My Seychelles

Life in Seychelles

Tolerant and Easygoing Society

The Seychellois are generally very tolerant people, and their society is glued together based on Creole as a common language, Catholicism as the major religion, and attention to traditional society, largely influenced by English culture. Racism is rare, although large numbers of Indian immigrant workers in the Seychelles may be causing rifts here and there, as people and cultures clash, causing tension. This is hardly a unique or unusual phenomenon, however, in today's global marketplace. Standard of living is pretty low all over the Seychelles, which causes some petty crime.

The People of The Seychelles

The inhabitants of the Seychelles Islands are a mixture of French and African, mostly, with Chinese, Arab, and Indian mixed in. 90% of Seychellois live on Mahe, the main island. The age of consent is 14, so there are lots of teenage mothers. Pregnant girls aren't allowed to attend school, and once they have their children, they rarely go back to school. There is no big deal here about having children out of wedlock, either. Marriage isn't very popular, even though is is predominantly a Catholic country. Marriage is seen as having ties to the days of slavery, so Seychelles have no need for it these days.

Tradition

Seychelles is a former colony of Britain, but visitors to the Seychelles will hardly notice any form whatsoever of anti-colonialism or resentment. In fact, you can see plenty remnants of British culture just about everywhere you go, fondly kept alive by Seychellians across the islands. They hold afternoon tea (well, this is the Seychelles, famous for their tea, after all!). The citizens of modern day Seychelles are proud of their culture, and national pride has soared after winning independence from Britain. This really is a traditional society, which like everything in life, has its ups and its downs.

The Economy in The Seychelles

Tourism

Today, tourism accounts for 18% of the Seychelles' gross domestic product. Spice and coconut plantations are no longer the huge employers they once were. Luxury hotels employ tons of people, and tourism as a whole employs at least 20% of the inhabitants of the Seychelles. Even after 9/11, hwen tourism took a nosedive around the world, the Seychelles managed to keep the tourists flowing in, over 100,000 per year. The Seychelles Tourism Marketing Authority does its job well.

Commercial Fishing

Commerical Fishing actually brings in more money than tourism, as of just a few years ago. Victoria's Indian Ocean Tuna Plant processes over four tons of tuna per day!
For more on the Seychelles Islands, visit our History of the Seychelles Islands page.