Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is a small island nation located in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar and about 1,600 km east of Kenya.
Other nearby island countries and territories include Zanzibar to the west, Mauritius and Réunion to the south, Comoros and Mayotte to the southwest. Seychelles has the smallest population of any African state.
The nation is an archipelago of 155 tropical islands, some granite and some coral, the majority of which are small and uninhabited. The landmass is only 457 km², but the islands are spread over an Exclusive Economic Zone of 1,374,000 km². About 90 percent of the population live on Mahé, 9 percent on Praslin and La Digue. Around a third of the land area is the island of Mahé and a further third the atoll of Aldabra.
Citizens of the Indian Ocean archipelago enjoy a high per capita income, good health care and education.
The country’s economy depends heavily on the fishing industry and upmarket tourism. Fine beaches and turquoise seas are among the main attractions.
The archipelago is home to an array of wildlife, including giant tortoises and sea turtles. Much of the land is given over to nature reserves.
