Franco-Seychellois are people of

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

descent living in the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

. Franco-Seychellois have played an important role in the country's history both before and since independence.

Origins

Many Franco-Seychellois settled on the islands during the period of

rule over the archipelago. During this time, African and Malagasy slaves were also brought to the Seychelles. Franco-Seychellois were allowed to retain their culture after the British took control of the Seychelles.

History

Historically, French-speaking European Seychellois were divided between two classes, ''grands blancs'', who represented the wealthy planter class, and ''petit blancs'', who represented the working classes. The grands blancs are a less numerous group, composed of only about forty large families, but held most of the land and political power in the islands in the colonial era. The Planters and Taxpayers Association, which represented the interests of the grands blancs, dominated the Legislative Council of Seychelles from its inception in 1962. The two groups were historically divided, and as a consequence the petit blancs were politically aligned with the

Seychellois Creole people Seychellois Creole people are an ethnic group native to Seychelles, who speak Seychellois Creole. They are the predominant ethnic group in the country. The majority of the people living in the Seychelles are referred to as Seychellois. They are ...

by the 1960s. Upon the independence of Seychelles, many Franco-Seychellois played important roles in the development of a one-party

socialist state A socialist state, socialist republic, or socialist country, sometimes referred to as a workers' state or workers' republic, is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of socialism. The term '' communist state'' is ...

under the leadership of France-Albert René (himself ethnically French) and the Seychelles People's United Party.

Modern history

Franco-Seychellois play an important role in the country's economy. They are employed in all sectors, including government, business and education.

Language and religion

The majority of Franco-Seychellois speak

Seychellois Creole Seychellois Creole (), also known as kreol, is the French-based creole language spoken by the Seychelles Creole people of the Seychelles. It shares national language status with English and French (in contrast to Mauritian and Réunion Creole, ...

, the country's most widely spoken language. They also often speak

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

. Of the religiously affiliated, the large majority are

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, with a minority belonging to other

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

denominations.

Notable people

* France-Albert René - long-time socialist President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004 *

James Alix Michel James Alix Michel, GCSK (born August 16, 1944) is a Seychellois politician and the former President of Seychelles from year 2004 to 2016. He previously served as Vice-President under his predecessor, France-Albert René, from 1996 to 2004. M ...

- President of Seychelles * Alain St Ange - Minister of Tourism and Culture *

Jean-François Ferrari Jean-François Gabriel Ferrari (born 1959–60) is a Seychellois politician member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. On 3 November 2020, he was sworn in as Designated Minister and Minister of Fisheries. Biography Ferrari studied sociology a ...

- Minister of Fisheries *

Gérard Hoarau Gérard Hoarau (7 December 1950 – 29 November 1985) was an exiled opposition leader from Seychelles and was head of the Mouvement Pour La Resistance (MPR) that sought the peaceful overthrow of the France-Albert René regime which had come to po ...

- opposition leader in the Seychelles as head of the Seychelles National Movement, assassinated in 1985 in London. * James Mancham - the first President of Seychelles from 1976 to 1977. *

Jean-Paul Adam Jean-Paul Adam (born 12 June 1977) is a Seychellois politician. He serves as Minister of Health and Social Affairs in the Cabinet of Seychelles until 30 October 2020. He previously served as Minister of Finance, Trade & The Blue Economy fro ...

- Minister of Foreign Affairs *

Mathilda Twomey Mathilda Twomey (née Butler-Payette) is a Seychellois lawyer and academic. She is the first female judge in the history of Seychelles and also the first woman to be appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Seychelles. Early life and ed ...

- lawyer and former Chief Justice * Bernard Georges - Member of the National Assembly

References

External links

Ethnic groups in Seychelles

{{Seychelles-stub