saint victoria of Africa, scramble for africa victoria 2, south africa victoria 2, south africa victoria bay, south africa victoria regina et imperatrix, south africa victoria regina et imperatrix value, south africa victoria regina medal, university of victoria south Africa, viajes a cataratas victoria Africa, victoria 2 africa, victoria 2 africa map, victoria 2 africa mod, victoria 2 african colonies, victoria 2 african colonization, victoria 2 african countries, victoria 2 african empire, victoria 2 african nations, victoria 2 african union, victoria 2 south Africa, victoria 2 south africa aar, victoria 2 south africa guide, victoria 2 south africa mod, victoria 2 south africa tag, victoria 2 united Africa, victoria Africa, victoria africa capital, victoria africa map, victoria african & caribbean society, victoria african american chamber of commerce, victoria african and caribbean cultural society, victoria african dance, victoria african drumming, victoria african festival, victoria african restaurant, victoria africano, victoria aliada en Africa, victoria bay south Africa, victoria bay south africa accommodation, victoria bay south africa lands end, victoria bay south africa the waves, Seychelles (Listeni/seɪˈʃɛlz/ say-SHELZ; French: [sɛʃɛl]), officially the Republic of Seychelles (French: République des Seychelles; Creole: Repiblik Sesel), is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The 115-island country, whose capital is Victoria, lies 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) east of mainland Southeast Africa. Other nearby island countries and territories include Zanzibar to the west and Comoros, Mayotte, Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius to the south. Seychelles, with a population of 90,024, has the smallest population of any African state. Seychelles is a member of the African Union. The Seychelles was uninhabited throughout most of recorded history. Some scholars assume that Austronesian seafarers and later Maldivian and Arab traders were the first to visit the uninhabited Seychelles. The earliest recorded sighting by Europeans took place in 1502 by the Portuguese Admiral Vasco da Gama, who passed through the Amirantes and named them after himself (islands of the Admiral). The earliest recorded landing was in January 1609, by the crew of the "Ascension" under Captain Sharpeigh during the fourth voyage of the English East India Company. A transit point for trade between Africa and Asia, the islands were occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control starting in 1756 when a Stone of Possession was laid by Captain Nicholas Morphey. The islands were named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Louis XV's Minister of Finance. The British contested control over the islands between 1794 and 1810. Jean Baptiste Quéau de Quincy, 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 of Mauritius in 1810, formalised in 1814 at the Treaty of Paris. Seychelles became a crown colony separate from Mauritius in 1903. Elections were held in 1966 and 1970. Environmental legislation is very strict, and every tourism project must undergo an environmental review and a lengthy process of consultations with the public and conservationists. The Seychelles is a world leader in sustainable tourism. The end result of this sustainable development is an intact and stable natural environment, which attracts financially strong visitors (150,000 in 2007) rather than short-term mass tourism. Since 1993 a law guarantees the citizens the right to a clean environment and at the same time obliges them to protect this environment. The country holds a record for the highest percentage of land under natural conservation—nearly 50% of the total land area. Like many fragile island ecosystems, the Seychelles saw the loss of biodiversity when humans first settled in the area, including the disappearance of most of the giant tortoises from the granitic islands, the felling of coastal and mid-level forests, and the extinction of species such as the 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 (since 1770). The 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 granitic islands of Seychelles are home to about 75 endemic plant species, with a further 25 or so species in the Aldabra group.

• published: 23 Apr 2015
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