Seychelles
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The Republic of Seychelles is an island nation in the Indian Ocean. The archipelago lies northeast of Madagascar and 1,000 miles east of Kenya. With a population of 80,000, it is the smallest sovereign African nation. Most citizens are of mixed French and East African ancestry.[1]
History
The Seychelles have been known to seafaring people in the area long before permanent settlments appeared. Arabs charted the islands in the 9th and 10th centuries, as did Portuguese explorers in 1505. In 1609, Alexander Sharpeigh of the British East India Company landed on the islands and found them uninhabited. [2] [3]
References
- ↑ The World Factbook, Seychelles, CIA (2007)
- ↑ Pre settlement history, Republic of Seychelles website
- ↑ Jourdain, John-William Foster; Journal of John Jourdain from the Ascension, A British East India Company ship piloted by Sharpeigh; First published 1905, Cambridge