African island country in the Indian Ocean

Coordinates: 435S 5540E / 4.583S 55.667E / -4.583; 55.667

Seychelles (, ;[6][7] French:[sl][8][9][10] or [sel][11]), officially the Republic of Seychelles (French: Rpublique des Seychelles; Creole: La Repiblik Sesel), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is 1,500 kilometres (800 nautical miles) east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Runion to the south; and Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago (administered by the United Kingdom as the British Indian Ocean Territory) to the east. It is the least populated sovereign African country, with an estimated 2020 population of 98,462.[12]

Seychelles was uninhabited prior to being encountered by Europeans in the 16th century. It faced competing French and British interests until coming under full British control in the late 18th century. Since proclaiming independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, it has developed from a largely agricultural society to a market-based diversified economy, characterized by rapidly rising service, public sector, and tourism activities. From 1976 to 2015, nominal GDP grew nearly 700%, and purchasing power parity nearly 1600%. Since the late 2010s, the government has taken steps to encourage foreign investment.

As of the early 21st century, Seychelles has the highest nominal per capita GDP of any African nation. It has the second-highest Human Development Index of any African country after Mauritius. It is the only African country classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank.[13]

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

Seychelles was uninhabited until the 18th century when Europeans arrived with enslaved Africans. It remained a British colony from 1814 until its independence in 1976. Seychelles have never been inhabited by indigenous people, but its islanders maintain their own Creole heritage.

Seychelles was uninhabited throughout most of recorded history. Tombs on the island, visible until 1910, are the basis for the scholarly belief that Austronesian seafarers and later Maldivian and Arab traders were the first to visit the archipelago.[citation needed] Vasco da Gama and his 4th Portuguese India Armada discovered the Seychelles on 15 March 1503; the first sighting was made by Thom Lopes aboard Rui Mendes de Brito. Da Gama's ships passed close to an elevated island, probably Silhouette Island, and the following day Desroches Island. They mapped a group of seven islands and named them The Seven Sisters.[14] The earliest recorded landing was in January 1609, by the crew of the Ascension under Captain Alexander Sharpeigh during the fourth voyage of the British East India Company.

A transit point for trade between Africa and Asia, it was said that the islands were occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control in 1756 when a Stone of Possession was laid on Mah by Captain Nicholas Morphey. The islands were named after Jean Moreau de Schelles, Louis XV's Minister of Finance.[15]

The British frigate Orpheus commanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mah on 16 May 1794, during the War of the First Coalition. Terms of capitulation were drawn up and on the next day, Seychelles was surrendered to Britain. Jean Baptiste Quau de Quincy, the French administrator of Seychelles during the years of war with the United Kingdom, declined to resist when armed enemy warships arrived. Instead, he successfully negotiated the status of capitulation to Britain which gave the settlers a privileged position of neutrality.

Britain eventually assumed full control upon the surrender of Mauritius in 1810, formalised in 1814 at the Treaty of Paris. Seychelles became a crown colony separate from Mauritius in 1903. Elections were held in 1966 and 1970.

In 1976, Seychelles was granted independence from the United Kingdom and became a republic. It has been a member of the Commonwealth ever since.[16] In the 1970s Seychelles was "the place to be seen, a playground for film stars and the international jet set".[17] In 1977, a coup d'tat by France Albert Ren ousted the first president of the republic, James Mancham.[18] Ren discouraged over-dependence on tourism and declared that he wanted "to keep the Seychelles for the Seychellois".[17]

The 1979 constitution declared a socialist one-party state, which lasted until 1991.

In the 1980s there were a series of coup attempts against President Ren, some of which were supported by South Africa. In 1981, Mike Hoare led a team of 43 South African mercenaries masquerading as holidaying rugby players in the 1981 Seychelles coup d'tat attempt.[17] There was a gun battle at the airport, and most of the mercenaries later escaped in a hijacked Air India plane.[17] The leader of this hijacking was German mercenary D. Clodo, a former member of the Rhodesian SAS.[19] Clodo later stood trial in South Africa (where he was acquitted) as well as in his home country Germany for air piracy.[20]

In 1986, an attempted coup led by the Seychelles Minister of Defence, Ogilvy Berlouis, caused President Ren to request assistance from India. In Operation Flowers are Blooming, the Indian naval vessel Vindhyagiri arrived in Port Victoria to help avert the coup.[21]

The first draft of a new constitution failed to receive the requisite 60% of voters in 1992, but an amended version was approved in 1993.

In January 2013, Seychelles declared a state of emergency when the tropical cyclone Felleng caused torrential rain, and flooding and landslides destroyed hundreds of houses.[22][23]

Following the coup in 1977, the president always represented the same political party until the October 2020 Seychellois general election, which was historic in that the opposition party won. Wavel Ramkalawan was the first president who did not represent United Seychelles (the current name of the former Seychelles People's Progressive Front).[24][25]

In 2021, despite the increase of sea level rises, the Seychelles pledged its committee to protect 30% of its habitats within its waters in the country's usefulness of marine resources.

The Seychelles president, who is head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term of office. The cabinet is presided over and appointed by the president, subject to the approval of a majority of the legislature. The current president is Wavel Ramkalawan, as of 2022.

The unicameral Seychellois parliament, the National Assembly or Assemble Nationale, consists of 35 members, 26 of whom are elected directly by popular vote, while the remaining nine seats are appointed proportionally according to the percentage of votes received by each party. All members serve five-year terms.

The Supreme Court of Seychelles, created in 1903, is the highest trial court in Seychelles and the first court of appeal from all the lower courts and tribunals. The highest court of law in Seychelles is the Seychelles Court of Appeal, which is the court of final appeal in the country.[26]

Seychelles' long-term president France Albert Ren came to power after his supporters overthrew the first president James Mancham on 5 June 1977 in a coup d'tat and installed him as president. Ren was at that time the prime minister. Ren ruled as a strongman under a socialist one-party system until 1993, when he was forced to introduce a multi-party system. He stepped down in 2004 in favour of his vice-president, James Michel, who was re-elected in 2006, 2011 and again in 2015.[27][28][29][30] On 28 September 2016, the Office of the President announced that Michel would step down effective 16 October, and that Vice President Danny Faure would complete the rest of Michel's term.[31]

On 26 October 2020, Wavel Ramkalawan, a 59-year-old Anglican priest was elected the fifth President of the Republic of Seychelles. Ramkalawan was an opposition MP from 1993 to 2011, and from 2016 to 2020. He served as the Leader of the Opposition from 1998 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2020. Ramkalawan defeated incumbent Danny Faure by 54.9% to 43.5%. This marked the first time the opposition had won a presidential election.[32][33]

The primary political parties are the former ruling socialist People's Party (PP), known until 2009 as the Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) now called United Seychelles (US), and the socially liberal Seychelles National Party (SNP).[34]

The election of the National Assembly was held on 2224 October 2020. The Seychelles National Party, the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy and the Seychelles United Party formed a coalition, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS). LDS won 25 seats and US got 10 seats of the 35 seats of the National Assembly.[35]

Seychelles is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Indian Ocean Commission, La Francophonie, the Southern African Development Community and the Commonwealth of Nations.

From 1979 to 1981, the United States and South Africa were involved in the failed 1981 coup attempt.[36] Under the Obama administration, the US began running drone operations out of Seychelles.[37] In the Spring of 2013, members of the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa mentored troops in Seychelles, along with a variety of other African nations.[37]

The Military of Seychelles is the Seychelles People's Defence Force which consists of a number of distinct branches: an Infantry Unit and Coast Guard, Air Force and a Presidential Protection Unit. India has played and continues to play a key role in developing the military of Seychelles. After handing over two SDB Mk5 patrol vessels built by GRSE, the INS Tarasa and INS Tarmugli, to the Seychelles Coast Guard, which were subsequently renamed PS Constant and PS Topaz, India also gifted a Dornier 228 aircraft built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.[38] India also signed a pact to develop Assumption Island, one of the 115 islands that make up the country. Spread over 11km2 (4sqmi), it is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar. The island is being leased for the development of strategic assets by India.[39] In 2018, Seychelles signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.[40][41]

In 2014, Seychelles had the highest incarceration rate in the world of 799 prisoners per 100,000 population, exceeding the United States' rate by 15%.[42] However, the country's actual population is less than 100,000; as of September 2014, Seychelles had 735 actual prisoners, 6% of whom were female, incarcerated in three prisons.[43]

The incarceration rate in Seychelles has dropped significantly. It is not any more among the Top 10 Countries with the highest rate of incarceration. In 2022, the incarceration rate was 287 per 100,000 population, being just the 31st highest in the world.[44]

Seychelles is a key participant in the fight against Indian Ocean piracy primarily committed by Somali pirates.[45] Former president James Michel said that piracy costs between $7million $12million a year to the international community: "The pirates cost 4% of the Seychelles GDP, including direct and indirect costs for the loss of boats, fishing, and tourism, and the indirect investment for the maritime security." These are factors affecting local fishing one of the country's main national resources which had a 46% loss in 20082009.[45] International contributions of patrol boats, planes or drones have been provided to help Seychelles combat sea piracy.[45]

Seychelles is divided into twenty-six administrative regions comprising all of the inner islands. Eight of the districts make up the capital of Seychelles and are referred to as Greater Victoria. Another 14 districts are considered the rural part of the main island of Mah with two districts on Praslin and one on La Digue which also includes respective satellite islands. The rest of the Outer Islands (les Eloignes) are the last district recently created by the tourism ministry.

An island nation, Seychelles is located in the Somali Sea segment of the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar and about 1,600km (860nmi) east of Kenya. The Constitution of Seychelles lists 155 named islands,[46] and a further 7 reclaimed islands have been created subsequent to the publication of the Constitution. The majority of the islands are uninhabited, with many dedicated as nature reserves. Seychelles' largest island, Mah, is located 1,550km (835nmi) from Mogadishu (Somalia's capital).[47]

A group of 44 islands (42 granitic and 2 corallines) occupy the shallow waters of the Seychelles Bank and are collectively referred to as the inner islands. They have a total area of 244km2 (94sqmi), accounting for 54% of the total land area of the Seychelles and 98% of the entire population.

The islands have been divided into groups. There are 42 granitic islands known as the Granitic Seychelles. These are in descending order of size: Mah, Praslin, Silhouette, La Digue, Curieuse, Flicit, Frgate, Ste. Anne, North, Cerf, Marianne, Grand Sur, Thrse, Aride, Conception, Petite Sur, Cousin, Cousine, Long, Rcif, Round (Praslin), Anonyme, Mamelles, Moyenne, Ile aux Vaches Marines, L'Islette, Beacon (Ile Sche), Cache, Cocos, Round (Mah), L'Ilot Frgate, Booby, Chauve Souris (Mah), Chauve Souris (Praslin), Ile La Fouche, Hodoul, L'Ilot, Rat, Souris, St. Pierre (Praslin), Zav, Harrison Rocks (Grand Rocher).

There are two coral sand cays north of the granitics on the edge of the Seychelles Bank: Denis and Bird. There are two coral islands south of the Granitic: Cotivy and Platte.

There are 29 coral islands in the Amirantes group, west of the granitic: Desroches, Poivre Atoll (comprising three islandsPoivre, Florentin and South Island), Alphonse, D'Arros, St. Joseph Atoll (comprising 14 islandsSt. Joseph, le aux Fouquets, Resource, Petit Carcassaye, Grand Carcassaye, Benjamin, Bancs Ferrari, Chiens, Plicans, Vars, le Paul, Banc de Sable, Banc aux Cocos and le aux Poules), Marie Louise, Desnufs, African Banks (comprising two islandsAfrican Banks and South Island), Rmire, St. Franois, Boudeuse, toile, Bijoutier.

There are 13 coral islands in the Farquhar Group, south-southwest of the Amirantes: Farquhar Atoll (comprising 10 islandsBancs de Sable, Dposs, le aux Golettes, Lapins, le du Milieu, North Manaha, South Manaha, Middle Manaha, North Island and South Island), Providence Atoll (comprising two islandsProvidence and Bancs Providence) and St Pierre.

There are 67 raised coral islands in the Aldabra Group, west of the Farquhar Group: Aldabra Atoll (comprising 46 islandsGrande Terre, Picard, Polymnie, Malabar, le Michel, le Esprit, le aux Moustiques, Ilot Parc, Ilot mile, Ilot Yangue, Ilot Magnan, le Lanier, Champignon des Os, Euphrate, Grand Mentor, Grand Ilot, Gros Ilot Gionnet, Gros Ilot Ssame, Hron Rock, Hide Island, le aux Aigrettes, le aux Cdres, les Chalands, le Fangame, le Hron, le Michel, le Squacco, le Sylvestre, le Verte, Ilot Dder, Ilot du Sud, Ilot du Milieu, Ilot du Nord, Ilot Dubois, Ilot Macoa, Ilot Marquoix, Ilots Niois, Ilot Salade, Middle Row Island, Noddy Rock, North Row Island, Petit Mentor, Petit Mentor Endans, Petits Ilots, Pink Rock and Table Ronde), Assumption Island, Astove and Cosmoledo Atoll (comprising 19 islandsMenai, le du Nord (West North), le Nord-Est (East North), le du Trou, Golettes, Grand Polyte, Petit Polyte, Grand le (Wizard), Pagode, le du Sud-Ouest (South), le aux Moustiques, le Baleine, le aux Chauve-Souris, le aux Macaques, le aux Rats, le du Nord-Ouest, le Observation, le Sud-Est and Ilot la Croix).

In addition to these 155 islands, as per the Constitution of Seychelles, there are 7 reclaimed islands: Ile Perseverance, Ile Aurore, Romainville, Eden Island, Eve, Ile du Port and Ile Soleil.

South Island, African Banks has been eroded by the sea. At St Joseph Atoll, Banc de Sable and Pelican Island have also eroded, while Grand Carcassaye and Petit Carcassaye have merged to form one island. There are also several unnamed islands at Aldabra, St Joseph Atoll and Cosmoledo. Pti Astove, though named, failed to make it into the Constitution for unknown reasons. Bancs Providence is not a single island, but a dynamic group of islands, comprising four large and about six very small islets in 2016.

The climate is equable although quite humid, as the islands are small,[48] and is classified by the Kppen-Geiger system as a tropical rain forest (Af). The temperature varies little throughout the year. Temperatures on Mah vary from 24 to 30C (75 to 86F), and rainfall ranges from 2,900mm (114in) annually at Victoria to 3,600mm (142in) on the mountain slopes. Precipitation levels are somewhat less on the other islands.[49]

During the coolest months, July and August, the average low is about 24C (75F). The southeast trade winds blow regularly from May to November, and this is the most pleasant time of the year. The hot months are from December to April, with higher humidity (80%). March and April are the hottest months, but the temperature seldom exceeds 31C (88F). Most of the islands lie outside the cyclone belt, so high winds are rare.[49]

Left: Seychelles paradise-flycatcher; right: bird flocks on Bird Island Seychelles

Seychelles is among the world's leading countries to protect lands for threatened species, allocating 42% of its territory for conservation.[52] Like many fragile island ecosystems, Seychelles saw the loss of biodiversity when humans first settled in the area, including the disappearance of most of the giant tortoises from the granitic islands, the felling of coastal and mid-level forests, and the extinction of species such as the chestnut flanked white eye, the Seychelles parakeet, and the saltwater crocodile. However, extinctions were far fewer than on islands such as Mauritius or Hawaii, partly due to a shorter period of colonizer occupation. Seychelles today is known for success stories in protecting its flora and fauna. The rare Seychelles black parrot, the national bird of the country, is now protected.

The freshwater crab genus Seychellum is endemic to the granitic Seychelles, and a further 26 species of crabs and five species of hermit crabs live on the islands.[53] From the year 1500 until the mid-1800s (approximately), the then-previously unknown Aldabra giant tortoise was killed for food by pirates and sailors, driving their numbers to near-extinction levels. Today, a healthy yet fragile population of 150,000 tortoises live solely on the atoll of Aldabra, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[54][55] Additionally, these ancient reptiles can further be found in numerous zoos, botanical gardens, and private collections internationally. Their protection from poaching and smuggling is overseen by CITES, whilst captive breeding has greatly reduced the negative impact on the remaining wild populations. The granitic islands of Seychelles supports three extant species of Seychelles giant tortoise.

Seychelles hosts some of the largest seabird colonies in the world, notably on the outer islands of Aldabra and Cosmoledo. In granitic Seychelles the largest colonies are on Aride Island including the world's largest numbers of two species. The sooty tern also breeds on the islands. Other common birds include cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) and the fairy tern (Gygis alba).[56] More than 1,000 species of fish have been recorded.[citation needed]

The granitic islands of Seychelles are home to about 75 endemic plant species, with a further 25 or so species in the Aldabra group.[citation needed] Particularly well known is the coco de mer, a species of palm that grows only on the islands of Praslin and neighbouring Curieuse. Sometimes nicknamed the "love nut" (the shape of its "double" coconut resembles buttocks), the coco-de-mer produces the world's heaviest seed. The jellyfish tree is to be found in only a few locations on Mah. This strange and ancient plant, in a genus of its own, Medusagyne seems to reproduce only in cultivation and not in the wild. Other unique plant species include Wright's gardenia (Rothmannia annae), found only on Aride Islands Special Reserve. There are several unique species of orchid on the islands.

Seychelles is home to two terrestrial ecoregions: Granitic Seychelles forests and Aldabra Island xeric scrub.[57] The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 10/10, ranking it first globally out of 172 countries.[58]

Since the use of spearguns and dynamite for fishing was banned through efforts of local conservationists in the 1960s, the wildlife is unafraid of snorkelers and divers. Coral bleaching in 1998 has damaged most reefs, but some reefs show healthy recovery (such as Silhouette Island).

Despite huge disparities across nations,[citation needed] Seychelles claims to have achieved nearly all of its Millennium Development Goals.[59] 17 MDGS and 169 targets have been achieved.[citation needed] Environmental protection is becoming a cultural value.[citation needed]

Their government's Seychelles Climate Guide describes the nation's climate as rainy, with a dry season with an ocean economy in the ocean regions. The Southeast Trades is on the decline but still fairly strong.[60] Reportedly, weather patterns there are becoming less predictable.[61]

When the British gained control of the islands during the Napoleonic Wars, they allowed the French upper class to retain their land. Both the French and British settlers used enslaved Africans, and although the British prohibited slavery in 1835, African workers continued to come. Thus the Gran blan ("big whites") of French origin dominated economic and political life. The British administration employed Indians on indentured servitude to the same degree as in Mauritius resulting in a small Indian population. The Indians, like a similar minority of Chinese, were confined to a merchant class.[62]

Today, Seychelles is described as a fusion of peoples and cultures. Numerous Seychellois are considered multiracial: blending from African, Asian and European descent to create a modern creole culture. Evidence of this harmonious blend is also revealed in Seychellois food, incorporating various aspects of French, Chinese, Indian and African cuisine.[citation needed]

As the islands of the Seychelles had no indigenous population, the current Seychellois descend from people who immigrated, of which the largest ethnic groups were those of African, French, Indian and Chinese origin. The median age of the Seychellois is 34 years.[63]

French and English are official languages along with Seychellois Creole, which is a French-based creole language. Seychellois Creole is the most widely spoken native language and de facto the national language of the country. Seychellois Creole is often spoken with English words and phrases mixed in.[64] About 91% of the population are native speakers of Seychelles Creole, 5.1% of English and 0.7% of French.[64] Most business and official meetings are conducted in English and nearly all official websites are in English. National Assembly business is conducted in Creole, but laws are passed and published in English.

According to the 2010 census, most Seychellois are Christians: 76.2% were Roman Catholic, pastorally served by the exempt Diocese of Port Victoria (directly subject to the Holy See); 10.6% were Protestant, (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.6%).[65]

Hinduism is the second largest religion, with more than 2.4% of the population.[66] Hinduism is followed mainly by the Indo-Seychellois community.[67]

Islam is followed by another 1.6% of the population. Other faiths accounted for 1.1% of the population, while a further 5.9% were non-religious or did not specify a religion.[66]

During the plantation era, cinnamon, vanilla and copra were the chief exports. In 1965, during a three-month visit to the islands, futurist Donald Prell prepared for the then-crown colony's Governor General an economic report containing a scenario for the future of the economy. Quoting from his report, in the 1960s, about 33% of the working population worked at plantations, and 20% worked in the public or government sector.[68][69] The Indian Ocean Tracking Station on Mah used by the Air Force Satellite Control Network was closed in August 1996 after the Seychelles government attempted to raise the rent to more than $10,000,000 per year.

Since independence in 1976, per capita output has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labour force, compared to agriculture which today employs about 3% of the labour force. Despite the growth of tourism, farming and fishing continue to employ some people, as do industries that process coconuts and vanilla.

As of 2013[update], the main export products are processed fish (60%) and non-fillet frozen fish (22%).[70]

The prime agricultural products currently produced in Seychelles include sweet potatoes, vanilla, coconuts and cinnamon. These products provide much of the economic support of the locals. Frozen and canned fish, copra, cinnamon and vanilla are the main export commodities.

The Seychelles government has prioritised a curbing of the budget deficit, including the containment of social welfare costs and further privatisation of public enterprises. The government has a pervasive presence in economic activity, with public enterprises active in petroleum product distribution, banking, imports of basic products, telecommunications and a wide range of other businesses. According to the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, which measures the degree of limited government, market openness, regulatory efficiency, rule of law, and other factors, economic freedom has been increasing each year since 2010.[71][unreliable source?]

The national currency of Seychelles is the Seychellois rupee. Initially tied to a basket of international currencies, it was unpegged and allowed to be devalued and float freely in 2008 on the presumed hopes of attracting further foreign investment in the Seychelles economy.

Seychelles has emerged as the least corrupt country in Africa in the latest Corruption Perception Index report released by Transparency International in January 2020.[72]

In 1971, with the opening of Seychelles International Airport, tourism became a significant industry, essentially dividing the economy into plantations and tourism. The tourism sector paid better, and the plantation economy could expand only so far. The plantation sector of the economy declined in prominence, and tourism became the primary industry of Seychelles. Consequently, there was a sustained spate of hotel construction throughout almost the entire 1970s which included the opening of Coral Strand Smart Choice, Vista Do Mar and Bougainville Hotel in 1972.

In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. These incentives have given rise to an enormous amount of investment in real estate projects and new resort properties, such as project TIME, distributed by the World Bank, along with its predecessor project MAGIC. Despite its growth, the vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 19911992 due largely to the Gulf War.[73]

Since then the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, small-scale manufacturing and most recently the offshore financial sector, through the establishment of the Financial Services Authority and the enactment of several pieces of legislation (such as the International Corporate Service Providers Act, the International Business Companies Act, the Securities Act, the Mutual Funds and Hedge Fund Act, amongst others). In March 2015, Seychelles allocated Assumption Island to be developed by India.[74]

Owing to the effects of COVID-19, Seychelles shut down its borders to international tourism in the year 2020. The nation is slated to reopen its borders to international tourists from 25 March 2021. As the national vaccination program progressed well, the nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism has taken the decision to allow foreign tourists while keeping public health measures in place, such as wearing of face masks, social distancing, regular sanitisation, and washing of hands.[75]

Although multinational oil companies have explored the waters around the islands, no oil or gas has been found. In 2005, a deal was signed with US firm Petroquest, giving it exploration rights to about 30,000km2 around Constant, Topaz, Farquhar and Cotivy islands until 2014. Seychelles imports oil from the Persian Gulf in the form of refined petroleum derivatives at the rate of about 5,700 barrels per day (910m3/d).

In recent years oil has been imported from Kuwait and also from Bahrain. Seychelles imports three times more oil than is needed for internal uses because it re-exports the surplus oil in the form of bunker for ships and aircraft calling at Mah. There are no refining capacities on the islands. Oil and gas imports, distribution and re-export are the responsibility of Seychelles Petroleum (Sepec), while oil exploration is the responsibility of the Seychelles National Oil Company (SNOC).

A National Art Gallery was inaugurated in 1994 on the occasion of the official opening of the National Cultural Centre, which houses the National Library and National Archives with other offices of the Ministry of Culture.

At its inauguration, the Minister of Culture decreed that the exhibition of works of Seychellois artists, painters and sculptors was a testimony to the development of art in Seychelles as a creative form of expression, and provided a view of the state of the country's contemporary art.

Painters have traditionally been inspired by Seychelles natural features to produce a wide range of works in media ranging from watercolours to oils, acrylics, collages, metals, aluminium, wood, fabrics, gouache, varnishes, recycled materials, pastels, charcoal, embossing, etching, and giclee prints. Local sculptors produce fine works in wood, stone, bronze and cartonnage.

Music and dance have always played prominent roles in Seychelles culture and local festivities. Rooted in African, Malagasy and European cultures, music characteristically features drums such as the tambour and tam-tam, and simple string instruments. The violin and guitar are relatively recent foreign imports which play a prominent role in contemporary music.

Among popular dances are the Sega, with hip-swaying and shuffling of the feet, and the Moutya, a dance dating back to the days of slavery, when it was often used to express strong emotions and discontent.

The music of Seychelles is diverse, a reflection of the fusion of cultures through its history. The folk music of the islands incorporates multiple influences in a syncretic fashion. It includes African rhythms, aesthetic and instrumentation, such as the zez and the bom (known in Brazil as berimbau); European contredanse, polka and mazurka; French folk and pop; sega from Mauritius and Runion; taarab, soukous and other pan-African genres; and Polynesian, Indian and Arcadian music.

Contombley is a popular form of percussion music, as is Moutya, a fusion of native folk rhythms with Kenyan benga. Kontredans, based on European contra dance, is also popular, especially in district and school competitions during the annual Festival Kreol (International Creole Festival). Moutya playing and dancing often occur at beach bazaars. Music is sung in the Seychellois Creole of the French language, and in French and English.

In 2021, the Moutya, a slave trade-era dance, was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List as a symbol of psychological comfort in its role of resistance against hardship, poverty, servitude and social injustice.[76]

Staple foods of Sechelles include fish, seafood and shellfish dishes, often accompanied with rice.[77][78] Fish dishes are cooked several ways, such as steamed, grilled, wrapped in banana leaves, baked, salted and smoked.[77] Curry dishes with rice are also a significant part of the country's cuisine.[78][79]

Other staples include coconut, breadfruit, mangoes and kordonnyen fish.[80] Dishes are often garnished with fresh flowers.[80]

The main daily newspaper is the Seychelles Nation, dedicated to local government views and current topics. Other political parties operate papers such as Regar. Foreign newspapers and magazines are readily available at most bookshops and newsagents. The papers are published mostly in Seychellois Creole, French and English.

The main television and radio network, operated by the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation, offers locally produced news and discussion programmes in the Seychellois Creole language, between 3pm and 11:30pm on weekdays and longer hours on weekends. There are also imported English- and French-language television programmes on Seychellois terrestrial television, and international satellite television has grown rapidly in recent years.

Seychelles' most popular sport is basketball, which has significantly grown in popularity in the last decade.[83] The country's national team qualified for the 2015 African Games, where it competed against some of the continent's largest countries, such as Egypt. In 2015, Seychelles hosted the African Beach Soccer Championship. Ten years later, Seychelles will host the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup making it the ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup to be ever held in Africa.

Seychellois society is essentially matrilineal.[84][85] Mothers tend to be dominant in the household, controlling most expenditures and looking after children's interests.[84] Unwed mothers are the societal norm, and the law requires fathers to support their children.[85] Men are important for their earning ability, but their domestic role is relatively peripheral.[84]

Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2016.[86] The bill decriminalizing homosexuality was approved in a 140 vote.[87] The employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is banned in the Seychelles, making it one of the few African countries to have such protections for LGBT people.[88][89]

Seychelles has the highest literacy rate of any country in sub-Saharan Africa.[90] According to The World Factbook of the Central Intelligence Agency, as of 2018, 95.9% of the population aged 15 and over can read and write in the Seychelles.[90]

Until the mid-19th century, little formal education was available in Seychelles. The Catholic and Anglican churches opened mission schools in 1851. The Catholic mission later operated boys' and girls' secondary schools with religious brothers and nuns from abroad even after the government became responsible for them in 1944.[91]

A teacher training college opened in 1959, when the supply of locally trained teachers began to grow, and in short time many new schools were established. Since 1981 a system of free education has been in effect, requiring attendance by all children in grades one to nine, beginning at age five. Ninety percent of all children attend nursery school at age four.[citation needed]

The literacy rate for school-age children rose to more than 90% by the late 1980s. Many older Seychellois had not been taught to read or write in their childhood; adult education classes helped raise adult literacy from 60% to a claimed 100% in 2014.[citation needed]

There are a total of 68 schools in Seychelles. The public school system consists of 23 crches, 25 primary schools and 13 secondary schools. They are located on Mah, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette. Additionally, there are three private schools: cole Franaise, International School and the independent school. All the private schools are on Mah, and the International School has a branch on Praslin. There are seven post-secondary (non-tertiary) schools: the Seychelles Polytechnic, School of Advanced Level Studies, Seychelles Tourism Academy, University of Seychelles Education, Seychelles Institute of Technology, Maritime Training Center, Seychelles Agricultural and Horticultural Training Center and the National Institute for Health and Social Studies.[citation needed]

The administration launched plans to open a university in an attempt to slow down the brain drain that has occurred. University of Seychelles, initiated in conjunction with the University of London, opened on 17 September 2009 in three locations, and offers qualifications from the University of London.[92]

Government

Religion

General

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Seychelles - Wikipedia

Relief and climate

Seychelles, one of the worlds smallest countries, is composed of two main island groups: the Mah group of more than 40 central, mountainous granitic islands and a second group of more than 70 outer, flat, coralline islands. The islands of the Mah group are rocky and typically have a narrow coastal strip and a central range of hills. The overall aspect of those islands, with their lush tropical vegetation, is that of high hanging gardens overlooking silver-white beaches and clear lagoons. The highest point in Seychelles, Morne Seychellois (2,969 feet [905 metres]), situated on Mah, is located within this mountainous island group. The coralline islands, rising only a few feet above sea level, are flat with elevated coral reefs at different stages of formation. These islands are largely waterless, and very few have a resident population.

The climate is tropical oceanic, with little temperature variation during the year. Daily temperatures rise to the mid-80s F (low 30s C) in the afternoon and fall to the low 70s F (low 20s C) at night. Precipitation levels vary greatly from island to island; on Mah, annual precipitation ranges from 90 inches (2,300 mm) at sea level to 140 inches (3,560 mm) on the mountain slopes. Humidity is persistently high but is ameliorated somewhat in locations windward of the prevailing southeast trade winds.

Of the roughly 200 plant species found in Seychelles, some 80 are unique to the islands, including screw pines (see pandanus), several varieties of jellyfish trees, latanier palms, the bois rouge, the bois de fer, Wrights gardenia, and the most famous, the coco de mer. The coco de merwhich is found on only two islandsproduces a fruit that is one of the largest and heaviest known and is valued by a number of Asian cultures for believed aphrodisiac, medicinal, mystic, and other properties. The Seychellois government closely monitors the quantity and status of the trees, and, although commerce is regulated to prevent overharvesting, poaching is a concern.

Wildlife includes a remarkably diverse array of marine life, including more than 900 identified species of fish; green sea turtles and giant tortoises also inhabit the islands. Endemic species include birds such as Seychelles bulbuls and cave-dwelling Seychelles swiftlets; several species of local tree frogs, snails, and wormlike caecilians; Seychelles wolf snakes and house snakes; tiger chameleons; and others. Endemic mammals are few; both fruit bats (Pteropus seychellensis) and Seychelles sheath-tailed bats (Coleura seychellensis) are endemic to the islands. Indian mynahs, barn owls, and tenrecs (small shrewlike or hedgehoglike mammals introduced from Madagascar) are also found.

Considerable efforts have been made to preserve the islands marked biodiversity. Seychelles government has established several nature preserves and marine parks, including the Aldabra Islands and Valle de Mai National Park, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Aldabra Islands, a large atoll, are the site of a preserve inhabited by tens of thousands of giant tortoises, the worlds oldest living creatures, which government conservation efforts have helped rescue from the brink of extinction. Valle de Mai National Park is the only place where all six of the palm species endemic to Seychelles, including the coco de mer, may be found together. Cousin Island is home to a sanctuary for land birds, many endemic to the islands, including the Seychelles sunbird (a type of hummingbird) and the Seychelles brush warbler. The nearby Cousine Island is part private resort and part nature preserve, noted for its sea turtles, giant tortoises, and assorted land birds. Bird Island is the breeding ground for millions of terns, turtle doves, shearwaters, frigate birds, and other seabirds that flock there each year.

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Seychelles | Culture, History, & People | Britannica

The small island country of Seychelles is an archipelago of over 100 islands and has a total land area of only 452 sq. km. However, the islands of the country are spread far and wide forming an Exclusive Economic Zone that covers a total area of 1,336,559 sq. km.

The country has two major island groups - the Mah group and the Outer Islands. The former comprises of over 40 islands that with a granitic mountainous topography. The latter has over 70 islands which are flat and coralline but largely uninhabited due to the lack of sufficient freshwater resources. The highest point in the country, the 905 m high Morne Seychellois, is situated on the main and largest island of the country, Mah.

Seychelles has 26 administrative districts. In alphabetical order, these are Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Royale, Au Cap, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, English River, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), Inner Islands, Les mamelles, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port Glaud, Roche Caiman, Saint Louis, Takamaka. The 26th district is the Outer Islands which was recognized as a district in recent years by the country's tourism department.

Three districts English River, Mont Fleuri, and Saint Louis (shown on the map above) together comprise the national capital of Victoria.

An archipelagic island country in the Somali Sea region of the Indian Ocean, Seychelles is located in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres of the Earth. Itis located around 1,600 km off the eastern coast of Kenya in mainland Africa. It is located to the northeast of Madagascar, another island country of Africa. Other major islands near Seychelles include Comoros and Mauritius to the south, and Maldives to the east.

Regional Maps: Map of Africa

This page was last updated on February 24, 2021

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Seychelles Maps & Facts - World Atlas

Demographics of Seychelles

Population pyramid of the Seychelles in 2020

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Seychelles, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

About 90% of the Seychellois people live on the island of Mah. Most of the rest live on Praslin and La Digue, with the remaining smaller islands either sparsely populated or uninhabited.

Most Seychellois are descendants of early French settlers and East Africans who arrived in the 19th century. Tamils, along with other South Indians and Chinese (1.1% of the population) account for the other permanent inhabitants. About 1,703 (2000) expatriates live and work in Seychelles. In 1901, there were roughly 3500 Tamil speakers out of the country's population of 19,237. Tamil immigrants arrived in Seychelles as early as 1770 and were among the first settlers to the originally sparsely inhabited island nation.

Seychelles culture is a mixture of French and African (Creole) influences. The local Seychellois Creole (Kreol), a creole language derived from French and African tongues, is the native language of 91.8% of the people; but English and French are also commonly used. English remains the language of government and commerce.

About 91.9% of the adult population is literate, and the literacy rate of school-aged children has risen to well over 98%. Increases are expected, as nearly all children of primary school age attend school, and the government encourages adult education.

Structure of the population (2013 estimates):[4]

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020): [5]

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022.[6]

The following demographic are from the CIA World Factbook[7] unless otherwise indicated.

Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)

Seychelles has very little indigenous population and was first permanently settled by a small group of French colonizers, African, and South Indians in 1770. Seychelles modern population is composed of the descendants of French and later British colonizers, Africans, and Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern traders and is concentrated on three of its 155 islands the vast majority on Mahe and lesser numbers on Praslin and La Digue. Seychelles population grew rapidly during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to natural increase, but the pace has slowed because of fertility decline. The total fertility rate dropped sharply from 4.0 children per woman in 1980 to 1.9 in 2015, mainly as a result of a family planning program, free education and health care, and increased female labor force participation. Life expectancy has increased steadily, but women on average live 9 years longer than men, a difference that is higher than that typical of developed countries.[7]

The combination of reduced fertility and increased longevity has resulted in an aging population, which will put pressure on the government's provision of pensions and health care. Seychelles sustained investment in social welfare services, such as free primary health care and education up to the post-secondary level, have enabled the country to achieve a high human development index score, among the highest in Africa. Despite some of its health and education indicators being nearly on par with Western countries, Seychelles has a high level of income inequality.[7]

total population: 76.1 years. Country comparison to the world: 109thmale: 71.67 yearsfemale: 80.66 years (2022 est.)

at birth:1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years:1.06 male(s)/female15-64 years:0.95 male(s)/female65 years and over:0.70 male(s)/femaletotal population:1.07 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

noun: Seychellois (singular and plural), adjective: Seychelles

predominantly creole (mainly of East African and Malagasy heritage); also French, Indian, Chinese, and Arab populations

Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, Other 3.8%, Unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)[8]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

The Seychelles census has now been postponed by one year, from August 2020 to August 2021. Field mapping, questionnaire design, and pretest of data collection tools using tablets, are all proceeding.[9]

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Demographics of Seychelles - Wikipedia

Like many island nations, Seychelles is densely populated with 186 people per square kilometers (483/sq mi), which ranks 60th in the world. The capital and largest city, Victoria, has a population of 25,000, or more than 25% of the country's population.

During the British control of Seychelles, French upper class were allowed to retain their land, and both French and British settlers used African slaves and later indentured Indian servants, despite the British prohibition on slavery in 1835. This led to a small minority population of Indians on the island, as well as Chinese, and the Gran'bla ("big whites") of French origin controlling politics and the economy.

Today, there are descendants of the Indian, Chinese and Gran'bla making up ethnic communities in Seychelles, although most people are of black African origin, often with mixed European or Asian heritage. Seychelles has no indigenous population, and the current population is composed of immigrants and their descendants.

The ethnic breakdown is 93% Seychellois Creole, 3% British, 1.8% French, 0.5% Chinese, 0.3% Indian and 1.2% other.

Most Seychelles are Christians, with 82% of the population adhering to Roman Catholicism. 2% of the population practices Hinduism while 1% practices Islam.

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Seychelles Population 2022 (Live) - worldpopulationreview.com

The Tourism Seychelles team takes the road to South Africa for a plethora of activities to reconnect with partners from the region.

The team headed by the Tourism Seychelles representative in South Africa Mr. Germain also included the Director for the South African market Ms. Christine Vel.

Visiting the Indaba Tourism fair, one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar, which took place from May 2 to May 5, 2022, Durban, Mr. Germain and Ms. Vel had several fruitful meetings with a few key local partners in South Africa.

The team also met with the South African Tourism representatives to discuss areas of tourism corporation between the two countries. The meeting was also attended by the Seychelles Honorary Consul in Durban, Mr. Abul Fahl Moshin Ebrahim.

As part of their visibility take-over on the South African soil, the Tourism Seychelles team also hosted a group of journalists from Cape Town for a breakfast presentation where they were able to learn more about the destination and get the latest travel updates.

Speaking of the marketing initiative in the South African market, Mr. Germain mentioned that the team has been encouraged by the interest received from the partners.

There is an increasing interest from our partners, especially for future projects focusing on sustainability and active lifestyle.

We are currently keeping the momentum, engaging in meetings, presentations, and other networking activities to reconnect with our partners and discuss areas of collaboration, said Mr. Germain.

The team is currently hosting the Seychelles Tourism Roadshow, which include a series of workshops in the South African cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

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Tourism Seychelles on the Road and Charming South African Partners - eTurboNews | TravelWireNews

I grew up listening to stories about my mum's childhood in the Seychelles Islands. I loved hearing about the gardens filled with mango trees, gigantic tortoises and fish caught from the verandah, just as much as I loved listening to the loud and joyful creole language that flowed through the house when family came to stay. But most of all, I loved sitting down to the big pot of red-lentil dahl that my mum cooked for us every week.

My granddad moved his family to the Seychelles in the late 1960s after learning about the African archipelago from one of his taxi passengers back in Perth. A childhood on the islands ensured that my mum left with some essential Seychelles skills: the local Creole language, the ability to crack open coconuts on rocks and the perfect recipe for Seychellois dahl.

In the Seychelles, red-lentil dahl, orlantiy,usually accompanies a spread of grilled fish, rice and salad. The dish is prepared by cooking red split lentils down until they almost resemble a puree. The flavour is enhanced with garlic, ginger and a generous pinch of salt. Sometimes, a bit of fresh coconut is grated on top. Like most Seychellois dishes, the dahl is born of the island's colourful heritage, being an amalgamation of French, East African and Indian cuisines.

For my mum, red-lentil dahl brings up memories of weeknight dinners in the Seychelles that involved buying packets of fish strung together with palm leaves from the local fishermen on the beach. The fish, usuallykarang(trevally),bourzwa(red-emperor snapper) ormakro(mackerel), were stuffed with garlic, chilli and ginger, and grilled whole. A green-mango salad dressed with lime juice, some rice and a helping of dahl completed the spread.

"Most of all, I loved sitting down to the big pot of red lentil dahl that my mum cooked for us every week."

In Perth, we ate red-lentil dahl with fish caught by my dad on the other side of the same ocean. I eagerly mixed heaped spoonfuls of dahl into my rice and forgot about the freshly caught whiting on the table. Years later, I learnt how to cook the dahl myself and slowly began varying the dish.

For my mum, the best version of the dahl is the simplest, but I enjoy adding a few extra ingredients to the meal: chopped-up potatoes, a handful of cherry tomatoes, lots of spinach, coriander and a dollop of Greek yoghurt on top turns the dish into something more than just a side dish. This version of the dahl travelled with me to France where, with my last few euros, I made pots of it in tiny hostel kitchens and served it with thick slices of bread from the boulangerie. When I moved out of home and began hosting dinner parties, my friends quickly came to expect a big pot of dahl to be waiting for their arrival.

My mum's family fled the Seychelles Islands during the 1979 coup d'etat, and while her father and brother eventually returned to make a life there, she did not. Our family has visited the islands over the years, but I know that she would've liked my brother and me to experience more of her childhood home than we did. However, her weekly pot of dahl has been enough to transport us all back to the Seychelles.

These days, I make the dahl more than my mum does, but it's become a meal that means a lot to us both.

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Photographs by Teneal Zuvela

This red-lentil dahl is a traditional Seychellois side dish that's served with fish, rice and salad. Every family will make their red-lentil dahl slightly differently, and this is the way that my family makes theirs.

Serves4-5

Ingredients

Method

Note

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Seychelles dahl: The Creole recipe that is a family favourite - SBS

Seychelles native Ned Azemia gets back in the groove for UTEP track

Seychelles native Ned Azemia gets back in the groove for UTEP track

Wochit

Not everything that went away during COVID is coming back.

For a time, Ned Azemia's speed, his ability to clear hurdles as quickly as almost any collegian in America, looked to be one of those things that simply vanished.

Turns out, UTEP's senior 400-meter hurdler from Victoria, Seychelles, just needed a little time to get all that back in order.

More: C-USA track and field championships

Three years after a silver medal for Western Texas College at the NJCAA championships, two years after having to leave the University of Miami for his African home because of the COVID shutdown, one year after a transfer to UTEP and initially coming up short of his goals and standards, Azemia is starting to feel the lightning returning to his legs.

Azemia heads to the Conference USA Championships this week in San Antonio with a season-best time of 51.31 seconds, a second and a half slower than what he ran in 2018, but it's also more than a second faster than anyone else in C-USA.

More than that, his best time this year came last week and gave one more indication the two-time Olympian is finding his form.

"This is the season I feel like my freshman year when I ran 49," Azemia said. "I want to leave it all out there for my senior season. My first season didn't go as planned, but coach (Davian) Clarke kept the faith, he still believed in me. I've worked very had to get back to running well this season."

Clarke added: "This year he's coming into his own. We had a little setback in indoor, he was injured and missed the conference championships, but he's coming back. Even though he has his fastest time so far this year, we fully expect that he's going to run much faster.

More: History-making Indian thrower Jayasankar makes quick mark for UTEP

"He's had a long journey, coming all the way from Seychelles. Last year was tough for him, working on a few things that were different from what he was doing at his previous school."

This is all part of a process that began more than a year ago when Clarke coaxed Azemia to make his way to El Paso from Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, about 1,500 miles east of Eldoret, Kenya where so many of his teammates are from.

After a distinguished career at Western Texas in Snyder, that included a third-place finish at nationals and a silver as a sophomore, Azemia transferred to Miami, but that ended in March 2020 with the lockdown that sent him back home. From there he lost his conditioning, had a child and considered never making his way back to America.

Clarke "saw me in the transfer portal and asked me what was going on," Azemia said. "I was hesitant at first, but he convinced me. I saw the bigger picture. With a daughter, I saw that I needed to finish my degree and continue my athletic career. That was convincing, that made sense, so I came back."

He wasn't ready to run fast times right away.

More: 'I feel very strong': Eastwood alum Bernal makes way home to run for UTEP

"My race pattern, my weight change when COVID was here, the lockdown and stuff, I had a baby when I went back home after two years of college," Azemia said. "That's been my journey, that's why I haven't been able to compete at the highest level, but the journey to get back, I trust in coach Clark, trust in coach Lacena (Golding-Clarke, his technical coach) and just listen to what they tell me."

Interestingly, though he is more than 10,000 miles from home, the cultural adjustment has not been as challenging. He learned at Western Texas that he shares much in common with teammates from literally the opposite side of the world in the Caribbean.

Seychelles, Jamaica and the Bahamas are all British Commonwealth countries with English as an official language.

"Western Texas had a lot of island kids, Caribbean kids Jamaica, Bahamas I could get along with everyone," Azemia said. "We were all islanders, me from the other end of the world, but all islanders. It's basically the same, the same food, so we got along well.

"UTEP also has people from the Bahamas, Jamaica, that's been a great bonding atmosphere. We have people from all over the world, different cultures. That's what I like, the diversity. I can learn from everyone, everyone can learn from me. We learn from each other."

What Seychelles offers is an attainable bar to make the national team, which Azemia has done on many occasions. He ran in the previous two Olympics and plans on running in the Commonwealth Games and African Championships this summer. If he can run a 48.9 between now and July, he will be able to run in the World Championships in Eugene, Ore.

That's going to take a lot of improving, but Azemia senses that after two years of searching for his form, he's finding it.

"I'm planning on coming back stronger, win conference, go to regionals, go to nationals, go all the way," he said.

That starts this weekend in San Antonio.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

When, where: Thursday-Sunday, Park West Athletics Complex, San Antonio

Online schedule

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'I want to leave it all out there:' Ned Azemia finding form again for UTEP track - El Paso Times

By Shaun HurrellHeader image: With its pole-to pole migration, the Arctic Tern is a symbol of BirdLifes international collaboration Agami/Shutterstock

Every organisation has milestone moments that mark when its ideas first took flight, and BirdLife is no exception. Some may live on as golden anecdotes in the memories of long-term staff who have seen action on the frontline of conservation, but others may now only be documented in old newspapers and history books but even the foreword of the Handbook of the Birds of the World, a full 62 pages that narrate the growth of BirdLife from a council of experts to everybodys global partnership, doesnt quite capture all of BirdLifes history.

Last issue we told the story of how BirdLife was born exactly one century ago. Back then, the visionary conservationists that came together to found the International Committee for Bird Preservation (ICBP) may not have quite imagined the international movement BirdLife would become and what it would achieve for birds, habitats and people. BirdLifes conservation work today can be split into four pillars: species, sites, systems and society key approaches to preserving nature that have been the heart and soul of our conservation work since 1922.

Underlying these are the principles that conservation action must be informed by scientific insight, and that birds see no borders thus international collaboration is key to their protection. And so over the years BirdLife has perfected the art of local-to-global impact with a suite of extraordinary projects and programmes that work towards a vision of a world in harmony with nature.

Some flagship achievements stand out in this ever-evolving story, including BirdLifes first land acquisition in Seychelles, the formation of the European Unions Natura 2000 network (which was in significant part based on BirdLifes inventories of Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas, or IBAs), the launch of the Preventing Extinctions Programme and its pivotal projects to save species, the creation of the Albatross Task Force as a response to seabirds drowning in fishing gear, and the establishment of completely new NGOs such as Asity Madagascar, Burung Indonesia, SAVE Brasil and NatureLife Cambodia, thanks to our capacity building work. It would be impossible to mention all of BirdLifes top moments, so here are just a few that really capture the aforementioned principles, or the spirit of the organisation.

Continued here:

The Spirit of BirdLife - BirdLife International

The Commission of the European Union has recognized the digital COVID-19 certificates of Indonesia, Seychelles and Vietnam as equivalent to the EU COVID Certificates issued by authorities in EU countries.

Such a decision has been confirmed through a statement published by the Commission of the European Union and comes in an effort to ease the travel process further, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The new changes mean that passengers from these three countries mentioned above will be permitted to enter the bloc under the same rules as those who hold EU Digital COVID-19 certificates.

With the accession of Indonesia, Seychelles and Vietnam, the number of countries and territories connected to the EU system has increased to 67. Moreover, in view of the summer, the EU certificate will facilitate the movement of Europeans within the EU and beyond. Therefore, while we are happy to see that the situation is improving, the certificate remains a useful tool for many destinations, for example, in case of testing requirements, the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, pointed out in this regard.

According to the announcement published by the European Commission, the decision will take effect starting tomorrow, May 11.

Last month, the Commission of the European Union announced that it decided to accept the COVID-19 certificates issued by authorities in Colombia and Malaysia as equivalent to the EU Digital COVID Certificate.

As a result, these two countries are now being connected to the EUs system, and the EU will accept their COVID certificates under the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate. This also means that holders of certificates issued by Colombia and Malaysia will be able to use them under the same conditions as holders of an EU Digital COVID Certificate do, the Commission notes in a statement.

Previously, in two separate decisions, the Commission of the EU announced that it decided to recognize the COVID-19 certificates issued by Benin and Jordan as equivalent to the EU Digital COVID Certificate, permitting holders of such documents to enter the EU Member States under the same rules as those who hold the EU Digital COVID Certificate.

Authorities in the EU countries created the EU Digital COVID certificate in order to facilitate the travel process amid the COVID-19 situation in order to ease the travel process for holders of such documents.

Previously, it has been confirmed that over 1.7 million EU COVID Certificates have been issued by EU countries since June 2021.

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EU Accepts COVID Certificates of 3 More Third Countries as Equivalent to the EU Digital COVID Certificate - SchengenVisaInfo.com -...

Satellite images capture twin Cyclonic Storm over the Indian Ocean

Monday, May 09: Last week, as a cyclonic circulation started to take shape near the Andaman Sea, meteorologists began to warn the potential impacts on the eastern coast of India. On Sunday, the system intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm! Still, the threat to the coast appears minimal as it is expected to weaken into a deep depression by Wednesday while recurving along and off the Odisha coast.

Meanwhile, its twin has emerged over the southern parts of the Indian Ocean over the weekend. The storm has been named Cyclone Karim, based on the suggestion from the East African country Seychelles. The cyclone is currently a category two hurricane with a wind speed of 112 kmph gusting at nearly 140 kmph.

On the other hand, Cyclone Asani has remained a Severe Cyclonic Storm on Monday with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It lies roughly 500 km southeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and is expected to move towards the Odisha coast by Tuesday. By Wednesday, it will recurve and move along the Odisha coast while weakening into a cyclonic storm.

Twin tropical cyclones spinning in opposite directions north and south of the equator are not new!

Cyclone Fani formed over the Bay of Bengal in April 2019 along with Tropical Cyclone Lorna over the southern Indian Ocean. While Fani turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm with a maximum wind speed of 250 kmph, Lorna was a Category 1 hurricane and could attain a maximum of 70 kmph.

Such twin tropical cyclones resemble mirror images of each other, spinning at roughly the same longitude but in opposite directions, as seen in the satellite images. Such events are also common in the western Pacific Ocean. They don't happen in the eastern Pacific or Atlantic Basins because tropical cyclones do not occur in lower latitudes south of the equator there.

Winds around low-pressure systems spin clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere but counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere due to the Coriolis effect a force caused by Earth's rotation that deflects winds to the left in the Southern Hemisphere and to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.

Similar to 2019, the instigator of this pair of cyclones was the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), a disturbance near the tropics that moves east around the globe every 30 to 50 days. Westerly winds over the equator line on the Indian Ocean have been strong past several days, likely due to MJO. Such strong westerly winds over the equator line can sometimes induce cyclonic circulations and lead to the simultaneous formation of cyclones over the Northern hemisphere and Southern hemisphere, called Twin Cyclones.

"We usually see the twin cyclones develop following the passage of the convectively-active phase of the MJO," explains Dr Michael Ventrice, an atmospheric scientist at The Weather Company, an IBM Business. Ventrice said the MJO primes the environment for tropical cyclone development thanks to large gyres of low-pressure left behind from enhanced thunderstorms near the equator and enhanced areas of spin north and south of the equator from low-level westerly winds.

When these twin storms are close to each other, i.e., within 1000 km, they even interact with each other. However, Asani and Karim are unlikely to interact because the distance between them is more than 2800 km.

The Indian Ocean has a year-round Cyclone Season. The tropical cyclone season in the northern Indian Ocean, which includes the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, is quite unusual, with two peaks one from April to June and the second from September to December. However, the cyclone season over the southwest Indian Ocean basin peaks between November and April, making Karim quite an exception.

**

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Twin Cyclones Asani and Karim Form Over Indian Ocean; Satellite Images Capture Twins on Opposite Sides of Equator | The Weather Channel - Articles...

VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 27, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KuCoin, a leading global cryptocurrency trading platform, announced that its venture capital arm KuCoin Ventures making an investment of $1 Million in SakuraVerse, a web3 game infrastructure that develops and incubates multi-category games, accelerating the world's transition to Metaverse. This also marks that SakuraVerse becomes the very first project backed by KuCoin ventures $100 Million Creators Fund.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220427005048/en/

KuCoin Ventures Makes $1 Million Investment in SakuraVerse (Graphic: Business Wire)

The $100 Million Creators Fund is launched by KuCoin NFT marketplace-Windvane and KuCoin Ventures together, aims to help young artists and creators to show their talents to the public and to build an open, free, equal, and decentralized NFT marketplace meanwhile. The fund covers a diversified range of NFT projects, including sports, PFP, Asia Culture, celebrities, GameFi, and many other innovative projects, to promote the global mass adoption of blockchain.

As the first project backed by KuCoin Creators Fund, SakuraVerse is an innovative game platform based on Web 3. It builds decentralized game infrastructure and integrates social features to provide blockchain games with more fun for players. The core SakuraVerse team comes from the world's top game companies and covers 5 studios around the world. They have accumulated more than 40 million players in the traditional games, and have top IP and celebrity resources, as well as rich blockchain operation experience.

The new funding by KuCoin Ventures announced today will be used to support the growth of SakuraVerse in team expansion, platform, and popular IP games development.

Justin Chou, the Chief Investment Officer of KuCoin Ventures, said: "We believe that in Web3.0 the next-generation Internet-Gaming, plays an important role as a kind of prototype of the Metaverse. We are deeply impressed by the SakuraVerse team`s game and blockchain experience and excited with SakuraVerse`s vision of Web3.0. And we believe that the SakuraVerse team has the strength to create multi-genre games with more fun, stronger social attributes, longer life cycle, and more suitable for players in Web3.0."

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The CEO of SakuraVerse, Amaji added: "We feel extremely fortunate to have received the strategic investment from KuCoin Ventures and be shortlisted for the $100 Million Creators Fund. In order to achieve our ultimate goal, we will launch a large-scale leisure game platform to allow players from all over the world to be connected. Later this year, we will also develop a World Cup-themed soccer simulation game along with the Qatar World Cup to give us an opportunity to expose ourselves to the global blockchain emerging markets."

About KuCoin

Launched in September 2017, KuCoin is a global cryptocurrency exchange with its operational headquarters in Seychelles, offering over 600 digital assets, and currently provides spot trading, Margin trading, P2P fiat trading, futures trading, staking, and lending to its 10 million users in 207 countries and regions around the world. In 2018, KuCoin secured $20 million in Round A funding from IDG Capital and Matrix Partners. According to CoinMarketCap, KuCoin is currently one of the top 5 crypto exchanges. Forbes also named KuCoin one of the Best Crypto Exchanges for 2021. In 2022, The Ascent named KuCoin the Best Crypto Exchanges and Apps for enthusiasts.

About KuCoin Ventures

KuCoin Ventures is a leading investment arm of KuCoin Exchange that aims to invest in the most disruptive cryptocurrency and blockchain projects in Web3.0 era. With the commitment of empowering Crypto/Web 3.0 Builders with Deep Insights and Global Resources, it is also a community-friendly and research-driven full-stage corporate venture that focuses on DeFi, Game-Fi, Web 3.0, infrastructure, working closely with its portfolio projects throughout the journey of entrepreneurship.

About KuCoin NFT Marketplace - Windvane

KuCoin NFT Marketplace - Windvane is a more open and inclusive decentralized NFT marketplace powered by KuCoin, which will serve as a driving force in the industry. For KuCoin, it is committed to creating a comprehensive and highly compatible platform that will openly support mainstream NFT blockchains. Therefore, Windvane is empowered to offer the huge user traffic of KuCoin and the support of top KOLs and communities to help projects INO. As for customers, Windvane as a decentralized marketplace means low barriers to entry but data storage will be very secure. There is always a project you are optimistic about on this platform that brings together various types of high-quality projects.

About SakuraVerse

SakuraVerse is a web3 game platform that develops and incubates multi-category web3 games with a long life cycle. Through building decentralized game infrastructure and social platforms, it enables players to truly enjoy the games in Web3. The core SakuraVerse team comes from the world's top game companies and covers 5 studios around the world; Deeply involved in games for 20 years, SakuraVerse has accumulated many categories such as simulation RPG, SLG, card, and other social games with a monthly turnover exceeding millions USD. SakuraVerse also accumulates a number of popular IPs and top artists and has the R&D and operation capabilities to integrate the top IP, crypto, and games.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220427005048/en/

Contacts

KuCoinAshley Wangmedia@KuCoin.com

SakuraVersecontact@Sakuraverse.com

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KuCoin Ventures Makes $1 Million Investment in SakuraVerse, the First Project Backed by KuCoins $100 Million Creators Fund - Yahoo Finance

Scenic Group has been pursuing luxury ocean cruising with the new Scenic Eclipse, while its other brand, Emerald Yacht Cruises, is coming up with an experience that is different to most cruise brands, according to the2022 Luxury Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Emeralds first ship Azzurra was delivered in January. A second ship, the Sakara, will be delivered next year. The two sister ships built by Halong Shipbuilding Company in Vietnam can accommodate 100 guests each.

The Emerald Sakara will be a lot like an identical twin sister, Maggie Carbonell, the vice president for marketing at Scenic Group USA, told Cruise Industry News. The benefit of having two yachts is that you can offer different destinations to guests.

For the summer both yachts will be positioned in the Mediterranean. In the winter, the Emerald Sakaras destinations will include the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, with the Seychelles as a highlight, according to Carbonell.

(This will allow us to) offer a broader scope to our guests, she said.

According to Carbonell, the two ships have been carefully designed to have access to small ports and harbors rather than anchoring them out at sea, so guests can sail straight into the heart of the local culture and history of the destinations.

Onboard Experience

Onboard, there will be a very relaxing experience with restaurants and a snack bar in the pool area, Carbonell noted.

Theres also fun with the latest technology, so guests will be able to hit the Marina platform and dive off and explore the ocean. Its very exclusive and very intimate, she added

The Sky Deck has loungers and chairs. We also have an infinity pool where guests can have a cocktail and watch the coastline sail by. We think that The Observation Lounge is going to be a very popular place for our guests to sit with binoculars and spot wildlife or read a book, she said.

The two superyachts will offer a high guest-to-crew ration.

The Sakara and Azzurra will carry 64 crew members. With our guest capacity being 100, thats more than two to one. So, it will make for very intimate, personalized service experience.

Different

Both the Azzurra and Sakara are built for warmer climates and thats what sets them apart from other ships in the market, Carbonell said.

Were building the ships to hug the coast and for warm weather deployment. The other lines with luxury smaller ships are normally focusing on colder regions, said Carbonell.

But weve kind of taken a turn and said, well, lets build the superyachts and go for warmer weather destination.

So, if you think about the rise of superyachts and yachts as an experience for the ultra luxury, we can bring that out to the masses with these two ships of the Emerald brand.

Demographic

The typical Emerald yacht guest is described as an active, very discerning client who likes the finer things and is unwilling to compromise in their vacation.

We have seen the bookings for the Azzurra come in at a much younger age than we did for the Eclipse, our sister brand. Early adopters who have rushed to book superyachts will be 40-year-olds right up to our sweet spot of about 65, Carbonell said

Value-Oriented

The two brands Scenic and Emerald dont need to compete with each other, she said. Their offerings appeal to different demographics.

Our guests on the Eclipse are really looking for operations in places like Antarctica, said Carbonell.

Scenic is sufficient for an all-inclusive ultra-luxury type of clientele that just doesnt want to bring up their wallets, wants the ease of just paying once and have everything included. The Emerald client is more value-oriented. They want to pay for what they want to use.

(Emerald) is more value minded. Its a contemporary brand. Its more active. We have groups of friends sailing onboard and we have activities managers onboard the Sakara and Azzurra. Its about wellness and health, which are very important to the Emerald guest, she said. Thats how we differentiate the brands.

Carbonell thinks that cruising is top of mind with consumers interested in continuing to cruise but still very worried about COVID.

So, I think were coming out with our first ship at the right time for the market that is definitely there for us, she said.

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Emerald Yacht Cruises Is Hugging the Coast - Cruise Industry News

In the Seychelles, the populations continue to pay a high price for the health crisis caused by the Covid-19. After the Chinese company Sinohydro postponed the commissioning of the Gogue dam to a later date (initially planned for June 2020), it is now the turn of Land Waste Management Agency (LWMA) to delay its sanitation project on Perseverance. The artificial island is located 20 km from the Seychelles capital Victoria.

In principle, the second phase of LWMAs waste sorting and collection project was due to start in March 2021, but the association will not be able to meet its schedule. The second phase of the project consists of going back to the inhabitants of Persvrance with the results of surveys carried out to explain to them how collection will be carried out in the future. At present, we are unable to achieve our objectives due to the restrictive measures put in place to counter the spread of Covid-19, explains Rahul Mangroo, LWMAs Deputy Managing Director.

As part of LWMAs sanitation project, 900 households on the island of Perseverance will be provided with 110 litre bins. Rubbish bins will be used for the collection of household waste. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste and cans will be sold to the population in buy-back centres set up by LWMA. Instead of daily waste collection, there will be a calendar where we will indicate the days of passage for each type of waste, says Rahul Mangroo, LWMAs Deputy Managing Director. This waste will then be recycled, reducing pollution on Perseverance, one of the 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago. LWMAs project will promote the development of the circular economy throughout the Eastern African country.

A third phase of the sanitation project is planned. It will analyse the waste sorting and collection process that has been put in place and make improvements where necessary. We will then report back to the Seychelles government on the effectiveness of our approach, says Rahul Mangroo, LWMAs Deputy Managing Director.

Ins Magoum

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SEYCHELLES: Covid-19 puts a damper on waste management on the island of Perseverance - AFRIK 21

Jessica Nabongo has achieved the title of the first Black woman in history to travel to every single country in the world.

Prior to the onset of the pandemic, the Michigan native visited all 195 countries over the course of two years, ending her world tour in Seychelles, a country in East Africa, Good Morning America reported.

"Welcome to the Seychelles!! Country 195 of 195!," she captioned her Instagram post. "So much to say but for now I will just say thank you to this entire community for all of your support. This was our journey and thanks to all of you who came along for the ride!!"

Her friends and family joined her in the Seychelles to celebrate the completion of her incredible achievement.

Nabongo told "GMA" that traveling has always been a big part of her life.

Born and raised in Detroit, she first traveled to Canada when she was four. By the age of 18, she had been to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the United Kingdom, and her parents native country of Uganda.

After visiting about 60 countries by February 2017, Nabongo, who has a masters degree from the London School of Economics, made it her mission to visit every other country in the world.

Once she learned that she could become the first Black woman in history to achieve the feat, her goals were set.

"I didn't want anyone to beat me to it," she said. Nabongo's journey to finish seeing the world began in March of 2018.

While she first used her Instagram as a way to keep her friends and families updated along her journey, Nabongo's social media account quickly grew into a popular travel blog, which now boasts almost 200,000 followers.

She ended her quest on October 6, 2019, the same day as her late father's birthday.Nabongo said the journey was in her fathers honor.

"Had he not gotten a scholarship to Western Michigan," she said, "none of this would be happening."

Nabongo now runs JetBlack, a boutique travel firm that specializes in travel to Africa, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

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Meet the American who is the first Black woman to travel to every country in the world - RADIO.COM

By: Canopy by Hilton | 0Shares 640Reads

February 05, 2021 // Franchising.com // SEYCHELLES and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton today announced the signing of management agreements to bring its iconic luxury brand, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, as well as lifestyle brand, Canopy by Hilton, to the Seychelles. The properties are scheduled to open in 2023 and will build upon an already impressive Hilton portfolio on the archipelago, in addition to the soon-to-be-opened Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts.

Carlos Khneisser, vice president, development, Middle East & Africa, Hilton said: The Seychelles remains unquestionably one of the worlds most desirable destinations for the discerning traveller. We are proud of the role our teams have played in the sustainable development of the Seychelles, and these new additions, coupled with Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts, will give our guests an unprecedented range of world-class experiential options to choose from when planning what is sure to be an unforgettable visit.

A truly exclusive luxury experience, the resort will offer a collection of 59 seafront villas all equipped with private pools. Guests will have access to six restaurants and bars, a spa, kids club, outdoor observatory, tennis courts and a marine conservation discovery center all within the sanctuary of Platte Island. The island itself lies just over 130 km south of Mah and is renowned as a nature lovers paradise, covered with palm forest and surrounded by a coral reef and lagoon. A small airstrip allows for access to the island from the main airport of Mah. In an effort to create and use renewable energy as part of the resorts operation, many buildings throughout the grounds will be equipped with solar-paneled roofing.

Located on Mahs Anse la Mouche beach, famed for its calm and shallow waters, this resort is set to bring a new sense of vibrancy to the oceanfront community. Significant investment is going into developing the facilities of the surrounding beach, including a boutique shopping village. The resort will offer 120 locally inspired guestrooms and space to accommodate more intimate meetings and events.

Hilton operates six brands in Africa and the Indian Ocean and recently reached the milestone of 100 hotels trading or in the pipeline across the continent. Hilton remains steadfastly committed to the sustainable development of travel and tourism across the region and has implemented several award-winning sustainability measures at its three operating Seychelles properties. These range from the removal of plastic straws and bottles to the use of locally sourced produce through to wildlife conservation and community engagement projects.

SOURCE Canopy by Hilton

###

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Waldorf Astoria and Canopy by Hilton to Debut in the Seychelles - Franchising.com

Jessica Nabongo has achieved the title of the first Black woman in history to travel to every single country in the world.

Prior to the onset of the pandemic, the Michigan native visited all 195 countries over the course of two years, ending her world tour in Seychelles, a country in East Africa, Good Morning America reported.

"Welcome to the Seychelles!! Country 195 of 195!," she captioned her Instagram post. "So much to say but for now I will just say thank you to this entire community for all of your support. This was our journey and thanks to all of you who came along for the ride!!"

Her friends and family joined her in the Seychelles to celebrate the completion of her incredible achievement.

Nabongo told "GMA" that traveling has always been a big part of her life.

Born and raised in Detroit, she first traveled to Canada when she was four. By the age of 18, she had been to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the United Kingdom, and her parents native country of Uganda.

After visiting about 60 countries by February 2017, Nabongo, who has a masters degree from the London School of Economics, made it her mission to visit every other country in the world.

Once she learned that she could become the first Black woman in history to achieve the feat, her goals were set.

"I didn't want anyone to beat me to it," she said. Nabongo's journey to finish seeing the world began in March of 2018.

While she first used her Instagram as a way to keep her friends and families updated along her journey, Nabongo's social media account quickly grew into a popular travel blog, which now boasts almost 200,000 followers.

She ended her quest on October 6, 2019, the same day as her late father's birthday.Nabongo said the journey was in her fathers honor.

"Had he not gotten a scholarship to Western Michigan," she said, "none of this would be happening."

Nabongo now runs JetBlack, a boutique travel firm that specializes in travel to Africa, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

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Meet the American who is the first Black woman to travel to every country in the world - Talk Radio 1210 WPHT

Nigeria puts oil companies under pressure

Late last week, the Court of Appeal in The Hague ruled that oil company Royal Dutch Shells Nigerian subsidiary is liable for damages caused by oil spills in two Nigerian villages between 2004 and 2007. In addition to covering damages, the company must also install a leak detection system in one pipeline to prevent further spills. The subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd., has maintained that the spills were due to sabotage, which would reduce its liability, but the Court of Appeal said that the company did not prove that claim in the case of two of the spills beyond a reasonable doubt. The litigation is not yet over: Compensation is yet to be determined, and the ruling can still be appealed to a higher court. The issue of whether Shell can be held liable for a third spill that was the result of sabotage is still under consideration.

In other oil news, this week, Nigerias Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that a federal court had signed off on an arrest warrant for the managing director of ExxonMobil Nigeria, Richard Laing, after he refused three invitations to appear before investigators. Notably, Liang himself is not under investigation: Authorities are looking into allegations of procurement fraud worth over $213 million in a pipeline project. No charges have been filed.

Although at least 40 African countries have experienced a second wave of coronavirus cases in recent months, many are starting to see a downward tick in cases. South Africa, where a more contagious COVID-19 mutation emerged in December, is recording its fewest daily cases since November. Countries like Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Kenya too seem to have cleared another peak. Access to testing remains uneven across the region, however, with eight countries accounting for 75 percent of all tests.

After declaring a national disaster and losing two Cabinet ministers to COVID-19 in January, Malawi has begun to set up field hospitals to weather its recent surge in coronavirus-related hospitalizations. In Zombo, health officials are converting the State House (a residence belonging to the president of Malawi) into a treatment facility, while a field hospital at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe with the capacity of 300 beds has started receiving patients.

South Africa, after receiving its first million doses of AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine, joins Seychelles, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt this month in rolling out vaccinations. In addition, COVAX, the facility seeking to accelerate equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, plans to begin disbursing vaccines to more of Africa by the end of the month. While it remains to be seen whether all African countries will participateand to what extentCOVAX aims to provide participating countries with vaccine coverage for up to 20 percent of their population. Tanzanian Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima announced in a press conference on Monday that the ministry has no plans to receive vaccines for COVID-19, a proclamation on the heels of President John Magufuli expressing doubts last week that the vaccines were effective.

For more on potential challenges styming vaccine rollout in Africa, see Uwagbale Edward-Ekpus Foresight Africa 2021 viewpoint, Navigating the complexities around a COVID vaccine in Africa.

On Monday, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine filed a challenge to the results of the recent presidential election to the countrys supreme court. Lawyers representing the National Unity Platform (NUP), Bobi Wines political party, are calling on the courts to overturn the election results on multiple grounds, accusing the incumbent of ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and arresting supporters. The election and its tumultuous aftermath have drawn criticism from the international community, with the United States Department of State announcing that it is considering sanctions against Ugandan individuals found to be responsible for election-related violence or undermining the democratic process.

On Wednesday, newly reelected Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni ordered his finance minister to suspend a European Union-backed multimillion-dollar fund, the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF), that supports local government and nongovernmental groups working to ensure democracy, promote human rights, and improve accountability and governance. In his correspondence to the finance minister, Museveni accuses the DGF of having been used to finance activities and organizations designed to subvert Government under the guise of improving governance. While the president has suspended the funds operations in Uganda until his Cabinet and a new oversight board review the matter, the funds chief, Nicole Bjerler, says they remain open to dialogue with the government.

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Africa in the news: Nigerian oil, COVID-19, and Uganda updates - Brookings Institution

PREZ Nik had his big day in front of the investigative committee on Tuesday, pleading ignorance to questions that he did not want to answer.

He did not know that his wifes niece had been dealing with citizenships at the interior ministry, he did not know that his son-in-law was on the board of the company that was building the Ayia Napa marina, and he could not remember if former House President Demetris Syllouris had gone to Dubai to promote the citizenship scheme on his behalf.

He did, however, remember that in 2018 he flew his family on the private Boeing belonging to his Saudi buddy, free of charge. He told the committee that there was no quid pro quo, the Saudi sheik picking up the bill as a gesture and not as a gift. The committee did not ask him to explain the difference between a gesture and gift or the danger that what he considered a gesture, his friend might have considered a gift.

A gesture might involve picking up the bill at a restaurant or a bar but flying someones extended family on a private jet to the Seychelles and back seems quite a long way away from what ordinary people would consider a gesture. This simple gesture of generosity may have cost the sheikh 50 or 60 grand and obviously Nik has never heard the saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

THE SEYCHELLES trip saga did not end there. There had been another family trip to the Seychelles in August 2015, aboard the same sheikhs jet, but that time Nik claimed to have paid. Was he charged 10, as a gesture, so that nobody could accuse him of receiving a gift?

In January of the same year, the sheikh, three siblings and another three individuals were granted citizenships, while a few days after the Seychelles trip the sheikhs second wife was granted citizenship, even though this was a violation of Cyprus law which does not recognise polygamy. This point was made in an earlier investigation, carried out by Demetra Kalogirou who also sits on the Nikolatos investigative committee. Perhaps the Cyprus passport was granted to the second wife as a gesture, given she did not satisfy the criteria.

ON THURSDAY, some House committee, supposedly investigating the Seychelles trip had invited the director of the presidents office and the secretary of the council of ministers and asked them if Nik was on the sheikhs Boeing that left Larnaca on August 3, 2015 and returned on August 13. For unknown reasons they refused to answer, asking that the questions be put in writing and sent to the presidential palace for an answer. Why did they not answer, considering their boss had told the investigative committee, two days earlier, that he had gone to the Seychelles on the sheikhs jet in August 2015 and paid out of his own pocket? And if they needed confirmation, they could have consulted the official gazette of August 2015 which reported that Yiannakis Omirou, then House president, would be acting president of the republic.

I TAKE this opportunity to engage in a little bragging and self-glorification. On August 9, 2015, our establishment, in response to questions about where Nik had gone on holiday to reported the following: We can reveal, with a note of caution that Nik has gone on holiday to the Seychelles taking with him his entire family daughters, sons-in-law and grandkids. The presidential familys host is according to our information a mega-wealthy Arab, who might also be a sheikh. This explains why the holiday was a carefully-guarded secret. Nothing was written about the private jet at the time, but perhaps when the House committee sends its list of questions to the presidential palace, it could ask where the first family had stayed while in the Seychelles.

I SEE that Akel deputy Irini Charalambidou was not impressed that Prez Nik decided to answer on the behalf of his justice minister Emily Yiolitis, at the news conference presenting the anti-corruption measures, 10 days ago. The old battle-axe Irini engaged in a moralistic tirade accusing Yioliti of needing a man, and in fact the president, to save her.

The tough feminist added: And when someone seeks public posts, he must be prepared to cope with and face a lot. Much more so a minister of justice. If he does not have the mettle then he stays at home. Why Irini used the masculine pronoun when she was referring to a woman is beyond me. She finished with a P.S. If I was in Mrs Yiolitis position I would have submitted my resignation. If a president does not consider me capable to give an answer, how could I serve the justice ministry?

This is bit rich from Irini. If my memory serves me well, while at some meeting in the presence of her party boss, she was about to start talking, but comrade Andros signalled her to stay quiet and she dutifully obeyed. She did not consider it necessary to resign even though her party leader did not consider her capable of giving an opinion.

A REGULAR of our establishment wrote to correct me about what I had written last week about only Cyprus and Greece having curfews in force. In fact, I was informed, curfews are in force in 17 of the 27 EU member-states. That leaves 10 without a curfew and only one of these, Finland, having a lower mortality rate than Cyprus, which has seen its epidemiological situation improve significantly.

But despite this improvement, acknowledged by generalissimo, Constantinos Ioannou, and the reopening of the retail sector including malls, the fascistic SMS system remains in place. Is this an example of the state taking away our liberties and refusing to give them back? And incidentally, it is only Greece and Kyproulla that have this police state measure in force that in our case is indefensible and totally unjustified. I urge people to disobey and fight against this undemocratic measure. I say this, at the risk of the junta deciding to punish me by not authorising any of my requests to leave my house.

A FEW DAYS ago, I went to my hairdresser on Ledra Street for a cut and as I was having my hair washed two plainclothes cops entered. They approached a woman who was having her hair dyed and demanded to see the SMS on her phone authorising her to go to the hairdresser.

The woman got a bit a nervous as having realised that she had written the message but had not sent it. She showed the female cop questioning her that she had written the SMS but had forgotten to press send and the cop let her off. If cops raiding hairdressers to check on the customers is not a police state tactic, I do not know what is.

The woman was in a hairdressers because the police state had decreed they could open and take customers. Was there any justification for the cops to come into the hairdressers to inspect whether she had state permission to be there? She was not putting anyone at risk, she was wearing her face mask and she was four metres away from me, the only other customer.

What is really worrying is that the cops are taking their role as officers of the police state very seriously.

FOREIGN Minister Nikos Christodoulides is continuing his devious efforts to take over all other ministries. On Tuesday he was asked what was happening with the economic diplomacy he said he would launch. His response was perfectly in keeping with his talent for hot air. He said:

The draft of the strategy, as has been forwarded by the international experts has been passed on to all the representatives of the Cypriot ecosystem and we await their comments so we can start its specific implementation from March 1t, 2021. The findings of the strategy as well as the suggestions of the experts as to how we can move as the Cyprus Republic, in what sectors, in which countries, taking into account the capabilities of our country, are very significant. The strategy highlights those sectors in which the Cyprus Republic is considered to have comparative advantages and can attract foreign investments, either these relate to technology, tourism, health.

Having achieved the strategic objective of making us a regional power of geo-strategic significance through his political diplomacy, the Paphite, through his economic diplomacy, is going to make us the country everyone wants to invest in. Do the representatives of our ecosystem include birds and trees?

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Tales from the Coffeeshop: A gift for splitting hairs and spinning gestures - Cyprus Mail

(CNN) There are few places in the world as beautiful, or as vulnerable as the Outer Islands of Seychelles.

While the archipelago in the western Indian Ocean is made up of 115 islands, its 72 Outer Islands are undoubtedly its most remote and preserved locations.

Situated at distances ranging from 60 minutes to two and half hours away from the main island of Mah, the islands and atolls feature an abundance of marine life, pristine coastline and exotic birdlife.

Among them are UNESCO World Heritage site Aldabra, home to the largest giant tortoise population in the world, Alphonse, the first Seychelles island to become reliant on solar power and the uninhabited Cosmoledo, known for its spectacularly pristine coral reefs.

"The most unique thing about the Outer Islands is they've been frozen in time," environmentalist Keith Rose-Innes tells CNN Travel. "These islands are so inaccessible by humans and so far out that they've been left alone.

"The coral's still intact, because the atolls have very sharp drop offs and the cool water circles around them. So there's very little coral bleaching.

"The biomass of fish underneath the sea is incredible. At times if you swim 10 meters apart you can't see each other because there's so many fish. So it is really an amazing place. There's been very little human pressure over the years."

Under threat

Alphonse Atoll is one of the best preserved locations in the Outer Islands of the Seychelles.

Fiona Ayerst

But while the Outer Islands have been spared some of the "human pressure" problems faced by destinations such as Thailand, they, along with the rest of the Seychelles, are under threat nonetheless.

At present, the most significant dangers to the islands are plastic pollution, overfishing and climate change.

The money has been channeled into projects aimed at protecting marine life and tackling the impact of climate change and promised to make 30% of its national waters protected areas by the close of 2020.

After spending many years exploring the Outer Islands as a fly-fisherman, Rose-Innes says he's witnessed the effects first hand.

"Climate change is a big issue," he says. "I can see it [the difference]. For instance, we get bigger storms. The island of Farquhar experienced the most vicious cyclone ever recorded in the Indian Ocean in 2016.

"And an increase of one degree in sea temperature will mean 80% of our coral will die. Now is the time to protect these places, and use them in the right way so they can stay around for longer."

Protecting paradise

Alphonse has recorded more than 130 species of bird.

Anthony Grote

He's turned his attention to conservation in recent years as a way of "giving back" after becoming concerned about the future of the Outer Islands.

"I was known as the 'fly fisherman,'" he says. "That was my passion. But when you're walking around the islands or sitting in the boat, you're noticing all of the amazing things these atolls have to offer.

"I thought 'how do we create enough revenue to protect these places? How do we reduce the amount of fly fishing we do? The only way to do that was through ecotourism."

Blue Safari offers a number of activities and programs, such snorkeling with and photographing manta rays, birdwatching walks, turtle patrols, scuba diving, tree planting, beach cleanups, and a scuba diving excursion to collect debris from the ocean.

The accommodation available includes lodges, eco-camps, as well as eco-pods made from shipping containers.

"Every year we've seen amazing growth and more people coming," he says. "It's important to allow people to experience and see these amazing places," he adds. "This also opens up the possibility of raising funds."

While the Islands Development Company (IDC) manages 13 of the 72 Outer Islands, Blue Safari looks after four of these -- Alphonse, Astove, Cosmoledo and Farquhar.

Travelers who visit any of the islands are required to pay a $25 a day conservation charge, which is donated to its designated foundation and put towards ecological and environmental programs and initiatives.

While those who take part in the activities provided by Blue Safari are offered a unique insight into the Outer Islands through unique experiences, Rose-Innes says he and his team of over 150 also gain a lot from meeting travelers and educating them on the work that's being done.

Plastic problem

The uninhabited Cosmoledo atoll is the furthest from the mainland Mah island.

Blue Safari Seychelles

"It's an incredible opportunity," he says. "There aren't many places around the world where you're able to interact with guests, show them what you're doing and tell them how they can make a positive impact by coming on holiday."

Beach clean-ups are perhaps one of the most essential activities that visitors can take part in, if not the most thrilling.

Tons of plastic, mainly from ships, regularly washes up on the beaches of the Outer Islands and the amount is increasing every year according to Rose-Innes.

"We are picking up tons of plastic, especially after better weather on the beaches," he says. "So that's obviously quite a concerning thing."

Interestingly, flip flop sandals are among the most common plastic items that end up in the Outer Islands, along with water bottles.

"One or two of our islands get quite a big build of flip flops," Rose-Innes explains. "Funnily enough, it's mostly left side flip flops. I think it's like 10 to one left versus right."

However, Rose-Innes is hopeful that the global movement towards reducing plastic packaging will eventually reduce the amount of plastic that finds its way over to the islands.

Although the Seychelles is still seen as a far-flung beach destination by many travelers, the popularity of destinations such as Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands and Kenya has proven that there's still a huge market for these types of trips.

"Ecotourism is very important because it raises awareness for the environment," says Rose-Innes.

"If you have a guest that comes out and we take them on a beach clean-up where we pick up plastic, it's very easy for them to take that back to where they come from.

"And maybe next time there'll think twice about buying a plastic bag."

Safeguarding the future

The Blue Safari team lead a number of activities, such as beach cleanups and bird watching walks.

Melissa V.d Walt

Meanwhile, the debt-for-conservation deal has proved successful so far.

Last March, Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan announced the nation had followed through on its pledge to protect 410,000 square kilometers of its waters, an area around the size of Germany.

"By protecting these large areas we are not only safeguarding our marine environment but balancing economic growth through the management of the resources that the sea provides."

While its economy is highly dependent on the ocean and marine resources, tourism also plays a big part and numbers have been down significantly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials aim to vaccinate over 70% of its estimated 98,000 population by mid-March, which would make the Seychelles the first nation to vaccinate its entire population and allow restrictions to be relaxed further.

"It is really important to put in place the right protocols as tourists still want to come and spend a holiday in Seychelles."

Rose-Innes shares this sentiment, but is confident that things will improve in the coming months.

"We're hoping that by around April we'll be back to some sort of normality with regards to guests coming to the islands," he says.

"But at the moment it's very quiet. And the less people that come to the islands, the less funding we're able to raise.

"The most important thing travelers can do to support conservation is to come out and see us."

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How travelers help to protect the Outer Islands of the Seychelles - CNN