The British East India Company was the first on the island in the early 1600s. The region, thereafter, became very popular with notorious pirates. The French claimed the islands in 1756, and Seychelles became a part of the French Colony of Mauritius. The island remained under French command till it gained independence on 29 June 1976.

Seychelles has a multiethnic fabric. The local culture draws influences from France, Africa, India and China, to form a unique Creole identity. The local music, dance and art reflect the countries multicultural heritage, and yet stand apart as unique to Seychelles, on the global scene.

Seychelles is part of the Mascarene Plateau in the Indian Ocean. Situated off the south-eastern coast of Africa, the Seychelles archipelago comprises of 155 islands. The central islands of the archipelago are granitic in nature, with flat coastal strips encircling a mountainous interior. The outer islands are sand cays and atolls, mostly comprising coral accretions. Only thirty-three of the 115 islands are inhabited. The island nation’s neighbours include Madagascar, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Comoros and Mayotte.