Seychelles MAP: Population, Facts About Prince William and Kate Middleton's Honeymoon Destination

The secret is out: Prince William and Kate Middleton are spending their honeymoon on a private island in the Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean famous for its exclusive white sand beaches, majestic coral reefs and tropical climate.

The former British colony attracts high-profile guests. Sir Paul McCartney, Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek are among the celebrities reported to have vacationed there.

Here is some essential information about this island nation:

Geography:

The Republic of Seychelles is a group of islands that is about 1,000 miles off the eastern coast of Africa and northeast of the Republic of Madagascar.

The archipelago is made up of about 115 coral and granite islands, known as the Outer Islands and Inner Islands, respectively. According to the Seychelles Tourism Board, only two of the Outer Islands have accommodations for tourists. About 90% of the population lives on Mahe Island.

MAP:

Languages:

There are three official languages: Creole, English, and French.

Attractions:

A nature-lover's paradise, the Seychelles is famous for ecotourism. The islands' permanent residents include giant tortoises and over 200 species of birds, and the clear water and abundant marine life make it a diver's paradise.

The archipelago boasts two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Aldabra Atoll and Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.

Aldabra Atoll is a relatively undisturbed coral island that is home more than 150,000 giant tortoises and 273 species of flora.

Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve has the world's largest population of coco de mer, which, according to UNESCO, is "a flagship species of global significance as the bearer of the largest seed in the plant kingdom."

Population:

With fewer than 90,000 people, the Republic of Seychells has the smallest population of any African country. People hailing from the Republic of Seychelles are known as Seychellois.

Economy:

Tourism and foreign investment are the largest economic drivers. The services sector, which includes tourism, commerce and fishing, makes up nearly 70% of gross domestic product (GDP).

Click here for pictures of the Seychelles.

Comments

[terry63]

11:09 PM on 05/15/2011

probably alot of sharks in that region.

[terry63]

11:08 PM on 05/15/2011

Thats a very nice place to have a honeymoon. Im thinking the diving is totally awesome also.I hope they enjoy it.

[Meldy1]

02:56 PM on 05/14/2011

I wish them both the happiness and contentment...

[Roadrun]

09:17 AM on 05/14/2011

For whatever reason I was thinking they would go to Prince William Sound.

[Pradeep Sharma]

06:20 AM on 05/14/2011

Get the complete information of #Maps. Know about the history, types, projections, designing, editing of maps. http://goo.gl/FQiE1

[hueylover]

04:13 AM on 05/14/2011

I thought that they were honeymooning in Blackpool.

[bobbynorwich]

08:45 PM on 05/13/2011

The Seychelles recently have developed a problem with Somalia pirates including daily sightings or attacks (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/07/seychelles-tough-somali-pirates} although the government is working hard to stop it. Surely the newlyweds have good security but surely also the Somali pirates are salivating at the chance to do them harm. Wondering if they should have chosen a less scary paradise island.

[littlestar]

01:10 PM on 05/13/2011

The Seychelles sounds like a wonderful place. When I heard the rumour they were going there, I wanted to tag along haha. Hope to go there one day!

[Roadrun]

09:38 AM on 05/13/2011

Just checked it out on Google Earth. Really something!

Those envy green lagoons.

[Roadrun]

09:45 AM on 05/13/2011

Checking out more Google Earth that place is one of those "one of the last" places.

That must be where people are talking about when they exclaim "Sun of the beach!"

[Beaucheron]

10:20 PM on 05/12/2011

Ha! Just won $50!

[ZenCrusader]

05:37 PM on 05/12/2011

and yet more disappointing content from HuffPo. anyone who wanted general info on the Seychelles would have already seen generalized stuff like this. It's not like the article tells you which private island they are on and have photos of it.

[WiltonDiary]

04:15 AM on 05/13/2011

Maybe they have more details over at Drudge or Politico, or if you want to know about travel, visit the National Geographic sites. Oh geesh hope this helps and keeps your anger in check.

[Ramkshrestha]

05:01 PM on 05/12/2011

Lots of coverage in the media once they start the honeymoon program.

[NoSillyName]

03:05 AM on 05/12/2011

Huh? Is "Deatils" an island in The Seychelles?!

[Roadrun]

09:28 AM on 05/13/2011

What, you want a honeymoon cam or something?

[NoSillyName]

08:03 PM on 05/13/2011

No, but I would like a HEADLINE EDITOR.

[totalliberal]

10:22 PM on 05/11/2011

Rich people on remote islands within range of Somalia pirates. Hmm. What could go wrong?

[WiltonDiary]

04:16 AM on 05/13/2011

With all their security not too much.

[Roadrun]

09:30 AM on 05/13/2011

You might want to look at the scale on that map. It may only be a few inches on your screen but out in the real world Somalia is a bit of a drive.

[Andythelawyer]

07:25 PM on 05/11/2011

Where is GoogleEarth when it's really useful?