Curieuse Island is a small granitic island 1.13 sq mi (2.9 km2) in the Seychelles close to the north coast of the island of Praslin. Curieuse is notable for its bare red earth intermingled with the unique coco de mer palms, one of the cultural icons of the Seychelles, only growing on the two neighboring islands.
Aerial of Curieuse island
Tortoises on Curieuse island
Beach on Curieuse island, Seychelles
Laraie Bay on Curieuse
Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is 1,500 kilometres east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago to the east. Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa as well as the least populated sovereign African country, with an estimated population of 100,600 in 2022.
The first Europeans to discover the Seychelles were the 4th Portuguese India Armada, led by Vasco da Gama.
Victoria, Seychelles 1900s
Victoria, the capital of Seychelles
President James Michel in his office in Victoria, 2009