History
Seychelles Map
Composed of more than 115 islands, Seychelles is one of the most popular destinations among tourists. Covering 455km² of land and 90,024 inhabitants, it has been ranked 203rd in terms of land area. If you are considering travelling during your holidays, Seychelles is the best place suited for your needs so book your ticket with Air Seychelles today.
Seychelles remains unbeaten in terms of hospitality, with its splendid panoramic views combined with the serenity prevailing on the island. It’s a dream-come-true experience!
History of Seychelles
Aeons ago, that is in the early AD 200, the archipelago was first visited by Borneo explorers and 650 years later was the turn of Arab merchants. However, Seychelles remained uninhabited for various centuries. Even in 1609 when British tradesmen stopped on the archipelago, Seychelles was still populated by nothing other than animals.
Later, activities in the Indian Ocean increased because of neighbouring islands – Mauritius and Madagascar; the French colonialists emerging from Mauritius during the “Seven Years War” thus claimed the archipelago for France in 1756.
Although Seychelles was principally used for its natural resources, it was along the trade route towards India while enabling the cultivation of spices.
In 1794, the settlement of Seychelles started to detach itself from Mauritius and despite the British attempts to control the island, Seychelles remained under the French influence till 1810. Seychelles went on to became a crown colony along with Mauritius.
Lastly, in 1976 Seychelles obtained its independence due to colonists having difficulties importing the required goods due to World War I.
Geography
Seychelles is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and its islands are scattered making different modes of transport useful – plane, ferry, boat.
One of the major aspects of the Seychelles geography is the combination of the hypnotising crystal clear water and the beautiful sandy beaches.
The Central Islands
The central islands consist of the principal island – Mahé, the capital city of the archipelago which extends to about 200km2.
The geography of Seychelles can be categorised into two parts:
- The Coral Islands
Smaller islands surrounding Mahé are merely coastal strips. These islands are full of corals and hardly reach more than the water level.
- Islands of Submarine Plateau origin
In contrary to coral islands, these islands are huge ones. However, they are normally peaks of the Mascarene Plateau; which covers an area of over 115,000 km2 and is part of Africa.
Seychelles Flora and Fauna
Another great aspect of the Seychelles geography is the rainfall which helps to achieve lush green vegetation.
If you are visiting Seychelles, you may also enjoy in watching turtles in the coral reefs amongst the floras and faunas. Usually of great importance to the Seychelles geography, the floras are the plants which keep the green characteristic of Seychelles and the faunas promote the biodiversity of the archipelago. This natural beauty is what gives the Seychelles its huge appeal to tourists from all over the globe.
Do not forget to bring your sunscreen when you book your holiday to the Seychelles!