Geography of Seychelles

The islands Seychelles form small a island state located in the Indian Ocean, in the North-East of Madagascar and about 1,600 km (1,000 mile S) in the east of the Kenya. The country is a Archipel of 115 tropical islands made up of Granite and Corail. 33 islands are inhabited.

Several classifications exist to present the islands, according to their geological nature granitic islands vs. coral, or more generally close islands (of the principal island) vs. distant islands.

Interior islands

The interior islands indicate in fact a grouping of 42 islands having an total surface area of 243.7 km ², is 54% of the total surface area of Seychelles, but gathering more than 98% of the population. They are often qualified close islands.

The Groupe Granitic is consisted of the 40 granitic islands , all located in a ray of 56 km (35 mile) of the principal island of Mahé. These islands are rock, the majority have a narrow coastal strip and a central part mountainous reaching 914 meters. Most important of these islands are:

Mahé, most imposing, with a surface of 142 km ² (55 miles ²). The capital Victoria is on this island
the island of Praslin,
the island of Silhouette,
the Dam,
the island of the Frégate,
the island of the Curieuse,
the Île of North,

2 coral-red islands , to 90 km in North, constitute the remainder of the interior Islands:

the Island with the birds
the Island of Denis

Million years ago, the archipelago was created by a conjunction of phenomena: the separation of the Indian techtonic plate of that of Africa; as well as underwater volcanos, similar to those which created Maurice and the island of the Réunion. Consequently, the very large majority of the grounds were immersed.

Small world but long distances

The archipelago of Seychelles counts 115 islands and small islands dispersed on 388 500 km ² but the surface do not exceed 444 km ². 1 110 km separate remote the Aldabra, in the south, of Mahé, the principal island where Victoria is located, the capital. They are thus distant islands. These islands concern three categories: - completely protected and almost inaccessible islands: they are placed sour the authority of Seychelles Island Fundation which manages them with the support of organization international of protection of nature, - islands exploited agricolement: under the authority of Island Development Company (public company in charge of the development of the distant islands; Managing director: Mr. Glenny SAVY) on each one of these islands is a farm (agriculture of subsistence, copra), they are not opened with tourism; these superb islands are extremely fragile, all do not have water and the life of the workmen is hard there - islands open to tourism: enough very few, but several projects exist to concede islands with hotel companies. In addition, certain islands belong to the private ones (ex: D' Arros), but the government seeks to recover the freehold of it.

Desroches is the only island of Amirantes open to the public, with only one hotel (5*) cash 20 continuations. Island completely punt (altitude maximum: 1.2 meters), its beaches are among most beautiful of the world, it offers a spectacular choice of divings considered in the whole world, because the island is surrounded by one falling 45 meters to 200 meters from the shore and a tunnel passes under the island to 32 meters of depth. Longor of the island: 7.3 km, maximum width: 0.9 km. A farm (copra) there is in activity. A score of villas are in the course of construction in sharp protests spite of the ecologists.

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