Seychelles

Seychelles(/seɪˈʃɛl(z)/,/ˈseɪʃɛl(z)/;French:[sɛʃɛl]or[seʃɛl]), officially theRepublic of Seychelles(French:République des Seychelles;Seychellois Creole:Repiblik Sesel),is anisland countryandarchipelagic stateconsisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in theIndian Ocean. Its capital and largest city,Victoria, is 1,500 kilometres (800 nautical miles) east of mainlandAfrica. Nearby island countries and territories include theComoros,Madagascar,Mauritius, and theFrenchoverseas departmentsofMayotteandRéunionto the south; and theChagos Archipelagoto the east.
Seychelles is thesmallest country in Africaas well as theleast populated sovereign African country, with an estimated population of 100,600 in 2022.
Seychelles was uninhabited prior to being encountered by Europeans in the 16th century. It faced competing French and British interests until it came under full British control in the late 18th century. Since proclaiming independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, it has developed from a largelyagriculturalsociety to a market-based diversified economy, characterised byservice,public sector, andtourismactivities. From 1976 to 2015, nominalGDPgrew nearly 700%, andpurchasing power paritynearly 1600%. Since the late 2010s, the government has taken steps to encourageforeign investment.
As of the early 21st century, Seychelles has the highestnominal per capita GDPof anyAfricannation. It has the highestHuman Development Indexranking of any African country.According to the 2023V-Dem Democracy indices, Seychelles is the 43rd-ranked electoral democracy worldwide and 1st-rankedelectoral democracy in Africa.
Seychellois culture and society is an eclectic mix of French, British, and African influences, with infusions of Chinese and Indian elements. The country is a member of theUnited Nations, theAfrican Union, theSouthern African Development Community, and theCommonwealth of Nations.
Seychelles was uninhabited until the 18th century when Europeans arrived with Indians, andenslaved Africans. It remained a British colony from 1814 until its independence in 1976. Seychelles has never been inhabited byindigenous people, but its islanders maintain their ownCreole heritage.
Seychelles was uninhabited throughout most of recorded history, although simulations ofAustronesianmigration patterns indicate a good probability that Asians visited the islands.Tombs visible until 1910 at Anse Lascars on Silhouette Island have been conjectured to belong to laterMaldivianandArabtraders visiting the archipelago.Vasco da Gamaand his4th Portuguese India Armadadiscovered the Seychelles on 15 March 1503; the first sighting was made byThomé LopesaboardRui Mendes de Brito. Da Gama's ships passed close to an elevated island, probablySilhouette Island, and the following dayDesroches Island. Later, the Portuguese mapped a group of seven islands and named themThe Seven Sisters.The earliest recorded landing was in January 1609, by the crew of theAscensionunder CaptainAlexander Sharpeighduring the fourth voyage of the BritishEast 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 onMahéby CaptainNicholas Morphey. The islands were named afterJean Moreau de Séchelles,Louis XV'sMinister of Finance.
In August 1770, the French shipThélémaqueunder the command of Leblanc Lécore landed 28 people—15 white men and 13 enslaved men and women from Africa and India—onSte. Anne Island.
The British frigateOrpheuscommanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mahé on 16 May 1794, during theWar of the First Coalition. Terms of capitulation were drawn up and on the next day, Seychelles was surrendered to the United Kingdom. Jean Baptiste Quéau de Quincy, the French administrator of Seychelles during the years of war with the United Kingdom, declined to resist when armed enemy warships arrived. Instead, he successfully negotiated the status of capitulation to Britain which gave the settlers a privileged position of neutrality.
Britain eventually assumed full control upon the surrender ofMauritiusin 1810, formalised in 1814 at theTreaty of Paris. Seychelles became acrown colonyseparate from Mauritius in 1903.Elections in Seychelleswere held in 1966 and 1970.
In 1976, Seychelles gained independence from theUnited Kingdomas a republic. It has since become a member of theCommonwealth.In the 1970s Seychelles was "the place to be seen, a playground for film stars and the international jet set".In 1977, acoup d'étatbyFrance Albert Renéousted the first president of the republic,James Mancham.René discouraged over-dependence on tourism and declared that he wanted "to keep Seychelles for the Seychellois".
The 1979 constitution declared asocialist one-party state, which lasted until 1991.
In the 1980s there were a series of coup attempts against President René, some of which were supported by South Africa. In 1981,Mike Hoareled a team of 43 South African mercenaries masquerading as holidaying rugby players in the1981 Seychelles coup d'état attempt.There was a gun battle at the airport, and most of the mercenaries later escaped in a hijackedAir Indiaplane.The leader of this hijacking was German mercenary D. Clodo, a former member of theRhodesian SAS.Clodo later stood trial in South Africa (where he was acquitted) as well as in his home country Germany for air piracy.
In 1986, an attempted coup led by the Seychelles Minister of Defence, Ogilvy Berlouis, caused President René to request assistance from India. InOperation Flowers are Blooming, the Indian Navy'sNilgiri-class frigateVindhyagiriarrived in Port Victoria to help avert the coup.
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.
In June 2012, during a conference at theUnited Nations Conference on Sustainable DevelopmentinRio de Janeiro, a commitment was made by the Seychelles government to protect 30% of its 1.35 million square kilometre marine waters within the country's marine protected areas.
In January 2013, Seychelles declared a state of emergency when the tropicalcyclone Fellengcaused torrential rain, and flooding and landslides destroyed hundreds of houses.
Following the coup in 1977, the president always represented the same political party until the October2020 Seychellois general election, which was historic in that the opposition party won.Wavel Ramkalawanwas the first president who did not represent United Seychelles (the current name of the former Seychelles People's Progressive Front).
In January 2023, Seychelles announced its final stages of completing its marine spatial plan. It would become the second largest ocean area at 1.35 million km(520,000 sq mi) behindNorway, in support of itsblue economy.
The Seychelles president, who ishead of stateandhead 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 2023, the president isWavel Ramkalawan.
TheunicameralSeychellois parliament, theNational AssemblyorAssemblée 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.
TheSupreme 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.
Seychelles' long-term presidentFrance-Albert Renécame to power after his supporters overthrew the first presidentJames Manchamon 5 June 1977 in acoup d'étatand installed him as president. René was at that time the prime minister. René ruled as astrongmanunder asocialistone-party systemuntil 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 in2006,2011and again in2015.On 28 September 2016, the Office of the President announced that Michel would step down effective 16 October, and that Vice PresidentDanny Faurewould complete the rest of Michel's term.
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 theLeader of the Oppositionfrom 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.
The primary political parties are the former long-time ruling socialistPeople's Party(PP), known until 2009 as the Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) now calledUnited Seychelles(US), and thesocially liberalSeychelles National Party(SNP).
Theelectionof 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.
Seychelles is a member of theUnited Nations, theAfrican Union, theIndian Ocean Commission,La Francophonie, theSouthern African Development Communityand theCommonwealth of Nations.
Between 1979 and 1983, various plots to overthrow the non-aligned government of France-Albert Rene were, according to leading participants, supported by the United States, France, and South Africa. Commonly cited reasons for such attempts include Rene'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.Under the Obama administration, the US began running drone operations out of Seychelles.In the Spring of 2013, members of theSpecial-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africamentored troops in Seychelles, along with a variety of other African nations.
TheMilitary of Seychellesis theSeychelles People's Defence Forcewhich consists of a number of distinct branches: an Infantry Unit and Coast Guard, Air Force and a Presidential Protection Unit. India has played and continues to play a key role in developing the military of Seychelles. After handing over twoSDB Mk5 patrol vesselsbuilt byGRSE, the INSTarasaand INSTarmugli, to theSeychelles Coast Guard, which were subsequently renamedPSConstantandPSTopaz, India also gifted aDornier 228aircraft built byHindustan Aeronautics Limited.India also signed a pact to developAssumption Island. Spread over 11 km(4 sq mi), it is strategically located in theIndian Ocean, north ofMadagascar. The island is being leased for the development of strategic assets by India.In 2018, Seychelles signed the UNtreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
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%.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.
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.
Seychelles is a key participant in the fight against Indian Oceanpiracyprimarily committed bySomali pirates.Former presidentJames Michelsaid that piracy costs between $7 million – $12 million a year to the international community: "The pirates cost 4% of the SeychellesGDP, 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.
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 GreaterVictoria. Another 14 districts are considered the rural part of the main island ofMahé. Two more districts divide the island ofPraslinand one coversLa Digueas well as satellite and otherInner Islands. The rest of theOuter Islands(Îles Eloignées) make up the last district recently created by the tourism ministry.
An island nation, Seychelles is located in theSomali Seasegment of the Indian Ocean, northeast ofMadagascarand about 1,600 km (860 nmi) east ofKenya. The Constitution of Seychelles lists 155 named islands,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 1,550 km (835 nmi) fromMogadishu(Somalia's capital).
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 244 km(94 sq mi), 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 theGranitic Seychelles. These are in descending order of size:Mahé,Praslin,Silhouette,La Digue,Curieuse,Félicité,Frégate,Ste. Anne,North,Cerf,Marianne,Grand Sœur,Thérèse,Aride,Conception,Petite Sœur,Cousin,Cousine,Long,Récif,Round (Praslin),Anonyme,Mamelles,Moyenne,Ile aux Vaches Marines,L'Islette,Beacon (Ile Sèche),Cachée,Cocos,Round (Mahé), L'Ilot Frégate, Booby, Chauve Souris (Mahé), Chauve Souris (Praslin), Ile La Fouche,Hodoul, L'Ilot, Rat, Souris, St. Pierre (Praslin), Zavé, Harrison Rocks (Grand Rocher).
There are two coral sandcaysnorth of the granitics on the edge of the Seychelles Bank:DenisandBird. There are twocoral islandssouth of the Granitic:CoëtivyandPlatte.
There are 29 coral islands in theAmirantes 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 theFarquhar 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.
There are 67raised coral islandsin theAldabra 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 andCosmoledo 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,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.
The climate is very humid, as the islands are small,and is classified by theKöppen-Geiger systemas atropical rain forest(Af). The temperature varies little throughout the year. Temperatures on Mahé vary from 24 to 30 °C (75 to 86 °F), and rainfall ranges from 2,900 mm (114 in) annually atVictoriato 3,600 mm (142 in) on the mountain slopes.Precipitationlevels are somewhat less on the other islands.
During the coolest months, July and August, the average low is about 24 °C (75 °F). 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 31 °C (88 °F). Most of the islands lie outside the cyclone belt, so high winds are rare.
Seychelles is among the world's leading countries to protect lands forthreatened species, allocating 42% of its territory forconservation.Like many fragile island ecosystems, Seychelles saw theloss of biodiversitywhen humans first settled in the area, including the disappearance of most of thegiant tortoisesfrom the granitic islands, the felling of coastal and mid-level forests, and the extinction of species such as thechestnut flanked white eye, theSeychelles parakeet, and thesaltwater crocodile. However, extinctions were far fewer than on islands such asMauritiusorHawaii, partly due to a shorter period of human occupation. Seychelles today is known for success stories in protecting its flora and fauna. The rareSeychelles black parrot, the national bird of the country, is now protected.
Thefreshwater crabgenusSeychellumis endemic to the granitic Seychelles, and a further 26 species of crabs and five species ofhermit crabslive on the islands.From the year 1500 until the mid-1800s (approximately), the then-previously unknownAldabra giant tortoisewas 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 aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.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 byCITES, whilstcaptive breedinghas greatly reduced the negative impact on the remaining wild populations. The granitic islands of Seychelles supports three extant species ofSeychelles giant tortoise.
Seychelles hosts some of the largestseabird coloniesin the world, notably on the outer islands of Aldabra and Cosmoledo. Ingranitic Seychellesthe largest colonies are onAride Islandincluding the world's largest numbers of two species. Thesooty ternalso breeds on the islands. Other common birds includecattle egret(Bubulcus ibis) and thefairy tern(Gygis alba).More than 1,000 species of fish have been recorded.
The granitic islands of Seychelles are home to roughly 268flowering plantspecies, of which 70 (28%) are endemic.Particularly well known is thecoco de mer, a species of palm that grows only on the islands ofPraslinand neighbouringCurieuse. Sometimes nicknamed the "love nut" (the shape of its "double" coconut resembles buttocks), the coco-de-mer produces the world's heaviest seed. Thejellyfish treeis to be found in only a few locations on Mahé. This strange and ancient plant, in a genus of its own,Medusagyneseems to reproduce only in cultivation and not in the wild. Other unique plant species include Wright's gardenia (Rothmannia annae), found only onAride Island’s Special Reserve. There are several unique species of orchid on the islands. Famous botanist Dr. Herb Herbertson was known for his love of the islands unique orchid varieties.
Seychelles is home to two terrestrial ecoregions:Granitic Seychelles forestsandAldabra Island xeric scrub.The country had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean score of 10/10, ranking it first globally out of 172 countries.
Since the use ofspeargunsand dynamite for fishing was banned through efforts of local conservationists in the 1960s, the wildlife is unafraid ofsnorkelersanddivers.Coral bleachingin 1998 has damaged most reefs, but some reefs show healthy recovery (such asSilhouette Island).
Despite huge disparities across nations,Seychelles claims to have achieved nearly all of itsMillennium Development Goals.17 MDGS and 169 targets have been achieved.Environmental protection is becoming a cultural value.
Their government'sSeychelles Climate Guidedescribes 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.Reportedly, weather patterns there are becoming less predictable.
When the British gained control of the islands during theNapoleonic 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. TheGran blan("big whites") of French origin dominated economic and political life. The British administration employed Indians onindentured servitudeto 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.
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.
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,IndianandChineseorigin. Themedianage of the Seychellois is 34 years.
FrenchandEnglishare official languages along withSeychellois Creole, which is aFrench-basedcreole languagerelated to those spoken in Mauritius and Reunion. SeychelloisCreoleis the most widely spoken native language and de facto thenational languageof the country. Seychellois Creole is often spoken with English words and phrases mixed in.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.
Tamilis also a prominent language in Seychelles, spoken primarily by the Indo-Seychellois community, who form a significant part of the country's multilingual society.
According to the 2022 census, most Seychellois are Christians: 61.3% wereRoman Catholic, pastorally served by the exemptDiocese of Port Victoria; 5.0% wereAnglicanand 8.6% follows other sects of Christianity.
Hinduism is the second largest religion, adhered to by more than 5.4% of the population.Hinduism is followed mainly by theIndo-Seychelloiscommunity.
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.
During the plantation era,cinnamon,vanillaandcoprawere the chief exports. In 1965, during a three-month visit to the islands, futuristDonald Prellprepared for thecrown colony's Governor General an economic report containing a scenario for the future of the economy. Quoting from his report, in the 1960s, about 33% of the working population worked at plantations, and 20% worked in the public or government sector.The Indian Ocean Tracking Station on Mahé used by the United States'Air Force Satellite Control Networkwas 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. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labour force, 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.
As of 2013, the main export products are processed fish (60%) and non-fillet frozen fish (22%).
The prime agricultural products currently produced in Seychelles includesweet 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 thebudget deficit, including the containment ofsocial welfarecosts and furtherprivatisationof 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 2013Index 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.
The national currency of Seychelles is theSeychellois 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.
Seychelles has emerged as the least corrupt country in Africa in the latest Corruption Perception Index report released byTransparency Internationalin January 2020.
In 1971, with the opening ofSeychelles 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 investment to upgrade hotels and other services. These incentives have given rise to an enormous amount of investment in real estate projects and new resort properties, such as project TIME, distributed by the World Bank, along with its predecessor project MAGIC.
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 allocatedAssumption Islandto be developed by India.
Owing to the effects ofCOVID-19, Seychelles shut down its borders to international tourism in the year 2020. As the national vaccination program progressed well, the nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism decided to reopen the borders to international tourists on 25 March 2021.
Although multinational oil companies have explored the waters around the islands, no oil or gas has been found. In 2005, a deal was signed with US firm Petroquest, giving it exploration rights to about 30,000 km(12,000 sq mi) around Constant, Topaz, Farquhar and Coëtivy islands until 2014. Seychelles imports oil from the Persian Gulf in the form of refined petroleum derivatives at the rate of about 5,700 barrels per day (910 m/d).
In recent years oil has been imported from Kuwait and Bahrain. Seychelles imports three times more oil than is needed for internal uses because it re-exports the surplus oil in the form ofbunkerfor ships and aircraft calling atMahé. There are no refining capacities on the islands. Oil and gas imports, distribution and re-export are the responsibility of Seychelles Petroleum (Sepec), while oil exploration is the responsibility of the Seychelles National Oil Company (SNOC).
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 andcartonnage. 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 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 thetambourandtam-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 theSega, with hip-swaying and shuffling of the feet, and theMoutya, a dance dating back to the days of slavery, when it was often used to express strong emotions and discontent.
Themusic of Seychellesis diverse, a reflection of the fusion of cultures through its history. Thefolk musicof the islands incorporates multiple influences in a syncretic fashion. It includes African rhythms, aesthetic and instrumentation, such as thezezand thebom(known in Brazil asberimbau); Europeancontredanse,polkaandmazurka; French folk and pop;segafromMauritiusand Réunion;taarab,soukousand other pan-African genres; andPolynesian,IndianandArcadianmusic.
Contombley is a popular form of percussion music, as is Moutya, a fusion of native folk rhythms with Kenyanbenga. Kontredans, based on Europeancontra 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 theSeychellois Creoleof the French language, and in French and English.
In 2021,the Moutya, a slave trade-era dance, was added to theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Listas a symbol of psychological comfort in its role of resistance against hardship,poverty,servitudeandsocial injustice.
Staple foods of Seychelles include fish, seafood andshellfishdishes, often accompanied with rice.Fish dishes are cooked several ways, such as steamed,grilled, wrapped inbanana leaves, baked, salted andsmoked.Curry dishes with rice are also a significant part of the country's cuisine.
Other staples include coconut,breadfruit,mangoesandkordonnyenfish.Dishes are often garnished with fresh flowers.
The main daily newspaper is theSeychelles Nation, dedicated to local government views and current topics. Other newspapers includeLe Nouveau Seychelles Weekly,The People,Regar, andToday in Seychelles.Foreign newspapers and magazines are readily available at most bookshops and newsagents. The papers are published mostly inSeychellois Creole, French and English.
The main television and radio network, operated by theSeychelles 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.
Seychelles' most popular sport isfootball, which has significantly grown in popularity in the last decade.In 2015, Seychelles hosted theAfrican Beach Soccer Championship. Ten years later, Seychelles will host the2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cupmaking it the first ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup to be ever held in Africa.
Mothers tend to be dominant in the household, controlling most expenditure and looking after children's interests.Unwed mothersare the societal norm, and the law requires fathers tosupport their children.Men are important for their earning ability, but their domestic role is relatively peripheral.
Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2016.The bill decriminalising homosexuality was approved in a 14–0 vote.Employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is banned in the Seychelles, making it one of the fewAfricancountries to have such protections for LGBT people.
Seychelles has the highest literacy rate of any country in sub-Saharan Africa.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.
Until the mid-19th century, little formal education was available in Seychelles. The Catholic and Anglican churches opened mission schools in 1851. The Catholic mission later operated boys' and girls' secondary schools with religious brothers and nuns from abroad even after the government became responsible for them in 1944.
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.
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.
There are a total of 68 schools in Seychelles. The public school system consists of 23crèches, 25 primary schools and 13 secondary schools. They are located onMahé,Praslin,La DigueandSilhouette. 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 onPraslin. There are seven post-secondary (non-tertiary) schools: the Seychelles Polytechnic, School of Advanced Level Studies, Seychelles Tourism Academy, University of Seychelles Education, SeychellesInstitute of Technology, Maritime Training Centre, Seychelles Agricultural and Horticultural Training Centre and the National Institute for Health and Social Studies.
The administration launched plans to open a university in an attempt to slow down thebrain drainthat has occurred.University of Seychelles, initiated in conjunction with theUniversity of London, opened on 17 September 2009 in three locations, and offers qualifications from the University of London.
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