Seychelles – language

When we think of Seychelles, we immediately visualise powdery-soft white sand beaches lapped by crystal clear waves and surrounded by palm trees… Basically, a true heaven on earth! No wonder so many people dream of spending their holidays there.

In today’s article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Seychelles before you start planning a trip to this charming place. What languages do the people of Seychelles speak? When is the best time to go there? And what tourist attractions you simply can’t miss? Read on to find out!

Seychelles – a handful of information

Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is an archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean, located 1,600 kilometres east of Kenya and northeast of Madagascar. The main cities of Seychelles are the country’s capital Victoria, called the smallest capital city in the world; Anse Boileau, Grand Anse Mahe and Takamaka. Seychelles is a republic with a total population of just under 94,000. The president, elected by popular vote for a five-year term of office, is the head of state and the head of government. The current president (as of 2023) is Wavel Ramkalawan.

Geography

Seychelles consists of 115 islands of volcanic origin with a coastline that is 491 kilometres long. It is the smallest of African countries, both in terms of area and population. The two main archipelagos of the country are the mountainous Outer Islands, located in the north and made of alkaline volcanic rocks; and the Inner Islands, numerous and only slightly rising above the surface of the ocean, coral islands. The largest island is Mahé, with an area of 144 km², and it is where about 80-90% of all Seychelles citizens live. The other larger islands are Praslin (38.8 km²), Silhouette (20.7 km²) and La Digue (10.4 km²).

The islands are located in the equatorial humid maritime climate zone. The average air temperature varies between 24 and 30 °C throughout the year.

The climate of Seychelles ensures a great diversity of fauna and flora. With as much as 42% of the territory allocated for conservation, the islands are home to many protected species, some of which are unique endemic specimens.

Economy

The most significant industry in Seychelles is tourism, which began in 1971 with the opening of Seychelles International Airport, and has completely transformed the economy of the islands. The vast majority of the Seychelles population is employed in the service sector, less than 20% work in industry and only 10% are employed in agriculture. Seychelles exports vanilla, tobacco, cloves, cinnamon, guano, and coconuts. There are many products that must be imported into the country because local production is not able to meet the nutritional needs of all inhabitants.

History of Seychelles

Originally uninhabited, the first visitors of the islands of Seychelles were the Arab traders in the 10th century. At the beginning of the 16th century, the islands were discovered by the Portuguese, as well as became a haven for European pirates. In the mid-18th century, France annexed the archipelago and named it after Jean Moreau de Sechelles, finance minister at the court of King Louis XV. 

Shortly after that, the first settlers accompanied by their slaves began to arrive at the islands. In 1794, Seychelles came under British occupation, and their affiliation was legally sanctioned by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. Despite this, the French language and culture remained dominant among its inhabitants. From 1903, Seychelles gained the status of a colony with its own governor. In 1964, the first national political parties were established: the Seychelles People’s United Party and the Seychelles Democratic Party, and seven years later the British began to gradually increase the participation of people from Seychelles in the authorities of the colony.

A breakthrough in the history of Seychelles came in 1975, when it gained autonomy, and a year later also independence within the Commonwealth of Nations. Over the next few years, Seychelles faced political chaos, including a bloodless coup d’état and a thwarted invasion attempt. Under pressure from the opposition, the government began the democratisation process in 1991, and two years later a new constitution was introduced, and parliamentary and presidential elections were held. Seychelles’ legal system is based on English common law and French civil law. Every citizen over the age of 17 has the right to vote.

Demographics

The population of Seychelles consists of Creoles, i.e. descendants of French colonists, constituting the vast majority of the inhabitants of the archipelago (as much as 89%). Other ethnic groups on the islands are primarily Indians and Malagasy originating from Madagascar. The average annual population growth is 0.43%.

Languages of Seychelles

When you decide to fulfil your dream of travelling to an exotic new place, one of the first items on your to-do list should be to find out what language the locals speak, and to write down some basic phrases somewhere to have at hand. This will allow you to be prepared for emergencies if you need to ask someone for help during your trip.

Seychellois Creole

The official language of Seychelles is Seychelles Creole. Perhaps the name itself does not ring a bell – but Creole languages are simply a group of ethnically unrelated languages that arose on the basis of European languages ​​mixed with the speech of indigenous peoples during the colonisation era. Seychelles Creole was created on the basis of French, it also contains elements borrowed from other languages, such as Bantu, Malagasy, and Tamil.

French

French is considered the most prestigious language in the Seychelles. It was used primarily by the Catholic Church.

English

English is the third language of the Seychelles and has been gaining popularity in recent years, especially among the younger generations. It is primarily the language of business, and most residents know it well enough that English-speaking tourists can feel safe during their trip.