Seychelles coat of arms

The country called Seychelles is one of the most exotic places on Earth. It stretches over a small island archipelago, which is located in the waters of the Indian Ocean, near the east coast of the African continent. There are more than a hundred islands in the archipelago, most of which are uninhabited. The inhabited islands in this country are less than a third - 33.

This is not strange, given the compact size of the country itself, as well as the small population - 88 thousand people at last count. Only the capital of the state - Victoria, holds a little more than 26 thousand people. The largest sites of the archipelago can be called the islands of Mahe, Praslin, Silhouette and La Digue. Most of them are coral, but among them are also islands with granite rocky landscape.

Seychelles is an independent republican state. The islanders became completely independent from the British colonial policy relatively recently, in 1976. Like any state, the Seychelles Republic has its own symbols, in which the national coat of arms is of particular importance.

The national coat of arms is the most important of the state emblems, which can depict any symbolic figures indicating the identity of the state, its unique history, economy, political system, etc. The Seychelles coat of arms rather reflects the unusual geographical position of the country, namely the peculiarities of its tropical nature, flora and fauna. The emblem of the islanders depicts a unique palm tree, a giant turtle and even a swordfish. Each of the images represents a symbol, which we will try to understand the meaning in this article.

A historical tour.

The Seychelles were discovered by a famous Portuguese navigator named Vasco da Gama. This occurred in 1502, when a forty-two-year-old admiral sailed past and designated the islands as Admiralty Islands (they became known as Amirante Islands in the future). Travelers testified that these lands were uninhabited. The active settlement of the Seychelles began only in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when large groups of European colonists with many black slaves from Africa and Madagascar began to appear there.

At first the colonial administration was French. Even the very name of the islands came from the French royal minister of finance, Jean-Maurice de Seychelle. European colonists, struck by the beauty of the local nature, called this land a true paradise, the "Second Eden. But the French rule did not last long, in 1794 the archipelago was invaded by Britain and annexed to the vast colonial empire.

The archipelago, so small in size, was annexed to another British colony, Mauritius. During British rule, the colony was enriched with many settlers from Africa, India, and China, who contributed to the development of the main income-generating activities on the islands. Most of the population of Seychelles has always been engaged in sea fishing and working for the eastern trading companies of the British.

At the beginning of the last century, the Seychelles, separated from Mauritius, received a special colonial status, as well as its own emblem. The old emblem was round, depicting a Seychelles coconut palm, a giant turtle, and the coast of the large island of Mahe with bushes. Even then the Latin motto Finis Coronat Opus appeared on the coat of arms.

In 1961, the emblem was slightly changed and supplemented. A pair of islands appeared in the background, symbolizing the other islands of the archipelago, of which there are more than a hundred. In addition, a sailboat appeared on the water, as can be understood, for transport or fishing purposes. It symbolizes both the communication between the islands and trade, as well as the national specialty - sea fishing. The old coat of arms is framed with the name of the island at the top, the motto of the country at the bottom and stylized waves on the sides.

When the Seychelles gained independence from Great Britain, the country officially adopted the modern outlines of the national coat of arms. The independence and identity of the newly formed state was fully reflected in the opulent design of the updated symbolism.

Visually, the modern Seychelles coat of arms can be described as follows: it is a shield, the bottom of which depicts a giant turtle, which stands on the green coast. In the middle is a palm tree, which is unique to this country - Coco de Mer, which translates from French as "sea coconut". In the background you can see the blue waters of the Indian Ocean with a passing ship and two adjacent small islands. Four lightweight clouds fly by in the serene tropical sky, beautifully set against the backdrop of nature.

The shield on top is decorated with a ceremonial knight's helmet framed with twisted ribbons in white, blue, and red. Above the shield flies a special seabird - a red-billed phaeton. On the left and right, the shield is supported by two sailfish. Below is the motto of the Seychelles, written in Latin: Finis Coronat Opus - "The end crowns the deed".

Symbolism depicted on the coat of arms

Legendary Sea Coconut. The Seychelles coconut palm is one of the key symbols of the country depicted on its national coat of arms. This relic plant is the only one of its kind and is found on two granite islands, Curiez and Praslin. The palm tree grows on island hillsides as well as in valleys. The places where the Seychelles palm tree grows have been officially declared national nature reserves.

This tree has the largest fruit of the entire palm family. The French, during their colonial rule in the Seychelles, named this type of palm tree as Lodoicea maldivica after King Louis XV of France.

The coconut of this palm reaches a length of over half a meter and over twenty kilograms in weight. The fruit is quite extravagant in appearance. Many have noted that the fused lobes of the coconut bear a striking resemblance to the naked buttocks of a woman.

The Seychelles palm takes a very long time to grow. The first sprout from a seed placed in the ground can appear only after one year. By its bicentennial the tree reaches ten meters. The first fruit is produced in the 25th year of life.

The Seychelles palm can rightly be considered one of the world's legendary trees, on a par with such plants as the Lebanese cedar, the African baobab or the California sequoia. Even in ancient times there were rumors among Arab and other Oriental travelers-traffickers about the huge fabulous nuts. The fruit of the Seychelles palm was often carried by the waves of the ocean far away and was swept to the shores of Africa, the Maldives, India, and other lands. Since these huge coconuts had never been seen growing on a tree before, they came to be called sea coconuts. The belief was that somewhere deep in the sea there were trees that bore these giant nuts.

In ancient times, as well as in the Middle Ages, sea coconuts were highly prized. In fact, it could be worth a fortune! The great value of this fruit endowed it with mythical healing properties, curing not only from all ailments, but also from poisons and even from paralysis. Various healers and herbalists began to make a special tincture of the shell of sea coconut. The juice was used exclusively as a tonic drink.

Sea coconuts first came to Russia in the 17th century, when the Moscow tsar paid for them with valuable sable skins and other furs. Russian craftsmen used coconut shells to make various household items as well as "accessories".

The mystery of the Seychelles coconut tree was solved only in the middle of the 18th century by the French, who discovered the palm trees on the island of Praslin. The fruit of the Seychelles palms since that time, as well as the wood itself, were supplied to the world market as one of the most valuable export resources.

Today, the area where these palms grow on the islands covers more than twenty hectares. The annual harvest of nuts is close to three thousand fruits. Today's official price per nut varies between 200 and 300 c.u. The largest specimens can cost many times more. The smaller parts of the coconut are used to make "Praslin faience" - dishes and other very entertaining Creole-style handicrafts.

As a national symbol of the sea coconut, as well as the Seychelles palm itself occupies the first place in popularity. We can say that they are beyond competition on the islands.

Special animals - giant tortoise, red-billed phaeton, and sailfish. Having understood the peculiarity of the symbolism reflecting the plant world, let's move on to the animal world. Many of the Seychelles fauna depicted on the coat of arms can still be found on the islands today. However, it will not be cheap for the tourist.

One of the central places on the emblem of the island state of Seychelles is occupied by the giant elephant turtle (Geochelone Gigantea). This species was previously found only on the Aldabra Atoll. Today this island belongs to the Seychelles State. The enterprising Seychellois moved many turtles to one of their larger islands, Curiosity. Now the elephant turtle is a creature that helps locals earn the attention of exotic lovers.

Some of these turtles live more than 300 years, reaching half a ton weight. Adult turtles today stroll or swim carefree in the protected areas of the islands under the protection of the Seychelles authorities.

The bird above the helmet of the Seychelles coat of arms is the red-billed phaeton. Its range of distribution extends over the entire sea expanse of the equatorial, tropical and subtropical belt. This bird has long accompanied sailors. It can be found both in the Atlantic and in the Indian Ocean, and even in the Pacific Ocean. This is why the symbolism brought by the red-billed phaeton is so important to the maritime state. Phaetons spend most of their time in flight, only briefly nesting on lonely islands in the ocean. The bird has snow-white plumage, a large wingspan, and a long, elegant tail.

And the last animal framing the Seychelles coat of arms is the sailfish. It is the fastest swimming fish in the world, as it can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour. Sailfish live mainly in the oceanic waters of the tropics and subtropics. The main distinguishing feature of this fish is the high long fin on its back, resembling a sail.

Since fishing is one of the main activities in the Seychelles, the status of sailing takes on a special meaning. Sailfish fishing is almost the main national pastime in the Seychelles. Tourists who have taken a fancy to fishing here will always be able to catch a specimen of sailfish if they are skilled enough to do so. Such a signature attraction will cost the visitors an average of 4000 CU for a tour of ten days. The high cost of catching a sailfish signifies the Seychellois' concern for the preservation of their fauna. The fish on the Seychelles coat of arms is a tribute to another unique animal.

Symbolism of the ship. Because the Seychelles is an Indian Ocean country, many intercontinental trade routes pass through it. Ships of Western and Eastern traders have been passing through the island range since early modern times.

All subsequent to their discovery, these islands represented a port pass for merchant ships from all over the world. This is why the symbolism of the ship is so important to Seychellois. It is their whole life. The sea has always fed the Seychellois, and the locals have wholeheartedly given themselves to work on the water. "The end is the wreath of business," reads the motto on the coat of arms. Besides, the sea connection between Seychelles is always the most accessible and popular way to get to other islands.

One more interesting thing should be noted! The rocky gorges of the granite islands in the Seychelles have long provided shelter not only for merchant ships, but also for pirate ships. And to this day you can hear legends of untold treasures buried by sea wolves in the depths of these beautiful islands. Perhaps the hidden riches are still waiting for their owner...