1. People / lifestyle
Throughout its history, the Seychelles has been a melting pot of ethnic diversity - a
brilliant, multi-coloured tapestry representing the fusion of peoples from the four corners
of the earth, encompassing, at one time or another, every nation and race imaginable.
Centuries after passing visits from early Arab seafarers, Phoenicians and Polynesians and
the pirates who sought temporary refuge among the islands' myriad of secret coves and bays,
the Seychelles was finally settled by the French in 1772. The French arrived with their slaves,
quite a few Malabar Indians and other members of their entourage and these early settlers
represent the cornerstone of what makes up the population of the islands today.
In time, others followed in their footsteps: African slaves, Indian and Chinese traders, Arab
and Persian immigrants and European fortune seekers. To this burgeoning population, over time,
were added adventurers and colonials from every nook and cranny of the world along with a number
of British exiles after the British Empire took control of the islands after the defeat of
Napoleon. Early on, Roman Catholicism was established as the dominant faith, a trend that
continues to today, co-existing in harmony alongside the Protestant and smaller Hindu, Bahá'i
and Muslim communities.
From this great fusion of peoples, religious beliefs, customs and traditions the Seychellois
nation was born, bringing diverse influences to bear upon the local architecture, arts, music,
recreation and, of course, cuisine. Seychellois Creole gastronomy gives a classic example of
this co-mingling of cultures, blending the subtlety and innovation of French cuisine with piquant
flavours and the exotic culinary combinations of the East across a fascinating spectrum of
textures, tastes, colours and ingredients.
Today's vibrant, welcoming Seychelles society is the story of these contrasts and how they have
been successfully assimilated into a way of life that is a welcome antidote to the stresses and
strains of modern living.
Among all that it has to offer, perhaps the Seychelles' most enduring attraction is its enviable,
island-style way of life, enjoyed by all amid the innate tranquillity and multi-racial harmony of
the islands. Here, cocooned within the reassuring atmosphere of a giant family there is still time
to savour the rhythms of nature and also to enjoy, the finer, simpler things in life.
2. History - a brief overview
Some 180 million years ago, when the ancient, super-continent of Pangaea crumbled, a group of
magnificent, break-away isles began to drift slowly across the face of a primeval ocean, a 1000
miles from what is, today, the east coast of Africa - a necklace of sparkling island jewels strung
upon invisible threads of silver surf: The Seychelles.
Such was their isolation that they flourished, alone, for millennia, far from the turmoil of other,
distant worlds, visited only by early Arab navigators who gave them poetic names - like Aldabra - in
honour of their heart-stopping natural beauty.
Others may well have sailed past or even stayed awhile; the Phoenicians of old or brave Polynesian
seafarers en route to their new home in Madagascar. If they did, they left no traces of having been
there. Later pirates discovered perfect hideaways among the isles - and sites where to conceal fabulous
treasures whose names are still whispered.
It was the Portuguese navigator Juan de Nova who would make the first recorded landfall in the
Seychelles in 1501 followed by a sighting of her Amirantes islands by the celebrated Vasco de Gama,
in the following year, bequeathing to them his name for all eternity - The Islands of the Admiral.
Beyond these fleeting visits, mere specs in the hourglass of time, Seychelles slumbered still, unknown
and undisturbed, for three long centuries. In 1770, following a succession of expeditions to the islands,
the French established the first settlement with '15 whites, five Malabar Indians, seven Africans and a
Negress' - an assortment prophetic of the rich ethnicity of today's Seychellois society for which harmony
is, quite simply, a way of life. The Seychelles remained in French hands until Napoleon's defeat under the
British, upon which the islands were formally ceded to Britain under the 1814 Treaty of Paris - in this way
acquiring, along the way, a love for French traditions, customs and language that lingers until today,
particularly in the domains of architecture, language, music and Creole cuisine.
Under British administration the islands slumbered once more, as little more than a backwater colony whose
population would reach some 7000 by 1825. This period witnessed the establishment of Victoria as the colony's
capital and the growth of grand estates of coconut, cotton and sugarcane. It also saw the repercussions from
the abolition of slavery and as well as the hardships of a world at war.
In 1976, the Seychelles achieved independence from Britain and became an independent republic within the
Commonwealth. Today, the nation thrives as a multi-party democracy with Mr. James Michel as President and
executive head of state.
3. Economy
The Seychelles, with its population of 82,700, is blessed with an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that covers
1.3 million km².
Its fisheries industry exports include canned tuna, frozen fish and prawns. Other small, but important industries
include granite polishing, the assembly of medical equipment, boat building, furniture, printing, roofing, coir,
beverages, spices, cigarettes and soap.
The islands' offshore sector is particularly fast growing. With its ideal location between Asia and Europe, its
stable political environment and welcoming policies towards local and foreign investment, the Seychelles offers
a blend of factors that are highly conducive to business.
The Seychelles' location outside the cyclone belt, in a time zone whose working hours overlap with those of major
financial centres, its excellent sea and air connections with Europe, USA, Asia and Africa and an efficient
telecommunications system combine with other advantages - such as the extensive facilities available at its harbour,
Port Victoria, and a well-developed infrastructure with attractive investment incentives - offer the ideal business
environment to investors.
In order to fully capitalize on the above, the Seychelles Investment Bureau (SIB) was established in July 2004, as
the first point of contact for all matters relating to investment and business in the Seychelles. Capitalizing on the
work of its predecessor, SIBA, SIB's objectives are to promote the Seychelles as the ultimate environment for business,
foster an investor-friendly culture and assist investors to establish and expand their respective enterprises.
The Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (SEPA), established in August 2004, deals with all matters relating to small
enterprises in the Seychelles. However, it is still tourism that remains the major source of foreign exchange, yielding
60% of all overseas revenue.
Tourism's share of GDP was about 13% in 1998 compared to 16% four years earlier. Estimated earnings from visitors rose
from US$ 122 million in 1995 to US$ 170 million in 1998 while the estimated GDP for 2005, based on the official
exchange rate, was US$ 722 million. Next to tuna fishing, the tourism sector has led national growth, employing roughly
30% of the workforce and providing more than 70% of hard currency earnings. Government has also, in recent years,
encouraged foreign investment as a means of upgrading tourism establishments and services. It has also sought to reduce
the national dependence on tourism by encouraging small manufacturing interests, fishing and farming.
4. Accessibility / Flights
Air Seychelles, Air France, Qatar Airways, Air Mauritius, Kenya Airways, Condor, Air Austral and Emirates Airlines offer
daily flights to and from Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Africa, including South Africa.
In addition, Air Seychelles services the surrounding islands through numerous inter-island flights including a shuttle
service to Praslin, the second largest island of the archipelago using 20-seat Twin Otter turboprop aircraft. Other
connections include inter-island flights to Bird Island, Denis Island, Desroches Island and Alphonse Island. There is
a helicopter service between Mahé, the main island, Silhouette, Fregate and North Island.
5. Seychelles at a glance
The name Seychelles is famous the world over for its legendary beauty, rolling from verdant peaks, through primeval
forests, down to powder-soft beaches framed by timeless granite boulders - where the only footprints you'll find will
be your own.
This unique archipelago's more than 116 islands, set like precious stones upon 1.4 million square kilometres of
azure ocean, are located between 4 and 10 degrees south of the equator. Here, 42 granitoid islands cluster around
the principal islands of Mahé, Praslin and la Digue while the coral islands, more numerous still, extend in a
gleaming arc towards the shores of East Africa.
The islands enjoy a glorious tropical climate all year round and with all but its remotest, uninhabited islands
lying well outside the cyclone belt, there are few extremes in weather conditions. In fact, in this balmy, tropical
heaven the temperature seldom drops below 24 degrees, or rises above 31 degrees centigrade.
Against a backdrop of sublime natural beauty, safety and tranquillity, the Seychelles also offers an amazing
degree of diversity and the possibility of enjoying a wide range of island experiences and tropical adventures.
Between 15-60 minutes in flying time from the principal island of Mahé, several select island getaways offer
accommodation in stylish 5-star resorts or cocooned within the homely comforts of rustic, beachfront lodges.
Seychelles is just the place to experience the thrill of a deep-sea fishing expedi