Seychelles is the sovereign African country with the smallest population.
Whereas Nigeria in West Africa is the country with the largest population on the African continent, Seychelles, in East Africa, is the country with the least population on the continent. Seychelles is not on the African mainland. It is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean close to the African mainland.
The island nation of Seychelles has a population of 98,000 (in 2021), making it the African country with the smallest population. The people mostly live on eight of Seychelles’ 115 islands. 90% of the population lives on the main island of Mahé. The next-largest populations are living in Praslin and La Digue respectively. In all, eight of Seychelles’ islands are permanently inhabited. The capital and largest city is Victoria found on Mahé, the largest island. Creole, also called Seselwa, is the mother tongue of most Seychellois. However, under the constitution, Creole, English, and French are recognized national languages.
Widespread intermarriage has resulted in a population of mixed descent. 90% of the population is of Creole descent, usually from French colonial settlers and African slave laborers. The remaining 10% of residents are of European, African, Asian, etc. origin.
More than three-fourths of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics. Other Christian denominations are Anglican, Pentecostals, etc. There are other religious groups such as Hindus, and Muslims.
Since their discovery, the Seychelles Islands have attracted people from all over the world. Apart from the earliest Africans and the earliest Europeans, Asians from China, India, and Malaya arrived later in smaller numbers to settle. Hence, the multi-ethnic roots of the Seychelles people stretch far and wide, including France, India, the UK, China, the Arab world, and other parts of Africa. Seychelles people, therefore, tend to have a wide range of skin colors, and often bright or blue eyes.
