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Seychelles
Where is Seychelles located?
The island republic of Seychelles is located in the westernIndian Ocean. It consists of approximately 115 islands that are abundant with tropical vegetation, captivating beaches, and diverse marine life. Seychelles is situated between 4° and 11° S latitude and 46° and 56° E longitude. The major islands are about 1,000 miles east of Kenya and roughly 700 miles northeast of Madagascar.Victoria, the capital, is on Mahé Island.
What is the climate like in Seychelles?
The climate is tropical oceanic with little temperature variation. Daily temperatures range from the mid-80s F (low 30s C) in the afternoon to the low 70s F (low 20s C) at night. Humidity is high.
What are some unique plant species found in Seychelles?
Seychelles has about 200 plant species, with 80 unique to the islands, including screw pines, jellyfish trees, latanier palms, bois rouge, bois de fer, Wright’s gardenia, and thecoco de mer.
What is the primary language of Seychelles?
Creole, also called Seselwa, is the mother tongue of most Seychellois and is recognized as a national language under the constitution. English and French are also recognized as national languages.
What is the capital of Seychelles?
Victoria is the capital city of the Republic of Seychelles. It is situated on the northeastern coast of Mahé Island, which is the largest in the Seychelles archipelago. It stands as the sole port and the only town of significant size within Seychelles, accommodating more than one-fourth of Mahé Island’s population .
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Seychelles, islandrepublic in the westernIndian Ocean,comprising about 115 islands, with lush tropical vegetation, beautiful beaches, and a wide variety of marine life. Situated between latitudes 4° and 11° S and longitudes 46° and 56° E, the major islands of Seychelles are located about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east ofKenya and about 700 miles (1,100 km) northeast ofMadagascar. The capital,Victoria, is situated on the island of Mahé.
Land
Relief and climate
Seychelles, one of the world’s smallest countries, is composed of two main island groups: theMahé group of more than 40 central, mountainous granitic islands and a second group of more than 70 outer, flat, coralline islands. The islands of the Mahé group are rocky and typically have a narrow coastal strip and a central range of hills. The overall aspect of those islands, with theirlush tropical vegetation, is that of high hanging gardens overlooking silver-white beaches and clear lagoons. The highest point in Seychelles,Morne Seychellois (2,969 feet [905 meters]), situated on Mahé, is located within this mountainous island group. The coralline islands, rising only a few feet abovesea level, are flat with elevated coral reefs at different stages of formation. These islands are largely waterless, and very few have a resident population.
- Head Of State And Government:
- President: Patrick Herminie
- Capital:
- Victoria
- Population:
- (2026 est.) 123,700
- Form Of Government:
- multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [35])
- Official Languages:
- none1
- Official Religion:
- none
- Official Name:
- Repiblik Sesel (Creole); République des Seychelles (French); Republic of Seychelles (English)
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 446
- Total Area (Sq Mi):
- 172
- Monetary Unit:
- Seychelles rupee (roupi; SR)
- Population Rank:
- (2026) 195
- Population Projection 2030:
- 98,900
- Density: Persons Per Sq Mi:
- (2026) 719.2
- Density: Persons Per Sq Km:
- (2026) 277.4
- Urban-Rural Population:
- Urban: (2024) 59.2%
- Rural: (2024) 40.8%
- Life Expectancy At Birth:
- Male: (2021) 72.6 years
- Female: (2021) 75.6 years
- Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate:
- Male: (2020) 96%
- Female: (2020) 97%
- Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000):
- (2023) 2,029
- Gni Per Capita (U.S.$):
- (2023) 16,940
- Creole, English, and French are all national languages per constitution.
The climate is tropical oceanic, with little temperature variation during the year. Daily temperatures rise to the mid-80s F (low 30s C) in the afternoon and fall to the low 70s F (low 20s C) at night. Precipitation levels vary greatly from island to island; on Mahé, annualprecipitation ranges from 90 inches (2,300 mm) at sea level to 140 inches (3,560 mm) on the mountain slopes. Humidity is persistently high but isameliorated somewhat in locations windward of the prevailing southeast trade winds.
Plant and animal life
Of the roughly 200 plant species found in Seychelles, some 80 are unique to the islands, including screw pines (seepandanus), several varieties of jellyfish trees, latanier palms, the bois rouge, the bois de fer, Wright’s gardenia, and the most famous, thecoco de mer. The coco de mer—which is found on only two islands—produces a fruit that is one of the largest and heaviest known and is valued by a number of Asiancultures for believed aphrodisiac, medicinal, mystic, and other properties. The Seychellois government closely monitors the quantity and status of the trees, and, although commerce is regulated to prevent overharvesting, poaching is a concern.
Wildlife includes a remarkablydiverse array of marine life, including more than 900 identified species of fish; green sea turtles and giant tortoises also inhabit the islands.Endemic species include birds such as Seychellesbulbuls and cave-dwelling Seychellesswiftlets; several species of local tree frogs, snails, and wormlike caecilians; Seychelles wolf snakes and house snakes; tiger chameleons; and others. Endemic mammals are few; both fruit bats (Pteropus seychellensis) and Seychellessheath-tailed bats (Coleura seychellensis) are endemic to the islands. Indianmynahs, barn owls, andtenrecs (small shrewlike or hedgehoglike mammals introduced from Madagascar) are also found.
Considerable efforts have been made to preserve the islands’ markedbiodiversity. Seychelles’ government has established several nature preserves and marine parks, including theAldabra Islands andVallée de Mai National Park, bothUNESCOWorld Heritage sites. The Aldabra Islands, a large atoll, are the site of a preserveinhabited by tens of thousands of giant tortoises, the world’s oldest living creatures, which government conservation efforts have helped rescue from the brink of extinction. Vallée de Mai National Park is the only place where all six of the palm species endemic to Seychelles, including the coco de mer, may be found together. Cousin Island is home to a sanctuary for land birds, many endemic to the islands, including the Seychellessunbird (a type of hummingbird) and the Seychelles brush warbler. The nearby Cousine Island is part private resort and part nature preserve, noted for its sea turtles, giant tortoises, and assorted land birds.Bird Island is the breeding ground for millions of terns, turtle doves,shearwaters,frigate birds, and other seabirds that flock there each year.