Seychelles

Seychelles is an archipelagic state of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean at the eastern end of the Somali Sea. Victoria, its capital and largest city, is 1,500 km (932 miles) east of mainland Africa. Nearby island nations and territories include Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas regions of Mayotte and Reunion in the south. The Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago (managed by the United Kingdom as the British Indian Ocean Territory) are in the east. With an estimated population of 98,462 in 2020, it is the least populated African sovereign state.

The Seychelles were unmanned before the encounter of Europeans in the 16th century. Until it came under full British control in the late 18th century, it faced the competing interests of France and Britain. Since proclaiming independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, it has evolved primarily from an agricultural society to a market-based diversified economy characterized by rapidly emerging services, the public sector, and tourism activities. From 1976 to 2015, nominal GDP grew by nearly 700% and purchasing power parity grew by nearly 1600%. Since the late 2010s, the government has taken steps to encourage foreign investment.

Today, Seychelles boasts the highest per capita GDP of any African country. It has the second highest Human Development Index among African countries after Mauritius. It is one of two African countries classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank (the other is Mauritius).

Seychelles' culture and society is an eclectic mix of French, British and African influences, with recent Chinese and Indian elements. This country is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, and the Commonwealth of Nations.