Seychelles is the smallest sovereign nation in Africa, which constitutes 155 islands.
For many years, Sudan was the largest country in Africa. However, on 9th July 2011, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan. Since Sudan split into two countries, Sudan and South Sudan, it was no longer the largest country. The largest African country fell to Algeria. Seychelles is the opposite of Algeria in size because it is the smallest sovereign state in Africa.
Seychelles is an island nation that constitutes 155 named islands. Seychelles is located in the Somali Sea section of the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. The majority of these 155 islands are not habited, with many dedicated as nature reserves. Seychelles’ largest island is Mahé which has an area of 157.3 square kilometers and a population of 77,000, as of 2010 which makes up about 86% of the country’s total population.
The capital city of Seychelles is also located in Mahé. Morne Seychellois which rises to a height of 905 m is the highest point and mountain of the archipelago. Seychelles has lush tropical vegetation, beautiful beaches, and a wide variety of marine life, making it a great tourist location.
Other islands and territories near Seychelles are Mauritius, Madagascar, and the French overseas territory of Réunion and Mayotte to the south; and the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago to the east. Aside from being the smallest sovereign state in Africa, it is also the least populated with an estimated 2023 population of 101,500.
Aside from being Africa’s smallest country, Seychelles is one of the world’s smallest countries with a land area of 455 km². The island is a beautiful country with lush tropical vegetation, beautiful beaches, and a wide variety of marine life.
The islands have been divided into groups. They are:
- Granitic Seychelles, which consists of 42 granitic islands.
- North of the Granitic, which consists of two small, low-elevation, sandy coral islands.
- South of the Granitic, which consists of two coral islands.
- The Amirantes group, which is on the west of the granitic consists of 29 coral islands
- The Farquhar Group, which is on the south-southwest of the Amirantes consists of 13 coral islands.
- The Aldabra Group, which is on the west of the Farquhar Group consists of 67 raised coral islands.
Some examples of the 155 islands of Seychelles Islands are Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, Silhouette, Curieuse, Félicité, North, Frégate, Cerf, Marianne, Grand Sœur, Thérèse, Aride, Ste. Anne, etc.
