Africa is known as the dark continent and often gives the impression of backwardness, poverty and dirt, but the African country that I want to introduce today will definitely surprise you and break the stereotype of Africa, and it is the Seychelles. With a GDP per capita of $17,692 in 2022, it is not only unique in Africa, it is the only high-income economy in Africa, and it also exceeds many countries in the world.
Seychelles is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean of Africa, with its capital Victoria, with a land area of only 460 square kilometers, a presence smaller than a sesame grain on the map, and a population of 93,186 people, it is the smallest country in Africa and the least populous.
Seychelles is so beautiful, known as the "pearl of the Indian Ocean" and "the last paradise on earth", is the holiday destination of many celebrities and rich in Europe and the United States, Prince William of the United Kingdom chose to travel here for a honeymoon, football star David Beckham, former US President Obama and so on have also vacationed here.
Due to its beautiful beaches and nature, it is the best tourist destination in Africa along with Mauritius! However, as global warming causes sea levels to rise, it is in danger of submersion like the Maldives. However, Mahé, the largest island with 90% of the population, has a maximum point of 905 meters and is unlikely to be submerged.
Seychelles has a relatively developed economy, is the only high-income economy in African countries, the per capita GDP is the first in Africa, there is no domestic industry, mining is very little, the general people are engaged in agriculture and fishery, and raise many poultry and livestock.
Its export products are mainly copra, as well as cinnamon tree oil, as well as spice beans, tortoise shell, coir fiber, mint, salted fish, seafood and vegetables.
Most of the other income depends on the consumption of inbound tourists. Most of the daily necessities of this island country rely on foreign imports, but due to the small population, the consumption is not large.
The notorious Somali pirates also travel thousands of miles to visit the Seychelles, and in order not to disrupt the country's most important tourism industry, the Seychelles actively cooperate with the pirates. In addition, it is known as a tax haven along with the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Mauritius.
Once a hiding place for pirates, the Seychelles used it as a base and transit point, and the famous pirate Olivier Levasseur is said to have hidden more than $1.6 million worth of treasure in the pirate's bay on Mahé, which has not been found.
The sea coconut of the Seychelles, which grows like a human butt, can grow to more than 30 pounds, and it is the national treasure of the Seychelles. Sea coconut trees are divided into male and female and often grow side by side, but if one of them is cut down, the other will die tragically martyred, this kind of sentient coconuts, only the Seychelles in the world, and there are not many of them, only there are more than 4,000 sea coconut trees in the May Valley National Park on Praram Island.
This coconut tree grows slowly, taking 20 years to flower, and longer to bear fruit, and it takes six or seven years to ripen after producing fruit. Rare is expensive, and the price of sea coconuts must be very expensive.
Seychellois people are very welcoming, and when walking on the street, they will take the initiative to greet you and smile in return. However, most of the Seychellois immigrated from Africa, and still retain local traditions, such as two people meeting, must not directly stretch out their hands, first beckon, then shake hands, and do not touch people's heads, because Seychellois people are very cherished of hair. The tropical Seychelles is hot all year round, but men wear beanies all year round, and they think their soul is in this hair.
The skin color of the people here is not as dark as that of Africans, and the facial features are a bit like Asians, and the current Seychellois are the result of the continuous mixing and integration of various races, most of them are mixed descendants of white Europeans and black Africans, called Creoles, in addition to Chinese, Indians and so on.
Children start school at the age of six, free and compulsory for 13 years, where they learn to read and write in Creole, as well as English and French
Seychelles is Africa's richest country, thanks to its secluded island scenery, making it one of the 10 most worthwhile eco-countries in the world. With its verdant jungle, crystal clear water and almost unpolluted air, it has been rated as the most beautiful and cleanest place in the world by many media and travel magazines.
Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, is the smallest capital in the world and has only one traffic light in the city. There are also many cars on the road, but the traffic situation is very good, and no one violates the traffic rules.
Victoria is so small that there is only one cinema and a post and telecommunications office in the city, and it takes less than half an hour to visit the entire city.
When it comes to fauna, Seychelles is home to the heaviest tortoise in the world, the tortoise called Titan that lives on Bird Island and can grow up to 300-400 kilograms.
There is also the world's largest arthropod, the coconut crab, known locally as the robber crab. This bulky crustacean has ten legs and is nearly a meter long, and its double pincers are strong enough to pry open a coconut, capable of lifting nearly 30 kilograms of weight.