Victoria, Seychelles

Victoria is the capital and largest city of Seychelles. It is found on the north-eastern side of Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles archipelago. The city was first set up as the place where the British colonial government worked. In 2022, the area around Victoria, called the Central region, had about 30,145 people. This was about 30% of the country’s total population of 102,612. The city's port is called Port Victoria.

History

The place that is now Victoria was first settled in 1778 by French people. In 1841, the British renamed it Victoria after Queen Victoria.

Economy

Tourism helps Victoria's economy a lot. The city sells vanilla, coconuts, coconut oil, fish, and guano.

Education

The Mont Fleuri campus of the University of Seychelles is in Victoria.

Culture

Victoria, the capital city of Seychelles, has many interesting places to visit. You can see a clocktower that looks like one in London. You can visit a courthouse and explore beautiful gardens, museums, and a lively market. The markets are full of colorful fruits and fish, and many locals enjoy visiting them.

Places of worship

Victoria has two important cathedrals: Immaculate Conception Cathedral (Roman Catholic) and St Paul's Cathedral, Victoria (Anglican). The city also has Baptist and Pentecostal churches, mosques, and Hindu temples.

Sports

Stade Linité, the national stadium, is in Victoria. People mainly use it for football games.

Transport

Victoria has an airport called Seychelles International Airport. It was finished in 1971. Near the town, there is a harbour where people catch and prepare tuna fish. A big bridge in Victoria was damaged by big waves from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Districts

Victoria, the capital city of Seychelles, has four districts. They are English River, also called La Rivière Anglaise, which is the central district; Saint Louis; Mont Fleuri; and Bel Air. These districts are all part of the city on the island of Mahé.

Twin towns and sister cities

Victoria is twinned with:

Climate

Victoria has a tropical rainforest climate, so the temperatures stay warm all year. The city gets more rain in December, January, and February, and less rain in June and July. Even in the driest months, Victoria still gets plenty of rain—never less than 60 millimetres or 2.4 inches—so it doesn’t really have a dry season. On average, the city gets about 2,300 millimetres or 91 inches of rain each year. Despite all the rain, the skies are often clear or partly cloudy, even during the wettest months.