Seychelles administers Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO-listed coral atoll in the Indian Ocean.
Aldabra lies in the southwestern part of the Seychelles’ Outer Islands, roughly 1,120 kilometres southwest of the capital, Victoria. Although it is closer to Africa, Madagascar, and the Comoros than to Mahé, its political and administrative status is Seychellois.
The atoll passed through French and British control before becoming part of independent Seychelles in 1976. Since 1979, the Seychelles Islands Foundation has managed and protected Aldabra, including its research station and conservation programmes.
Aldabra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 because of its relatively undisturbed ecosystem, giant tortoise population, raised coral reef, and exceptional evolutionary history. A common mix-up is to confuse political administration with geography: the atoll is remote from the Seychelles’ main islands, but it is not administered by Mauritius, the Comoros, or the Maldives.