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Seychelles is a small island country east of the African continent located in the Sea of Zanj due north of Madagascar, with Antsiranana as its nearest foreign city. Seychelles lies between approximately 4ºS and 10ºS and 46ºE and 54ºE. The nation is an archipelago of 155 tropical islands, some granite and some coral, the majority of which are small and uninhabited. The landmass is only but the islands are spread wide over an exclusive economic zone of . About 90 percent of the population of 100,000 live on Mahé, 9 percent on Praslin and La Digue. Around a third of the land area is the island of Mahé and a further third the atoll of Aldabra.
There are two distinct regions, the granitic islands, the world's only oceanic islands of granitic rock and the coralline outer islands. The granite islands are the world's oldest ocean islands, while the outer islands are mainly very young, though the Aldabra group and St Pierre (Farquhar Group) are unusual, raised coral islands that have emerged and submerged several times during their long history, the most recent submergence dating from about 125,000 years ago
Physical features
The archipelago consists of 155 islands and thirty prominent rock formations scattered throughout a self-proclaimed exclusive economic zone of more than of ocean.
Mahé is long and no more than wide, These granitic islands are characterized by boulder-covered hills and mountains as high as rising abruptly from the sea.
Geology
The Seychelles Bank is founded on a granite basement, a fragment separated from the Indian continental plate during the Palaeocene about 66 million years ago. This break-up was associated with the volcanic activity that built the Mascarene Plateau. The occurrence of syenite, diorite and microgranite in the western part of the Seychelles Bank could indicate that crustal deposit across the northwestern Indian Ocean Ridge apparently drove the Seychelles block southwestwards, causing it to collide with the northeastern edge of the Mascarene Basin. This collision could have led to the development of the Amirante Trough. Temperatures on Mahe rarely rise above or drop below .
|date=March 2012
Flora and fauna
thumb|The Island [[Mahé, Seychelles|Mahé]]
thumb|White beach on the island [[La Digue]]
The Seychelles contain at least 75 species of flowering plants, three mammal species, 14 bird species, 30 species of reptiles and amphibians, and several hundred species of snails, insects, spiders and other invertebrates found nowhere else.
and the flightless rail. This aims to rehabilitate and enhance islands for the maintenance of native biodiversity in Seychelles through eradication of introduced predator species, rehabilitation of habitats and reintroduction of rare or threatened species. Rats have been eliminated from North Island, Cosmoledo Atoll and Conception Island.
Facts and figures
right|thumb|360px|Detailed map of Seychelles
Geographic coordinates:
Area:
<br/>total:
459 km<sup>2</sup>
<br/>land:
459 km<sup>2</sup>
<br/>water:
0 km<sup>2</sup>
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
491 km
Maritime claims:
<br/>continental shelf:
or to the edge of the continental margin
<br/>exclusive economic zone:
with
<br/>territorial sea:
Elevation extremes:
<br/>lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
<br/>highest point:
Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources:
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use:
<br/>arable land:
2%
<br/>permanent crops:
13%
<br/>permanent pastures:
0%
<br/>forests and woodland:
11%
<br/>other:
74% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
0 km<sup>2</sup>
Environment - international agreements:
<br/>party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
<br/>signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Table of Islands
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="background: #CCC;" class="unsortable"|Island!!style="background: #CCC;" class="unsortable"| Capital !!style="background: #CCC;" class="unsortable"| Other cities !!style="background: #CCC;"| Area (km<sup>2</sup>) !!style="background: #CCC;"| Population
|-style="background:#AEE0F2;"
|Inner Islands ||Victoria||La Passe, Grand Anse||align="right"|247.20 ||align="right"|89521
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|Mahe Islands ||Victoria||||align="right"|163.20 ||align="right"|78333
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Anonyme ||Anonyme ||Anse Pimen Vert, || align="right"|0.10||align="right"|5
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Cerf ||L’habitation ||Kapok Tree Beach, West Beach, Turtle Beach, South Point, || align="right"|1.27||align="right"|100
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Conception ||Anse Conception |||| align="right"|0.6||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Eden ||Eden Project |||| align="right"|0.56||align="right"|100
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Aux Vaches || |||| align="right"|0.04||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Long ||Anse Shangri-La ||Anse Prison|| align="right"|0.23||align="right"|100
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Mahé ||Victoria ||Cascade, Anse Royale, Anse Boileau, Beau Vallon|| align="right"|156.70||align="right"|77983
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Mamelles ||Mamelles|||| align="right"|0.1||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Moyenne ||Brendon Grimshaw Estate ||Anse Jolly Roger|| align="right"|0.09||align="right"|1
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Round || |||| align="right"|0.02||align="right"|1
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Sainte Anne ||Grand Anse ||Anse le mont fleuri, Anse Royal, Anse Tortue, Anse Manon, || align="right"|2.19||align="right"|40
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Therese ||Anse Therese |||| align="right"|0.74||align="right"|3
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands||Romainville [http://www.nation.sc/index.php?art=27162] ||Ile Soleil [https://web.archive.org/web/20130511071032/http://www.seychelles2020.com/default.aspx?PageId=15]|| align="right" |0.56||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|Praslin Islands ||Grand Anse||Anse Volbert, St. Anne||align="right"|42.20 ||align="right"|7682
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Aride ||Aride Village||Robinson Crusoe beach, Turtle beach, || align="right"|0.68||align="right"|8
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Chauve Souris ||Anse Chauve Souris |||| align="right"|0.01||align="right"|2
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Cousin ||Anse Cousin|||| align="right"|0.29||align="right"|6
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Cousine ||East beach||west beach, North Beach|| align="right"|0.26||align="right"|16
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Curieuse ||Baie Laraie||Anse St. Joseph, anse papao, grand anse, pointe rouge(red), anse badamer, pointe caimant, tortoise point, || align="right"|2.86||align="right"|7
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Eve ||Eve Island Project|||| align="right"|0.27||align="right"|100
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Praslin ||Grand Anse||Anse Volbert, Baie St. Anne|| align="right"|37.56||align="right"|7533
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Round ||Anse Round||Anse Chez Gaby|| align="right"|0.19||align="right"|10
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands ||Booby Island|||| align="right"|0.07||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|La Digue and Inner Islands ||La Passe |||| align="right"|41.80 ||align="right"|3506
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Bird ||Bird Island Village ||birdwatchers beach|| align="right"|0.75||align="right"|38
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Denis ||St. Denis ||north end, anse boise d’argent, ance prince noir, || align="right"|1.43||align="right"|80
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Felicite ||La Penice ||Ans Zil Pasyon, Grand Ans,|| align="right"|2.68||align="right"|20
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Fregate ||Fregate Marina ||Anse Lesange, Anse Bambous, || align="right"|2.20||align="right"|214
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Iles Soeurs ||Grande Soeur Hotel ||Petite Soeur|| align="right"|1.18||align="right"|2
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|La Digue ||La Passe ||anse patates, cap bayard, grande anse, roche bois, L’ Union, La Reunion || align="right"|10.30||align="right"|2800
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Marianne ||Ans La Cour ||Pointe aux Joncs, Pointe Grand Glacis|| align="right"|0.97||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|North ||North Island Lodge ||East Beach, West Beach (or Grande Anse), Honeymoon Cove, Dive Beach|| align="right"|2.00||align="right"|152
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Silhouette ||La Passe ||Grand Barbe, || align="right"|20.00||align="right"|200
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands ||Cocos ||Recife|| align="right"|0.29||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#AEE0F2;"
|Outer Islands||(Coëtivy)||Desroches, D'Arros, Alphonse||align="right"|211.8 ||align="right"|503
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|Aldabra Group ||Assumption west beach||Picard Island station, Aldabra anse mais, Aldabra anse var, || align="right"|178.24||align="right"|12
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Aldabra ||Picard Island station||anse mais, anse var,|| align="right"|155.4|| align="right" |0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Assumption ||Assumption west beach|||| align="right"|11.6|| align="right" |12
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Cosmoledo|||||| align="right"|5.13|| align="right" |0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Astove|||||| align="right"|7.9|| align="right" |0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands |||||| align="right"|0.||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|Alphonse Group ||Anse d’Est||Anse Sud|| align="right"|2.2||align="right"|84
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Alphonse||Anse d’Est||Anse Sud||align="right"|1.7||align="right"|84
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|St. François||||||align="right"|0.5||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands |||||| align="right"|0.||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|Amirante Group ||Desroches||D'Arros, Poivre Nord, Remire (Eagle), Marie Louise|| align="right"|9.9||align="right"|123
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|D'Arros ||The Estate||north beach|| align="right"|1.5||align="right"|42
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Desroches ||south point village||northeast point, Bombe Bay,|| align="right"|3.24||align="right"|50
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Poivre||Poivre Nord||Poivre Sud|| align="right"|2.48||align="right"|10
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Remire (Eagle) |||||| align="right"|0.||align="right"|6
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Marie Louise ||North west point village|||| align="right"|0.53||align="right"|15
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands |||||| align="right"|2.15||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|Farquhar Group ||Farquhar Anse Franc||Providence|| align="right"|13.2||align="right"|21
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Farquhar ||Anse Franc||Vingt Cinq|| align="right"|8.00||align="right"|15
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Providence|||||| align="right"|3.5||align="right"|6
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|St. Pierre Island |||||| align="right"|1.6||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands |||||| align="right"|0.1||align="right"|0
|-style="background:#DEEEF2;"
|Southern Coral Group ||Coëtivy||Ile Platte|| align="right"|9.96||align="right"|263
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Coëtivy ||Coëtivy|||| align="right"|9.31||align="right"|260
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Platte||Île Platte|||| align="right"|0.65||align="right"|3
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|Other Islands |||||| align="right"|0.0||align="right"|0
|-
|-style="background:#F2E0CE;" | class="sortbottom"
| Seychelles ||Victoria ||||align="right"|459.0 ||align="right" |90024
|}
Extreme points
This is a list of the extreme points of Seychelles, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.
- Northernmost point – Bird Island, Outer Islands district
- Easternmost point – Coëtivy Island, Outer Islands district
- Southernmost point - Goelette Island, Farquhar Group, Outer Islands district
- Westernmost point - West Island, Aldabra Islands, Outer Islands district
See also
- Seychelles Plate
- Mascarene Plateau