Seychelles

Seychelles (/[unsupported input]seɪˈʃɛlz/ say-SHELZ; French: [sɛʃɛl]), offeecially the Republic o Seychelles (French: République des Seychelles; Creole: Repiblik Sesel), is an island kintra spannin an archipelago o 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) east o mainland Africae, northeast o the island o Madagascar. Ither nearbi island kintras an territories include Zanzibar tae the wast, Mauritius an Réunion tae the sooth, Comoros an Mayotte tae the soothwast. Seychelles, wi an estimatit population o 84,000, haes the smawest population o ony African state. History Austronesian seafarers or Arab traders wur the first tae visit the uninhabitit Seychelles. The earliest recordit sichtin bi Europeans teuk place in 1502 bi the Portuguese Admiral Vasco da Gama, who passed through the Amirantes an named them efter hissel (islands o the Admiral). A transit point for trade atween Africae an Asie, the islands wur occasionally uised bi pirates till the French began tae take control stairtin in 1756 when a Stone o Possession wis laid bi Caiptain Nicholas Morphey. The islands wur named efter Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Louis XV’s Meenister o Finance. The Breetish contestit control ower the islands atween 1794 an 1810. Jean Baptiste Quéau de Quincy, French administrator o Seychelles durin the years o war wi the Unitit Kinrick, declined tae resist when airmed enemy warships arrived. Instead, he successfully negotiatit the status o capitulation tae Breetain which gave the settlers a privileged position o neutrality. Breetain eventually assumed full control upon the surrender o Mauritius in 1810, formalised in 1814 at the Treaty o Paris. Seychelles became a croun colony separate frae Mauritius in 1903. Elections wur held in 1966 an 1970. Unthrildom wis grantit in 1976 as a republic athin the Commonweel. In 1977, a coup d'état oostit the first preses o the republic, James Mancham, who wis replaced bi France Albert René. The 1979 constitution declared a socialist ane-pairty state, which lastit till 1991. The first draft o a new constitution failed tae receive the requisite 60 percent o voters in 1992, but an amendit version wis approved in 1993. References