The politics of Seychelles have historical roots in both one-party socialism and autocratic rule. Following independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, Seychelles was a sovereign republic until 1977, when the original President and leader of the Seychelles Democratic Party, James Mancham, was overthrown in a bloodless coup by the Prime Minister France-Albert René. René installed a single-party socialist state under the Seychelles People's Progressive Front in 1979 which remained in power until 1993, when multiparty elections took place for the first time since independence, after restoring the multi-party system in 1991. Modern day Seychelles governance takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Seychelles is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly.
Seychelles is a small island country east of the African continent located in the Sea of Zanj due north of Madagascar, with Antsiranana as its nearest foreign city. Seychelles lies between approximately 4ºS and 10ºS and 46ºE and 54ºE. 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 452 km2 (175 sq mi), but the islands are spread wide over an exclusive economic zone of 1,336,559 km2 (516,048 sq mi). About 90 percent of the population of 100,000 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.
Seychelles International Airport, or Aéroport de la Pointe Larue in French, is the international airport of the Seychelles located on the island of Mahé near the capital city of Victoria. The airport is the home base and the head office of Air Seychelles and features several regional and long-haul routes due to its importance as the gateway to a major international leisure destination.
Takamaka is one of the 26 administrative regions of Mahé, Republic of Seychelles. It is located on the southern part of the island of Mahé. Three other districts cover the two other main islands of the Republic, Grand' Anse and Baie Sainte Anne on the island of Praslin and the inner islands district which comprise the 3rd largest island, La Digue. The population of Takamata is estimated at around 3,000.
La Digue is the third most populated island of the Seychelles, and fourth largest by land area, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. In size, it is the fourth-largest granitic island of Seychelles after Mahé, Praslin, and Silhouette Island. It has a population of 2,800 people. Most of the inhabitants live in the west coast villages of La Passe and Anse Réunion. There is no airport on La Digue, so to get there from a foreign country, one must fly to Victoria and continue by ferry, usually via Praslin. It has an area of 10.08 km2, making it relatively easy to travel by bike or on foot.
Cerf Island (1.31 km2) lies 4 km off the northeast coast of Mahé in the Seychelles.
Anse Boileau is an administrative district on the south of the island of Mahé in the Seychelles. Anse Boileau encapsulates the natural wonders of the Seychelles: it sits at the foot of a steep, green mountain, it is on the shores of the Indian Ocean, and in its midst are streams, mini-forests, creeks, ponds, and an enchanting array of all that defines the Seychellois landscape. It is often described as a fishing village because many of the local residents fish for a living. It has a school, a restaurant, a number of grocery shops, a health centre, and a police station. It is a short distance away from Anse La Mouche, a popular tourist destination. Anse Boileau is so-called because of its many coves.
Grand'Anse Mahé is an administrative district of Seychelles located on the island of Mahé.
Anse aux Pins is an administrative district of Seychelles located on the island of Mahé. Soleil Island is part of the district.
Anse Etoile is an administrative district of Seychelles on the island of Mahé.
Anse Royale is an administrative district of Seychelles located on the island of Mahé. The Seychelles Polytechnic School of the Humanities is located in this district.
Grand'Anse Praslin is an administrative district of Seychelles located mostly on the island of Praslin, but also administers Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Booby Island, and Aride Island.
Pointe La Rue is an administrative district of Seychelles located in the eastern region of the island of Mahé.
Anonyme Island is a small granitic island (0.1 km²) in the Seychelles, lying 700 m off the east coast of Mahé, near the runway of the Seychelles International Airport.
Articles related to Seychelles include:
Réunion is an island located near the eastern coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Its coral reef covers a concentrated part of the western littoral. The coral reef is located between St Leu and St Gilles. It is more than 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) long and ranges in width from 50 metres (160 ft) in its northern part at St. Gilles to 600 metres (2,000 ft) in the south. Since the island is distant from the continental shelf, the sea becomes deep not far from the coast. The presence of nearby deeper ocean currents supports a rich biodiversity fauna and flora in the reef environment.
The Mahé highlands and surrounding areas Important Bird Area occupy the central and north-western part of the island of Mahé in the Seychelles archipelago of the western Indian Ocean.
The communal section is the smallest administrative division in Haiti. The 144 communes are further divided into 571 communal sections.
Long Island is an island in Seychelles, lying in the northeast shores of Mahe.
Ile aux Souris is an island in Seychelles, lying in the eastern shores of Mahe.
