Seychelles
Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Maldives, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and the Chagos Archipelago to the east.
Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa as well as the least populated sovereign African country, with an estimated population of 100,600 in 2022.
The Seychelles archipelago was uninhabited prior to sustained external contact. Although Arab and Swahili sailors likely knew of the islands earlier through Indian Ocean trade routes, there is no evidence of permanent settlement before European involvement.
The islands were first recorded by Europeans in the 16th century, but were not settled until the 18th century, when France formally claimed them. During the period of French colonization, enslaved Africans—many of whom had already been captured through existing African, Arab slave trade, and Indian Ocean slave trade networks—were brought to the islands for plantation labor.
It faced competing French and British interests until it came under full British control in the early 19th century. After Britain assumed control in the early 19th century, slavery was abolished and later replaced in part by indentured laborers from India. Since proclaiming independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, it has developed from a largely agricultural society to a market-based diversified economy, characterized by service, public sector, and tourism activities. From 1976 to 2015, nominal GDP grew nearly 700%, and purchasing power parity nearly 1600%. Since the late 2010s, the government has taken steps to encourage foreign investment.
As of the early 21st century, Seychelles has the highest nominal per capita GDP and the highest Human Development Index ranking of any African country. According to the 2024 V-Dem Democracy indices, Seychelles is the 43rd-ranked electoral democracy worldwide, the 1st-ranked liberal democracy in Africa, and the 2nd-ranked electoral democracy on the continent.
Seychellois culture and society is an eclectic mix of French, British, Indian and African influences, with infusions of Chinese elements. The country is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
History
The Seychelles archipelago was uninhabited prior to European settlement. Although Arab and Swahili sailors likely knew of the islands through Indian Ocean trade routes, there is no evidence of permanent settlement before the 18th century. Europeans first recorded the islands in the 16th century, and France formally settled them in the 18th century. During the colonial period, enslaved Africans—many of whom had been captured through existing African and Indian Ocean slave networks involving African and Arab intermediaries—were brought to the islands for labor. After Britain assumed control in the early 19th century and abolished slavery, labor needs were partly met through the importation of indentured workers from India. This history shaped the multicultural foundations of modern Seychellois society. It remained a British colony from 1814 until its independence in 1976. Seychelles has never been inhabited by indigenous people, but its islanders maintain their own Creole heritage.Early history
Seychelles was uninhabited throughout most of recorded history, although simulations of Austronesian migration patterns indicate a good probability that they visited the islands. Tombs visible until 1910 at Anse Lascars on Silhouette Island have also been conjectured to belong to later Maldivian and Arab traders visiting the archipelago. Vasco da Gama and his 4th Portuguese India Armada discovered the Seychelles on 15 March 1503; the first sighting was made by Thomé Lopes aboard Rui Mendes de Brito. Da Gama's ships passed close to an elevated island, probably Silhouette Island, and the following day Desroches Island. Later, the Portuguese mapped a group of seven islands and named them The Seven Sisters. The earliest recorded landing was in January 1609, by the crew of the Ascension under Captain Alexander Sharpeigh during the fourth voyage of the British East India Company.A transit point for trade between Africa and Asia, the islands were said to be occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control in 1756 when a Stone of Possession was laid on Mahé by Captain Corneille Nicholas Morphey. The islands were named after French politician Jean Moreau de Séchelles, and were formally part of the colony of Isle de France. In August 1770, the French ship Thélémaque under Captain Leblanc Lécore landed 15 white settlers and 13 African and Indian slaves on Ste. Anne Island.
During the French Revolutionary Wars, the Royal Navy frigate HMS Orpheus under Captain Henry Newcombe arrived at Mahé on 16 May 1794., the senior administrator in the Seychelles, refused to resist Orpheus and instead successfully negotiated with the British, resulting the islands remaining under French control as "neutral" territory. After British forces completed their invasion of Isle de France in December 1810, they assumed control over the Seychelles, which was formalised in the 1814 Treaty of Paris that ended the War of the Sixth Coalition. Seychelles became a separate crown colony from Mauritius in 1903. Elections in Seychelles were held in 1966 and 1970.
Independence
In 1976, Seychelles gained independence from the United Kingdom as a republic. It has since become a member of the Commonwealth. In the 1970s Seychelles was "the place to be seen, a playground for film stars and the international jet set". In 1977, a coup d'état by France-Albert René ousted the first president of the republic, James Mancham. René discouraged over-dependence on tourism and declared that he wanted "to keep Seychelles for the Seychellois".The 1979 constitution declared a socialist one-party state, which lasted until 1991.
In the 1980s there were a series of coup attempts against President René, some of which were supported by South Africa. In 1981, Mike Hoare led a team of 43 South African mercenaries masquerading as holidaying rugby players in the 1981 Seychelles coup d'état attempt. There was a gun battle at the airport, and most of the mercenaries later escaped in a hijacked Air India plane. The leader of this hijacking was German mercenary D. Clodo, a former member of the Rhodesian SAS. Clodo later stood trial in South Africa as well as in his home country Germany for air piracy.
In 1986, an attempted coup led by the Seychelles Minister of Defence, Ogilvy Berlouis, caused President René to request assistance from India. In Operation Flowers are Blooming, the Indian Navy's arrived in Port Victoria to help avert the coup.
The first draft of a new constitution failed to receive the requisite 60% of voters in 1992, but an amended version was approved in 1993.
In June 2012, during a conference at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, a commitment was made by the Seychelles government to protect 30% of its 1.35 million square kilometre marine waters within the country's marine protected areas.
In January 2013, Seychelles declared a state of emergency when the tropical cyclone Felleng caused torrential rain, and flooding and landslides destroyed hundreds of houses.
Following the coup in 1977, the president always represented the same political party until the October 2020 Seychellois general election, which was historic in that the opposition party won. Wavel Ramkalawan was the first president who did not represent United Seychelles.
In January 2023, Seychelles announced its final stages of completing its marine spatial plan. It would become the second largest ocean area at behind Norway, in support of its blue economy.
In October 2025, presidential runoff was won by former parliamentary speaker and main opposition leader, Patrick Herminie, meaning Herminie's party, United Seychelles returned to power. On 26 October 2025, Patrick Herminie was sworn in as Seychelles’ sixth president.
Politics
The Seychelles president, who is head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term of office. The cabinet is presided over and appointed by the president, subject to the approval of a majority of the legislature. As of 2025, the president is Patrick Herminie.The unicameral Seychellois parliament, the National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale, consists of 35 members, 26 of whom are elected directly by popular vote, while the remaining nine seats are appointed proportionally according to the percentage of votes received by each party. All members serve five-year terms.
The Supreme Court of Seychelles, created in 1903, is the highest trial court in Seychelles and the first court of appeal from all the lower courts and tribunals. The highest court of law in Seychelles is the Seychelles Court of Appeal, which is the court of final appeal in the country.
Political culture
Seychelles' long-term president France-Albert René came to power after his supporters overthrew the first president James Mancham on 5 June 1977 in a coup d'état and installed him as president. René was at that time the prime minister. René ruled as a strongman under a socialist one-party system until 1993, when he was forced to introduce a multi-party system. He stepped down in 2004 in favour of his vice-president, James Michel, who was re-elected in 2006, 2011 and again in 2015. On 28 September 2016, the Office of the President announced that Michel would step down effective 16 October, and that Vice President Danny Faure would complete the rest of Michel's term.On 26 October 2020, Wavel Ramkalawan, a 59-year-old Anglican priest, was elected the fifth President of the Republic of Seychelles. Ramkalawan was an opposition MP from 1993 to 2011, and from 2016 to 2020. He served as the Leader of the Opposition from 1998 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2020. Ramkalawan defeated incumbent Danny Faure by 54.9% to 43.5%. This marked the first time the opposition had won a presidential election in Seychelles.
The primary political parties are the former long-time ruling socialist People's Party, known until 2009 as the Seychelles People's Progressive Front now called United Seychelles, and the socially liberal Seychelles National Party.
The election of the National Assembly was held on 22–24 October 2020. The Seychelles National Party, the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy and the Seychelles United Party formed a coalition, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa. LDS won 25 seats and US got 10 seats of the 35 seats of the National Assembly. However, in the 2025 Seychellois general election United Seychelles won 15 out of 26 seats in the parliament.