However, it was only in 1770 which the first settlement was created on Ste Anne Island by a group of 28 people consisting of the French settlers and their slaves.

 

The British fought for Seychelles and Ile de France, due to their strategic locations on the trade route between India and the Cape of Good Hope. Britain assumed control of Isle de France in 1810 after a long blockade, renaming it Mauritius. This was followed by Seychelles which was ceded to the British under the 1814 Treaty of Paris, following the defeat of Napoleon. From the date of its founding by the French until 1903, the Seychelles colony was regarded as a dependency of Mauritius.

 

Seychelles has had few natural disasters. It is outside the cyclone belt and severe storms are rare. However, in October 1862, torrential rains and strong winds struck Mahé, causing a devastating landslide. The centre of the storm was above the hills overlooking Victoria and the deluge caused a major landslip, which claimed over 70 lives.

 

In 1903, the islands became a crown colony, separated at last from Mauritius. By this date, the cosmopolitan character of Seychelles had been established. Intermarriage between the descendants of the European, African, and Asian populations produced the Seychellois of today. The new British Governor, Mr. Sweet-Escott commemorate that event by erecting a new clock tower in the centre of Victoria, modeled on the Vauxhall bridge road clock tower outside Victoria Railway station in London.

 

Under the leadership of two lawyers in 1952, two political parties were formed. They were the Seychelles People’s United Party (SPUP), led by Mr France Albert René, who was campaigning strongly for independence and the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP), under Mr James Mancham, which pressed for close integration with Britain. In 1975, in a constitutional conference held in London, the SDP and SPUP formed a coalition government.

 

Seychelles gained independence on 29 June 1976 and there was a change in Government in 1977 following a coup whereby the Seychelles People United Party came into power.

  

After the opening of the airport in 1971, tourism took off as the country’s main currency earner. The fishing industry was also expanded and many countries fished for tuna under licence in the Seychelles’ vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).  Health care, education and other elements of the welfare state were all developed; the proclaimed rights of every Seychellois to have a job and a house were largely realized.