Map

Leader

Michel succeeded France Albert Rene, who led the country for almost three decades before stepping down in April 2004.

Travel

Visa & travel advice

A visa is not required prior to entry into Seychelles regardless of nationality the person may hold.

A valid passport or other travel documents recognized by Seychelles are required for entry into Seychelles. The passport must be valid for the period of the intended stay until arrival back in holder’s country of origin/residence with an extra validity of six months prior to expiry.

A short stay visitor’s permit is issued on arrival in Seychelles to a person who comes for the purpose of holiday, pleasure, business, visit friends or family and who 

a)     is not a prohibited immigrant; and

b)     is not  holder of a valid permit which entitles that holder to reside in Seychelles.

c)      holds a valid return or onward ticket for duration of visit;

d)     has confirmed accommodation;

e)     has sufficient funds for duration of the stay. (Minimum of US$ 150.00 or equivalent per day.

• Best period:

Seychelles is one of the few places in the world to which you can just pick up and run without worrying about seasonal weather changes.

• Safety:

Seychelles experiences low levels of crime; in 2008 it ranked second on the Ibrahim Index as one of Africa’s safest countries.

History

The Seychelles were uninhabited when the British East India Company arrived on the archipelago in 1609. Thereafter, they became a favorite pirate haven. The French claimed the islands in 1756 and administered them as part of the colony of Mauritius. The British gained control of the islands through the Treaty of Paris (1814) and changed the islands' name from the French Séchelles to the Anglicized Seychelles.

The islands became self-governing in 1975 and independent on June 29, 1976. They have remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Their first president, James Mancham, was overthrown in 1977 by the prime minister, France-Albert René. At first René created a Socialist state with a one-party system, but later he reintroduced a multiparty system as well as various reforms.

To increase revenue, in 1996 the government quietly initiated an Economic Citizenship Program that provides foreigners with the opportunity to obtain a Seychelles passport upon payment of $25,000. A new law in late 1995 had granted immunity from criminal prosecution to anyone investing $10 million in the country.

In April 2004, President France-Albert René stepped down after 27 years in power. His vice president, James Michel, who had also served in the government for 27 years, assumed the presidency. In July 2006, Michel won reelection with 53.7% of the vote.

In presidential elections held May 19–21, 2011 incumbent James Michel (People's Party) won his third term with 55% of the vote against Wavel Ramkalawan's (Seychelles National Party) 41%. Voter turnout was 84% over a three-day period, which allowed for voters on outlying islands to participate.

Arts & Culture

• Music:

The Seychelles, which is an independent island chain in the Indian Ocean, formerly a colony of both Britain and France has a distinct kind of music. Folk music incorporates multiple influences in a syncretic fashion, including English contredanse, polka and mazurka, French folk and pop, sega from Mauritius and Réunion, taarab, zouk, soukous moutya and other pan-African genres of and Polynesian, Indian and Arcadian music. A complex form of percussion music called Kanmtole is popular, along with combinations of Sega and Reggae called Seggae and combinations of Moutya and Reggae called Mouggae, as is Montea, a fusion of native folk rhythms with Kenyan benga developed by Patrick Victor. Jean Marc Volcy is another famous Seychellois musician who has brought a modern touch to traditional music. He has several albums including Sove Lavi.

• Literature:

Antoine Abel (1934-2004) has left a profound legacy for Seychellois literature, shaping the course of the literary culture on this Indian Ocean archipelago. As Pat Matyot, another Seychellois writer stated, ‘He was something of a mentor who set off a whole new way of looking at life when he wrote in Mon poeme natal, the ultimate summary of how we are bound to the nature’.

• Film industry:

The Seychelles with its 85.000 inhabitants scattered over more than 100 islands have no recorded cinematic history. In 2003 a five-day film festival screening Indian classics began at the only theater in Seychelles with Raj Kapoor's 1948 film "Aag".The Festival of Indian Cinema Classics, at the Deepam theater, also screened "27 Down", "Baazi", "Chaudhvin Ka Chand" and "Haqeeqat". Starting in 1989 the SUBIOS festival is an annual underwater festival organized on the islands. As part of the festival there are also underwater film and photography contests. The Photography and Videography contests run year round, and are open to entries from around the world.

The Seychelles government has founded a film unit which is responsible for exhibition and distribution of video (rental) and screened movies.

• Famous places:

La Digue is an island where time stands still and immemorial traditions such as travel by ox cart and bicycle are still king.

Close neighbor Praslin and its satellite islands of Felicite, Marianne, and the sister islands, La Digue is the fourth largest island in the Seychelles.

The Seychelles National Archives can be found in Victoria, in Mahé. There, you will be able to see a collection of old photographs as well as archives going back to 1770. Guided tours are offered.

The Cemetery of Bel Air is the most ancient historic place of the Seychelles since it was the first place that settlers used to bury their dead. There, you will find the graves of several famous people who lived in the Seychelles such as the French Corsair Jean-François Hodoul, or Pierre-Louis Poiret who some people thought was the son of Louis XVI, among others.

• Architecture history:

Traditional architecture had two distinct forms: plantations and town houses. The plantation was focused on a lakou (courtyard with an owner's or manager's house), the kalorife (drying oven for copra), and storage houses. Separate from the courtyard were the workers' houses with thatched roofs, and on some plantations also with walls made from coconut leaves. The workers' houses often were divided into two parts: a sleeping room and a living room. The living room often was filled with furniture and seldom was used, as most social life took place outdoors. The kitchen was usually in a separate house. The typical town house had a general Victorian form, but both the roof and the walls might be made of corrugated iron sheets. With the decline of the plantation sector and agriculture in general the traditional lay out of the courtyards are disappearing. New houses are often constructed in an architecture common to many former British colonies, such that there is often a flat roof with a slight slope and windows with many horizontally arranged panes that can be tilted in order to allow easy circulation of air.

Map

Leader

Salva Kiir Mayardit became president of South Sudan - then still part of Sudan - and head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in 2005, succeeding long-time rebel leader John Garang, who died in a helicopter crash.

Travel

Visa & travel advice

1. Your physical passport. Passport must be valid for at least 180 days from date of arrival in South Sudan.
2. An application (click here) completely filled out and signed by the applicant. Please note that Applications printed on both sides of the paper will not be accepted, and visa will not processed until it is replaced.
3. Two (2) passport sized photo (2 inch by 2 inch).
4. An Official LETTER FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION AND OR AN Invitation letter addressed to embassy of South Sudan from your organization in south sudan explaining the purpose of your travel.
5. A money order payable to "The Embassy of the republic of South Sudan". Please consult the below Visa schedule fee for the correct fee for your application.
6. A self-addressed return envelope (UPS, USPS, FedEx...) with sufficient prepaid postage for those using mail services.

• Best period:

Eid Al-Fitr occurs right after Ramadan; that is probably the best time to go to South Sudan to enjoy music and cultural events.

• Safety:

With the security situation in South Sudan still fragile, traveling there can be dangerous.

History

The Egyptians conquered Sudan in 1874 and established the province of Equatoria. Islamic Mahdist revolutionaries entered the territory in 1885, but British troops defeated the invaders and took over Sudan in 1898. (Britain had occupied Egypt since 1882.) Britain and Egypt ruled the country in conjunction as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. In the early 20th century, Christian missionaries converted a large segment of the population and introduced English to the region. The result was a clearly defined line between the Arab north and the black African animists and Christians in the south.

Egypt and Britain ruled Sudan until 1953, when Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was granted Sudan self-government. In 1955, army officers in the south mutinied, sparking a civil war between the north and south. Southerners accused the government, based in the north, of trying to force Islamic and Arab culture on the south. In addition, the south said the government reneged on promises to grant the south more autonomy through a federal system of government. Independence was proclaimed on Jan. 1, 1956, and the civil war dragged on until the 1972 signing of the Addis Ababa Agreement. About 500,000 people died in the war. Under the accord, the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed.

War broke out again in 1983 when President Gaafar Mohamed Nimeiri abrogated the treaty and declared all of Sudan a Muslim state, ruled by shariah, or Islamic law. In response, southern rebels formed the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and fought the government for more than two decades. Government troops unleashed vicious massacres against civilians and entire villages. The government also provoked internecine violence between tribes and ethnic groups. A cease-fire was declared between the Sudanese government and the SPLA in July 2002. During peace talks, the government agreed to a power-sharing government for six years, to be followed by a referendum on self-determination for the south. Fighting on both sides continued throughout the peace negotiations.

Arts & Culture

• Music:

Sudan has a rich and unique musical culture that has been through chronic instability and repression during the modern history of Sudan.

Beginning with the imposition of strict sharia law in 1989, many of the country's most prominent musicians and poets, like poet Mahjoub Sharif, were imprisoned while others, like Mohammed el Amin and Mohammed Wardi, fled to Cairo (Mohammed el amin returned to Sudan in 1991 and Mohammed Wardi returned to Sudan in 2003). Traditional music suffered too, with traditional Zār ceremonies being interrupted and drums confiscated. At the same time, however, the European militaries contributed to the development of Sudanese music by introducing new instruments and styles; military bands, especially the Scottish bagpipes, were renowned, and set traditional music to military march music. The march March Shulkawi No 1, is an example, set to the sounds of the Shilluk. Sudan is very diverse, with five hundred plus ethnic groups spread across the country's territory, which is the largest in Africa. The country has been a crossroads between North, East and West Africa for hundreds of years, and is inhabited by a mixture of Sub-Saharan Arabs and Africans.

• Literature:

Literature today is largely written in the Arabic language, but certain genres also in other local languages, such as poetry in the Fur language. Both written literature, and oral tradition, such as folklore are found. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a trend of transcribing spoken tales.

Among the types of stories from oral tradition are the "Ahaji" tales and the "Madih", or praise tales. The first kind generally have a mythological character, El-Nour writes that, "they invariably have happy endings and are full of fanciful scenes and superstitions that describe the magic powers of genies and ogres". The second kind of tales have a more religious overtone, relating to praising Muhammad, and are generally more popular in the north of the country.

• Film industry:

The film industry in South Sudan is still at a minor level. After the country became independent on 9 July 2011, some of the film enthusiasts joined together and set up an office in the country's capital Juba. As of December 2011, they have 70 members. The industry is also called Woyee Film and Theatre Industry.

• Famous places:

If you wish to see a lot of travelling camels, then it’s time to visit the important transportation hub of Sudan: Al Ubayyid. It’s the capital of the North Kurdufan State of Central Sudan and it’s the terminus of a rail line.

As people often expect nothing but dusty desert lands in Africa, including Sudan, in Gedaref it’s quite different. Dominated by a lush green environment, Gedaref is another African wonder to explore. Parts of it are still surrounded by plain but healthy deserts.

• Architecture history:

Architecture is varied, and reflects regional climatic and cultural differences. In the northern desert regions, houses are thick-walled mud structures with flat roofs and elaborately decorated doorways (reflecting Arabic influence). In much of the country, houses are made of baked bricks and are surrounded by courtyards. In the south, typical houses are round straw huts with conical roofs, called ghotiya. Nomads, who live throughout Sudan, sleep in tents. The style and material of the tents vary, depending on the tribe; the Rashiaida, for example, use goat hair, whereas the Hadendowa weave their homes from palm fiber.

Map

Leader

President: Omar Bashir

Omar Bashir came to power in a coup and faces war crimes charges

Omar Hassan al-Bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989 and has ruled with an iron fist ever since.

Mr Bashir faces two international arrest warrants - issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague - on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The charges relate to the conflict in the western Darfur, where thousands of people died of violence, disease and displacement during the fighting between government and rebel forces.

Travel

Visa & travel advice

British nationals need a visa to visit Sudan. Apply before you travel to the Sudanese Embassy in London.

You should register with the Aliens Department at the Ministry of Interior within 3 days of your arrival in the country. You will need two passport size photos. The fee is the Sudanese Pound equivalent of around £35. If you don’t register within 3 days of arrival, you may be fined and you will need to get an exit visa at the airport to leave the country. You must get a permit before travelling outside of Khartoum.

Previous travel to Israel

If your passport has an Israeli visa or Israeli entry/exit stamps you will not be allowed to enter Sudan.

Yellow fever

Yellow Fever vaccination is required for travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Sudan.

• Best period

Eid Al-Fitr occurs right after Ramadan; that is probably the best time to go to Sudan to enjoy music and cultural events.

The weather in Sudan is typically very hot. The rainy season lasts from May until October. Sandstorms can occur during the dry period, from April until September, so plan accordingly.

• Safety

Concerned about your safety as you plan travel to Sudan? We at Africa.com, together with our friends, family and colleagues, travel extensively throughout the continent. Here are the resources we consult when thinking of our safety in Sudan:

UK Government Sudan Travel Advice Guidance

Africa.com comment: Very timely and frequently updated. Perspective assumes that you ARE going to travel to Sudan, and seeks to give you good guidance so that you understand the risks and are well informed.

• Mo Ibrahim Personal Safety & Rule of Law Score for Sudan

Africa.com comment: An annual ranking of the 54 African countries based on their relative personal security as determined by a highly qualified staff of an African foundation, funded by a successful African philanthropist. See where Sudan ranks relative to the other 54 nations in Africa.

• U.S. State Department Travel Advisory on Sudan

Africa.com comment: Can sometimes be considered as overly conservative and discourage travel altogether to destinations that many reasonable people find acceptably secure. On the other hand, they have the resources of the CIA to inform them, so they know things that the rest of us don’t know. See what they have to say about Sudan.

History

His article covers the history of the territory which is today part of the Republic of Sudan. The term "Sudan" derives from the Arabic bilād as-sūdān "land of the black peoples",[1][2] and is used more loosely of West and Central Africa in general, especially the Sahel region.

The modern Republic of Sudan was formed in 1956 and inherited its boundaries from Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, established 1899. For times predating 1899, usage of the term "Sudan" for the territory of the Republic of Sudan is somewhat anachronistic, and may also refer to the more diffuse concept of the Sudan region.

The early history of what is now northern Sudan, along the Nile River, known as the Kingdom of Kush, is intertwined with the history of ancient Egypt, with which it was united politically over several periods. By virtue of its proximity to Egypt, the Sudan participated in the wider history of the Near East inasmuch as it was Christianized by the 6th century, and Islamized in the 7th. As a result of Christianization, the Old Nubian language stands as the oldest recorded Nilo-Saharan language (earliest records dating to the 9th century).

Since its independence in 1956, the history of Sudan has been plagued by internal conflict, viz. the First Sudanese Civil War (1955-1972), the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005), culminating in the secession of South Sudan on 9 July 2011, and the War in Darfur (2003-2010).

Arts & Culture

• Literature

Literature today is largely written in the Arabic language,^[2] but certain genres also in other local languages, such as poetry in the Fur language.^[3] Both written literature, and oral tradition, such as folklore are found. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a trend of transcribing spoken tales.^[4]

Among the types of stories from oral tradition are the "Ahaji" tales and the "Madih", or praise tales. The first kind generally have a mythological character, El-Nour writes that, "they invariably have happy endings and are full of fanciful scenes and superstitions that describe the magic powers of genies and ogres".^[5] The second kind of tales have a more religious overtone, relating to praising Muhammad, and are generally more popular in the north of the country.

• Music

Sudan has a rich and unique musical culture that has been through chronic instability and repression during the modern history of Sudan. Beginning with the imposition of strict sharia law in 1989, many of the country's most prominent poets, like Mahjoub Sharif, were imprisoned while others, like Mohammed el Amin (returned to Sudan in the mid 1990s) and Mohammed Wardi(returned to Sudan 2003), fled to Cairo. Traditional music suffered too, with traditional Zār ceremonies being interrupted and drums confiscated ^[1]. At the same time, however, the European militaries contributed to the development of Sudanese music by introducing new instruments and styles; military bands, especially the Scottish bagpipes, were renowned, and set traditional music to military march music. The march March Shulkawi No 1, is an example, set to the sounds of the Shilluk.

• Famous places

The Pyramids of Meroe

 Pyramids of Gebel Barkal, Sudan

 Suakin Port

Map

Leader

Jakaya Kikwete has been president since 2005 and is now serving his second term, having won re-election in October 2010.

Travel

Visa & travel advice

All nationals of the countries or territorial entities mentioned below.

Stateless and those holding non-national travel/refugee documents or passports issued by an authority not recognized by the United Republic of Tanzania, must obtain a valid visa on each occasion they need to enter Tanzania.

• Best period:

We recommend visiting Tanzania between January and March: the clear days are perfect for game viewing, and the warm nights are ideal for a dip in the Indian Ocean. Tanzania has two rainy seasons: the period from mid-March to the end of May is known as the masika rain season. The second season is known as the vuli season; it occurs intermittently throughout November and parts of December and January. During the vuli season, showers arrive in the morning and are sometimes interrupted with clear weather.

• Safety:

Be sensible when you travel. Be alert and aware of your surroundings. As stated earlier, Tanzania (especially Zanzibar) has a sizable Muslim population. We encourage travelers to respect local customs and fashion and to dress modestly.

History

Arab traders first began to colonize the area in 700. Portuguese explorers reached the coastal regions in 1500 and held some control until the 17th century, when the sultan of Oman took power. With what are now Burundi and Rwanda, Tanganyika became the colony of German East Africa in 1885. After World War I, it was administered by Britain under a League of Nations mandate and later as a UN trust territory.

Although not mentioned in old histories until the 12th century, Zanzibar was always believed to have had connections with southern Arabia. The Portuguese made it one of their tributaries in 1503 and later established a trading post, but they were driven from Oman by Arabs in 1698. Zanzibar was declared independent of Oman in 1861 and, in 1890, it became a British protectorate.

Arts & Culture

• Music:

The music industry in Tanzania has seen many changes in the past ten years. With a mix of influences from other countries along with the original feel of local musical traditions, Tanzanian musicians have become some of the best artists in East Africa. From artists such as Dionys Mbilinyi, Sabinus Komba and many others, to new artists in R&B, pop, Zouk, Taarab and dance music.

The Tanzanian national anthem is Mungu Ibariki Africa (God Bless Africa), composed by South African composer Enoch Sontonga in 1897. The tune was ANC's official song and later became the National Anthem of South Africa.The song is also the national anthem Zambia. Swahili lyrics were set to this tune

• Literature:

'Tanzanian literature is primarily oral. Major oral literary forms include folktales, poems, riddles, proverbs, and songs. The majority of the oral literature in Tanzania that has been recorded is in Swahili, though each of the country's languages has its own oral tradition. The country's oral literature is currently declining because of changes in family structure that make transmission of oral literature more difficult and because of the devaluation of oral literature that has accompanied Tanzania's development. Tanzania's written literary tradition is still relatively undeveloped; Tanzania does not have a strong reading culture, and books are often expensive and hard to come by. Most Tanzanian literature is in Swahili or English. Major figures in Tanzanian written literature include Shaaban Robert, Muhammed Said Abdulla, Abdulrazak Gurnah, and Penina Mlama.

• Film industry:

Tanzania formerly known as Tanganyika hardly any cinematic history of its own. In 1929 the first cinema was openened. Censorship law constituted that films could be either passed for all audiences or "non-natuve" audiences. At stake in this struggle were the criteria for determining what was suitable for the eyes of Africans in town, whose potential access to Hollywood fare was the cause of considerable anxiety in Government, both in the colonies and the metropole. The question was how to structure the social and cultural boundaries between "natives" and "non-natives". In 1935 two British citizens Major L. A. Notcutt and Geoffrey Latham, established the Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment (BEKE) in Tanzania. It represented culmination of a decade of discussion and experimentation production of motion pictures in the UK about the use of cinema in the colonies. The Colonial Film Unit started to produce educational, entertainment and prpogandadistic films. That same period Mobile cinemas were introduced, which toured the country, showing newsreels and films supplied by the central office of information in London (COI). Local production of films by the film unit started in 1948. The Film Unit was a Government unit responsible for documenting important Government events. The Tanzania Film Company was established in 1968. The Audiovisual Institute formed in 1974 replaced the Film Unit but continued to play the role of a Government documentation unit. However, AVI ventured also in making educational documentaries which were used in schools and other training institutions.

Nowadays the local industry is poor, mainly due to lack of funds. For the same reason, the black and white film laboratory installed at the Audio Visual Institute was closed. However, the Tanzania Film Corporation, which cut its teeth as a maker of documentaries, has produced at least three full-length feature films and distributed these through national cinema halls, "Fimbo ya Mnyonge" (1974), "Harusi ya Mariam" by Ron Mulvihill and Nangayoma Ng'oge (1983) and "Yomba Yomba" (1985) by Martin Mhando, probably Tanzania's most well known director. There are several video studios, which have produced various programmes for TV stations, including Masai Studios and Video Tumaini. "Mama Tumaini" (1986), a 60 -minute long docudrama from Tanzania was a USA co-production with the Tanzania Film Company. It was on cinema release in Tanzania, and prize-winner at the Fespaco Festival in Ouagadougou in 1987.

• Famous places:

Zanzibar is one of Tanzania's top destinations because of its fascinating past and its incredible beaches.

Africa is known as one of the best destinations for adventure travel, and what can be more adventurous than hiking up the world's tallest free-standing mountain? Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, stands at 19,340 feet (5896m) and will take you 6 days to conquer.

• Architecture history:

The architecture of urban coastal centers reflects the long, rich history of Tanzania. Ruins of Arab mosques, cemeteries, and house structures can be found at sites such as Kaole, just south of Bagamoyo. Tombs embedded with Chinese ceramics dating to the twelfth century reflect the trade between distant civilizations. Nineteenth-century stone houses on narrow streets characterize Bagamoyo, which was one of the main endpoints of the East African slave trade.