Seychelles Introduction

The Seychelles are a group of about 90 islands in the Indian Ocean that lie off the coast of Eastern Africa, northeast of Madagascar.

Seychelles Weather

Just to the south of the Equator, the Seychelles are warm and humid throughout the year, with high temperatures staying between 78 - 83 degrees. Conditions do moderate slightly on the cooler-side during the southeast monsoon season (late May to September), while conditions are warmer during the northwest monsoon (March to May).

Seychelles Attractions

Mahe

Praslin

Lie Digue

Desroches

Fregate

Denis

Seychelles History

While Arab traders were probably the first to visit the uninhabited Seychelles, the first recorded sighting of them took place in 1505, by the Portuguese. As a transit point for trading between Africa and Asia, they were occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control of the islands starting in 1756, naming them after Jean Moreau de Sechelles, the then French finance minister.

The British contested control over the islands with the French between 1794 and 1811, with the British eventually gaining the upper hand and being ceded the islands in 1814. The Seychelles became a crown colony separate from Mauritius in 1903 and independence was granted in 1976, as a republic within the Commonwealth. The 1979 constitution declared a socialist one-party state, which lasted until 1992.

Seychelles Politics

The Seychellois president, who is both head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term of office. The previous president, France-Albert René, was democratically elected after the constitutional reforms of 1992, though he had been in power since a coup d'état in 1977. He stood down in 2004 in favour of his vice-president, James Michel. The cabinet is presided over and appointed by the president, subject to the approval of a majority of the legislature.

The unicameral Seychellois parliament, the National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale, consists of 34 members, of whom 25 are elected directly by popular vote, while the remaining 9 seats are appointed proportionally according to the percentage of votes received by each party. All members serve five-year terms.

Politics is a topic of hot debate in the country - with many claiming there is a social and economic divide between the two leading parties and their supporters.

The Seychelles are part of the Indian Ocean Commission.