Port of Victoria (Seychelles)

Port of Victoria, located in Seychelles, is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. Port-Victoria has no fixed handling equipment. Ships are handled through ship's gear by the private stevedores Victoria (sometimes called Port Victoria) is the capital city of the Seychelles (smallest African capital) and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, which is the main island of the archipelago. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government. As of 2009, the population is 25,000 (for Greater Victoria, which includes the suburbs), out of the population of 84 000. Victoria is served by Seychelles International Airport (completed in 1971.)

The principal exports of Victoria are vanilla, coconuts, coconut oil, tortoise shell, soap, and guano. Attractions in the city include a clocktower modelled on that of Vauxhall Clock Tower in London, England, the Courthouse, the Victoria Botanical Gardens, the Victoria National Museum of History, the Victoria Natural History Museum and the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market. The city is also home to the national stadium and a polytechnic institute, while the inner harbour lies immediately east of the town, around which tuna fishing and canning form a major local industry. One of the largest bridges in Victoria was destroyed in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Victoria proper is composed of parts of three Districts of Seychelles:

• English River (La Riviere Anglaise) (the innermost part)
• Saint Louis
• Mont Fleuri

Greater Victoria encompasses these three, and five more of the 25 Districts of Seychelles as follows:

• Mont Buxton
• Bel Air
• Roche Caiman
• Les Mamelles
• Plaisance

Although it is the capital of the Seychelles, Victoria on Mahe island is not a large city. It was originally settled in 1778 by the French but was eventually named after Queen Victoria. There is an old part of town with narrow streets and dilapidated colonial buildings, and a new part of the city with wider avenues and tropical gardens. The centre of the city is pinpointed by the clock tower, a copy of the Little Ben outside Victoria station in London, next to which stands the court house. The Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals are just a couple of blocks away from one another, but they are both outdone by the impressive Capuchin House, a seminary for priests. A more lively pleasure is to be found at the morning market where the stalls are stacked with tropical fruits, spices and freshly caught fish.

Coordinates: 4°37′S 55°29′E / 4.617°S 55.483°E / -4.617; 55.483