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What do you really know about Seychelles?! Seychelles area - Indian Ocean Seychelles is scattered over an area of 1.4 million km² of ocean. Oldest oceanic islands on earth Seychelles’ granitic islands are the oldest oceanic islands on earth. Victoria one of the tiniest capitals in the world Victoria is one of the tiniest capitals in the world and can easily be explored on foot in less than a day. Seychelles French/British administration Seychelles was under French administration for 44 years (1770-1814) and under British administration for 162 years (1814-1976). Coco-de-Mer heaviest seed The Coco-de-Mer palm produces the largest seed in the world which weigh up to 15kg+. Home to endemic birds Seychelles is home to some of the rarest endemic birds (Seychelles bush warbler, paradise fly-catcher, bare-legged scops owl) to be found anywhere on earth. Jardin du Roi Lt. Romainville ordered the burning of the Jardin du Roi at Anse Royale in 1780 after a French ship approaching the island was mistaken for an enemy ship. 'Roc’, Marco Polo’s mythical bird Arab historians believed that the ‘Roc’, Marco Polo’s mythical bird that could carry off and devour elephants, lived in Seychelles. Jellyfish Tree That the Jellyfish tree (Medusagyne oppostifolia), is considered to be one of the rarest trees on earth, with only a handful of specimens remaining. World’s heaviest land tortoise Seychelles is home to the world’s heaviest land tortoise living in the wild. This is Esmeralda (304 kg) on Bird Island. Bare-legged Scops owl Mahé’s rarest bird, the Bare-legged Scops Owl is so rare that it was once thought to have become extinct before being re-discovered in 1959. Coco-de-Mer, once thought to originate from beneath ocean The Coco-de-Mer was once thought to originate from a tree growing beneath the ocean, and fetched princely sums in the courts of Europe. Finest Bone-fishing Seychelles is considered to offer the finest Bone-fishing in the world. Thunderbirds Did you know that Tracy Island, in the Thunderbirds blockbuster of 2004, was no other than the Seychelles North Island. Other scenes in the movie were also filmed in the famous Vallée de Mai on Praslin Island. Miss World Beauty Pageant The Miss World Beauty Pageant was held in Seychelles in 1997and 1998. Telegraphy Telegraphy came to Seychelles in 1893 when Cable and Wireless laid an undersea cable from Zanzibar to Seychelles and Mauritius. Clock Tower The Clock Tower in Victoria or Lorloz as it is better known in Creole was officially inaugurated on 1st April 1903. The Clock Tower is an elegant replica of the clock that was first erected in London in 1897 at the junction of Victoria Street and Vauxhall Bridge Road, near Victoria Station. Northolme Hotel The Northolme Hotel is now called Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa.  Vasco da Gama & Pedro de Mascarenhas The first Europeans to discover the islands were Vasco da Gama in 1502 and Pedro de Mascarenhas 1505. Seychelles was once a pirate hideout That Seychelles was once a pirate hideout, in particular Anse Forbans (means Pirate’s Cove) on Mahé and Côte d’Or on Praslin. Pirate Olivier le Vasseur's treasure That the fabulous treasure of the notorious Pirate Olivier le Vasseur, (La Buze) today valued at $US 160,000,000 probably still lies buried somewhere at Bel Ombre in North Mahé. Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke The Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market was named after a former Governor of Seychelles, Percy Selwyn Clarke (1947 – 1951), who after his term as Governor was knighted Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke. General Gordon of Khartoum That General Gordon of Khartoum made public his belief that Praslin’s famous Vallée de Mai, home of the Coco-de-Mer was the original site of the Garden of Eden.