One thousand miles off the east coast of Africa, the Seychelles archipelago comprises 115 islands of legendary beauty located between 4 and 10 degrees south of the equator of which 41 are granitic, verdant and steep, and 74 are low-lying coral atolls and reef islands.

Mahé, principal island and home to the capital, Victoria, along with the neighbouring ‘Inner Islands’ of Praslin and La Digue and their respective satellites, together form the cultural and economic hub of the nation and its 81,000 inhabitants. The ‘Outer Islands’ form a magnificent chain to the south west that stops just short of the African continent.

A melting pot of peoples from the four corners of the globe, this tranquil and yet vibrant society that speaks English, French and Creole and which is predominantly Roman Catholic, today boasts a common culture enriched by diverse ethnic components and a multi-party political system with an executive president as head of state and government.