite web |title=UNESCO – Moutya |url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/moutya-01690 |publisher=[[UNESCO]]|language=en}}]
=== Cuisine ===
{{main|Cuisine of Seychelles}}
[[File:Cutting coconuts Seychelles.jpg|thumb|Cutting open tender coconuts for drinking, Seychelles]]
Staple foods of Seychelles include fish, seafood and [[shellfish]] dishes, often accompanied with rice.[{{cite book|title=Lonely Planet Mauritius, Reunion & Seychelles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKAH9zxBiA8C&pg=PA273|year=2010|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74179-167-9|pages=273–274}}][{{cite book|title=Practice Tests for IGCSE English as a Second Language Reading and Writing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NVT26ZRnGFQC&pg=PA50|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-14059-1|page=50|date=4 February 2010}}]
Other staples include coconut, [[breadfruit]], [[mango]]es and ''kordonnyen'' fish.[{{cite book|author=Paul Tingay|title=Seychelles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NoUynTBELeIC&pg=PA33|year=2006|publisher=New Holland Publishers|isbn=978-1-84537-439-6|pages=33–34}}]
* Chicken dishes, such as chicken curry and [[coconut milk]].[{{cite book|author=Dyfed Lloyd Evans|title=The Recipes of Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FJxlWwrVcKcC&pg=PA235|publisher=Dyfed Lloyd Evans|pages=235–236}}]
* Coconut curry[{{cite book|author1=Lloyd E. Hudman|author2=Richard H. Jackson|title=Geography of Travel and Tourism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MyGjpyNAur0C&pg=PA384|year=2003|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-0-7668-3256-5|page=384}}]
*[[Ladob]], eaten either as a savoury dish or as a dessert. The dessert version usually consists of ripe [[Plantain (cooking)|plantain]] and [[sweet potatoes]] (but may also include [[cassava]], [[breadfruit]] or even [[Soursop|corossol]]), boiled with coconut milk, sugar, [[nutmeg]] and vanilla in the form of a pod until the fruit is soft and the sauce is creamy.[Sarah Carpin (1998) ''Seychelles'', Odyssey Guides, The Guidebook Company Limited. p. 77]
* Vegetables[{{Cite web |title=Today in Seychelles - Home |url=https://www.todayinseychelles.com/ |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=www.todayinseychelles.com}}][{{cite web |title=Seychelles media guide |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094089 |website=BBC News |date=9 July 2011 |access-date=4 January 2025}}] Foreign newspapers and magazines are readily available at most bookshops and newsagents. The papers are published mostly in [[Seychellois Creole]], French and English.
Seychelles' prominent digital newspaper [[Seychelles News Agency]] was set to cease its operations completely on 1 January 2025, following the decision of the Seychelles government and ''National Information Service Agency'' (NISA) after ten years of news reporting in Seychelles.[{{Cite news |last=Vannier |first=Rassin |date=2024-12-19 |title=End of an era: After 10 years of operation, Seychelles News Agency to go offline on Jan. 1, 2025 |url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/21698/End+of+an+era+After++years+of+operation%2C+Seychelles+News+Agency+to+go+offline+on+Jan.+%2C+ |work=Seychelles News Agency |archive-date=21 December 2024 |access-date=30 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241221002821/http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/21698/End+of+an+era+After++years+of+operation%2C+Seychelles+News+Agency+to+go+offline+on+Jan.+%2C+ |url-status=dead }}]
The main television and radio network, operated by the [[Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation]], offers locally produced news and discussion programmes in the Seychellois Creole language, between 3 pm and 11:30 pm on weekdays and longer hours on weekends. There are also imported English- and French-language television programmes on Seychellois terrestrial television, and international satellite television has grown rapidly in recent years.
=== Sports ===
Seychelles' most popular sport is [[Association football|football]], which has significantly grown in popularity in the last decade.[{{Cite web |title=Sport in The Seychelles |url=https://www.topendsports.com/world/countries/seychelles.htm |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=www.topendsports.com}}] In 2015, Seychelles hosted the [[2015 CAF Beach Soccer Championship|African Beach Soccer Championship]]. Ten years later, in May 2025, Seychelles hosted the [[2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup]] making it the first ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup to be ever held in Africa.
=== Women ===
{{see also|Women in Seychelles}}
[[File:Miss Seychelles 08 Elena Angione.jpg|thumb|Miss Seychelles 2008, Elena Angione]]
Mothers tend to be dominant in the household, controlling most expenditure and looking after children's interests.[ [[Unwed mother]]s are the societal norm, and the law requires fathers to [[child support|support their children]].][ Men are important for their earning ability, but their domestic role is relatively peripheral.][Tartter, Jean R. "Status of Women". [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/sctoc.html Indian Ocean country studies: Seychelles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051211060002/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/sctoc.html|date=11 December 2005}} ([[Helen Chapin Metz]], editor). [[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]] (August 1994). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''][[https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100502.htm Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Seychelles (2007)] [[Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor]] (11 March 2008). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.'']
=== LGBT rights ===
{{Main|LGBT rights in Seychelles}}
Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2016.[{{cite web|url=http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/seychelles-has-officially-legalized-homosexuality/|title=The Seychelles will make gay sex legal|work=Gay Star News|date=2 March 2016|access-date=9 May 2021|archive-date=27 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327113541/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/seychelles-has-officially-legalized-homosexuality/|url-status=dead}}] The bill decriminalising homosexuality was approved in a 14–0 vote.[{{cite web|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/05/18/seychelles-repeals-colonial-era-law-banning-gay-sex/|title=Seychelles repeals colonial-era law banning gay sex|date=18 May 2016|access-date=9 May 2021}}] Employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is banned in the Seychelles, making it one of the few [[Africa]]n countries to have such protections for LGBT people.[[http://old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2012.pdf "State-sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults", International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, authored by Lucas Paoli Itaborahy, May 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017205059/http://old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2012.pdf |date=17 October 2012 }} {{rp|34}}][{{cite web|url=https://staging.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/40108/90799/F1128259675/SYC40108.pdf|title=Employment Act, 1995|access-date=9 May 2021}}{{dead link|date=June 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}]
=== Education ===
{{main|Education in Seychelles}}
Seychelles has the highest literacy rate of any country in sub-Saharan Africa.[{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/literacy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109162852/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/literacy |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 January 2021 |title=Literacy – The World Factbook |publisher=Cia.gov |date= |accessdate=2 May 2022}}] According to The World Factbook of the Central Intelligence Agency, as of 2018, 95.9% of the population aged 15 and over can read and write in the Seychelles.[{{cite journal |last1=Whitehead |first1=Clive |title='...a proper subject of reproach to the Empire'. Reflections on British Education Policy in the Seychelles 1938–1948 |journal=Education Research and Perspectives |date=December 2008 |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=95–111 |id={{ProQuest|217873516}} |url=https://www.erpjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ERPV35-2_Whitehead-C.-2008-%E2%80%A6a-proper-subject-of-reproach.pdf }}]
A teacher training college opened in 1959, when the supply of locally trained teachers began to grow, and in short time many new schools were established. Since 1981 a system of free education has been in effect, requiring attendance by all children in grades one to nine, beginning at age six. Ninety-four percent of all children attend primary school.[{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Seychelles: National Education Profile, 2018 Update |url=https://www.epdc.org/sites/default/files/documents/EPDC_NEP_2018_Seychelles.pdf |access-date=November 20, 2023}}]
The literacy rate for school-age children rose to more than 90% by the late 1980s. Many older Seychellois had not been taught to read or write in their childhood; adult education classes helped raise adult literacy from 60% to a claimed 96% in 2020.[{{Cite web |title=World Bank Open Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/ |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=World Bank Open Data}}]
There are a total of 68 schools in Seychelles. The public school system consists of 23 [[Kindergarten|crèches]], 25 primary schools and 13 secondary schools. They are located on [[Mahé]], [[Praslin]], [[La Digue]] and [[Silhouette Island|Silhouette]]. Additionally, there are three private schools: École Française, International School and the independent school. All the private schools are on Mahé, and the International School has a branch on [[Praslin]]. There are seven post-secondary (non-tertiary) schools: the Seychelles Polytechnic, School of Advanced Level Studies, Seychelles Tourism Academy, University of Seychelles Education, Seychelles [[Institute of Technology]], Maritime Training Centre, Seychelles Agricultural and Horticultural Training Centre and the National Institute for Health and Social Studies.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
The administration launched plans to open a university in an attempt to slow down the [[brain drain]] that had occurred. The [[University of Seychelles]], initiated in conjunction with the [[University of London]], opened on 17 September 2009 across three locations and offers qualifications awarded by the University of London.[{{cite web|title=afrol News – Seychelles gets its 1st university|url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/36977|access-date=23 July 2021|website=www.afrol.com}}] The establishment of the university was intended to expand domestic access to higher education and reduce reliance on overseas study.
==Notable people==
{{Main|List of Seychellois people}}
* [[Kevin Betsy]], football coach and former professional [[Association football|footballer]].
* [[Sandra Esparon]] – singer and performer
* [[Sonia Grandcourt]] – writer
* [[Regina Melanie]] – writer
* [[Laurence Norah]] – travel photographer, writer, and blogger
* [[Jean-Marc Volcy]] – musician
* [[Gaston Labat|Dr Louis Gaston Labat]] – physician and pioneer in regional anesthesia
== See also ==
{{portal|Countries|Africa|Islands|Geography
}}
* [[Outline of Seychelles]]
* [[Index of Seychelles-related articles]]
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Sister project links|Seychelles|voy=Seychelles}}
'''Government'''
* [https://www.egov.sc/ SeyGov], main government portal
* [https://www.statehouse.gov.sc/ State House], Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles
* [https://www.cbs.sc/ Central Bank of Seychelles], on-shore banking and insurance regulator
* [https://investinseychelles.com/ Seychelles Investment Bureau], government agency promoting investment in Seychelles
* {{Deprecated archive|url=https://archive.today/20121225023604/http://www.nsb.gov.sc/|title=National Bureau of Statistics|sec=el}}, government agency responsible for collecting, compiling, analysing and publishing statistical information
'''Religion'''
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/pvic0.htm GigaCatholic]
'''Folklore'''
* [https://www.creolica.net/Corpus-de-creole-seychellois Compilation Books of Seychellois fairy tales] (In Seychellois Creole)
* [https://folklore.unisey.ac.sc/ Seychelles Folklore Archive] by [[University of Seychelles]]
'''General'''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20260115003125/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/seychelles/ Seychelles]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081025074904/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/seychelles.htm Seychelles] from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14093816 Seychelles] from [[BBC News]]
* {{wikiatlas|Seychelles}}
* [http://www.islandconservationseychelles.com Island Conservation Society], non-profit nature conservation and educational non-governmental organisation
* [http://www.natureseychelles.org Nature Seychelles], scientific/environmental non-governmental nature protection association
* ''[https://www.nation.sc/ The Seychelles Nation]'', the largest circulation local daily newspaper
* [https://www.seychellesbirdrecordscommittee.com/ Seychelles Bird Records Committee]
* [http://www.seychelles.travel Seychelles.travel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804141937/http://www.seychelles.travel/ |date=4 August 2021 }}, government tourism portal
* [https://www.vanilla-islands.org/en/the-island/seychelles/ Tourism Page]
* [http://airseychelles.com Air Seychelles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706124735/http://www.airseychelles.com/ |date=6 July 2009 }}, Seychelles national airline
* [http://adst.org/2015/04/seychelles-gangstas-paradise/ ADST interview with U.S. Ambassador to Seychelles David Fischer]
{{Seychelles topics}}
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