The Seychelles (French: Seychelles), formally the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles) are an archipelago and country east of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The country has an area the size of a Dutch municipality and has 94,000 inhabitants. The capital is Victoria.

Geography

According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER, the Seychelles are spread over a large area in the Indian Ocean, approximately 1,100 kilometers northeast of Madagascar, 1,300 kilometers southeast of Somalia and 2,800 kilometers southwest of India. It consists of approximately 115 islands, most of which are very small and uninhabited. The capital Victoria is located on the island of Mahé, which measures approximately 30 by 5 kilometers. Praslin is another important island. The Morne Seychellois is the highest point of the Seychelles at 905 meters.

The islands have a tropical climate with frequent precipitation all year round. There is a monsoon, there is an average of 2200 mm precipitation per year, with a peak in the period from October to April, but the drier season also has the necessary precipitation. The average maximum temperature in the capital Victoria is between 28 and 31 °C all year round.

Demographics

The Seychelles had about 40,000 inhabitants in 1960, which had doubled to 80,000 by 2000, making it the least populous country in Africa. See Seychelles population density. The capital Victoria has approximately 26,000 inhabitants. A large part of the population lives on the island of Mahé, which has an urbanized coastal region.

The country has a diverse population consisting of Africans, Asians and Europeans. French and English are the official languages, but a large part of the population speaks a French-based Creole language, with many English influences.

Economy

The Seychelles is considered the most prosperous country in Africa, with a GDP of approximately $30,000 per inhabitant. However, there is significant income inequality. Previously, plantations were the main sector of the economy, today the economy is more focused on fishing and tourism. About 30% of the population works in tourism. Attempts have been made to set up an oil industry, but so far no oil has been found in the waters around the Seychelles.

History

The Seychelles were uninhabited, the first Europeans saw the islands in 1503. The French started to colonize the island from 1756. However, the British took over the colony in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. It was then administered jointly with Mauritius, but the Seychelles became a separate crown colony in 1903. The original European population was supplemented by slaves and later indentured servants to work on the plantations.

The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1976 and has been on the rise as a tourist destination since then. In 1979, however, a socialist one-party state was established. That period lasted until 1991. There were several coup attempts during that period. Since 1993, the country has been a multi-party democracy. France-Albert René was president from 1977 to 2004.

Road Network

The road network of the Seychelles is very limited, because the islands are small. Most roads are on the islands of Mahé and Praslin. The road network is modern, almost all roads are paved, about 400 kilometers in total. There is one 2×2 road in the Seychelles, from Victoria to the airport. Furthermore, there are no multi-lane roads in the country, as the population is small and because of the small distances there is not much car traffic. Most roads run along the coast, with some roads running inland over the mountain ridges. From these roads one often has a beautiful view over the ocean.

Road numbering

There is no road numbering in Seychelles.

Signage

Little is known about possible signage, but there are traffic signs such as in France.