Source: MAPS IN MINUTES™ © RH Publications (1997)

A country comprising an archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

Physical

The Seychelles consists of 92 islands lying 4°S of the Equator and some 1500 km (930 miles) from the east African coast. One group, of which Mahé at 142 sq km (55 sq miles) is the largest, is mainly hilly; another outlying group is mostly flat. The climate is warm and wet.

Economy

Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, employing a third of the workforce and providing over two-thirds of foreign exchange earnings. Tuna fishing is also important. The government is seeking to diversify the economy by encouraging farming, fishing, and manufacturing.

History

The islands were uninhabited until colonized by the French. They were discovered in 1609 by an expedition of the British East India Company and formally annexed to France in 1756. They were captured from the French by Britain in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars and were administered from Mauritius before becoming a separate crown colony in 1903. The islands gained universal suffrage in 1970, becoming an independent republic in 1976. In 1977 there was a coup, the Prime Minister, France-Albert René proclaiming himself President. In 1981 South African based mercenaries led by Colonel Mike Hoare failed to overthrow him. René ended his resistance to the legalization of opposition parties in 1991 and multiparty elections held in 1993 resulted in a landslide victory for his Seychelles People’s Progressive Front. Re-elected in 1998 and 2001, René retired in 2004; he was succeeded by the Vice-President, James Michel. Michel was elected in his own right in 2006, 2011, and 2015 (but this time by a very small margin). After his party (renamed the People’s Party in 2009) lost the parliamentary elections in September 2016, he resigned as President and was replaced by Vice-President Danny Faure of the People's Party.