Districts
INNER ISLANDS
PRASLIN
Praslin is the second biggest island of Seychelles both in terms of the area and population-that of Grand Anse from the 2002 census was 3367 and that of Baie Ste Anne was 3736.
On his second visit to Seychelles in 1744 Lazare Picault named the island "l'Isle de Palme" but was renamed "Praslin" after an expedition there in 1768 by Marion Dufresne. This was in honour of the French Minister of Marine, le duc de Praslin.
A "Stone of Possession" was erected at what today is "Anse Possession" as one had been at Lapoudriere on Mahe in 1756 by Nicolas Morphey. What is considered by many however to be the most important aspect of the expedition was the discovery of the coco de mer growing in its natural state in the only place on earth.. This brought to an end the centuries old myth under the sea thus the name "sea coconut" (coco de mer)!
Praslin got its own District Council in 1949 and today it is made up of two (2) districts.
BAIE STE ANNE
It takes its name after the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Church there. Some thirty (30) years ago a visitor described it as follows:
Horse-shaped Baie Ste Anne was dominated by the white tower of the Roman Catholic Church soaring through the coconut palms. Graceful black pirogues lay across the beach and children played marbles with takamaka nuts in the middle of the road!
Ste Anne Church
Today, Baie Ste Anne with its many subdivisions or sub districts is indeed a busy area especially since its port or jetty has been developed. It is no longer served by the old slow "Lady Esme" from Mahe but everyday by a fast modern catamaran, "Cat Coco" which gives visitors and Seychellois alike the maximum comfort.
The new reclaimed area, "Eve Island", has been earmarked for yet more development both social and economic wise.
GRAND ANSE
It is often stated that it is one of the eight(8) "anses" (beaches) in Seychelles with the same name and is home to the internationally famous Vallee de Mai.
Vallée de Mai
In 1881 General Charles Gordon , who first gave Seychelles an emblem and a motto , was convinced that the biblical Garden of Eden was there. For him, the coco de mer was the forbidden fruit while the breadfruit was the " tree of life"
Today, the Vallee de Mai which is one of two UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in Seychelles and is also the habitat of one of the rarest birds on earth, the black parrot.
Coco de mer (Biggest seed on earth!)
Praslin got its own District Council in 1949 and a Governor's representative was based at Grand Anse.
No other island in Seychelles has known so much development as Praslin in recent times. Its new airport is said to be more attractive than Mahe's international airport!
Many beautiful hotels and guesthouses, which include the five-star Lemuria Hotel, have sprung up, and their occupancy rate is higher than those on Mahe.
LA DIGUE
La Digue which is the fourth largest island of the Seychelles archipelago has often been described as one of the prettiest of Seychelles. It was named after one of the ships of Chevalier Marion Dufresne in 1768, the historic year that the coco-de-mer was discovered on Praslin. It is home to one of the rarest birds of the world-the paradise flycatcher or veuve .
La Passe
Amongst the first inhabitants of La Digue were revolutionaries, led by Pere Lafosse, deported after an uprising in the south of Réunion remembered in the name "Anse Réunion". When the Jacobins, accused unjustly of an attempt on the life of Napoléon Bonaparte, one of them, the printer, Guilhémat, a member of the Revolutionary Committee was accepted on La Digue and another one Quinon left descendants there according to some historians.
Environmental Club from Mahé(Anse Royale)
The Diguois are very proud of their island which has unique natural features such as the L'Union boulders which is a declared monument and Anse Source d' Argent which is said to be the most photographed beach of the world.
They have kept traditions which have long been lost on Mahé and a savoir faire such as in shipbuilding.
SOURCE:
National Archives
National Heritage
National Population and Housing Census 2002
National Population and Housing Census 1994
Census Report-1977
District Emblems