#republic of seychelles

For a lot of its colonial history, Seychelles was lumped together (by the British) with Mauritius, at least in terms of governance (the French, though, were the first to lay claim - Captain Morphey named the largest of the islands after Viscount Jean Moreau de Séchelles, later anglicized as Seychelles [not theSeychelles, as you may have heard at some or most points in your life…]).  Not until 1903 did Seychelles become a separate crown colony, and later gained independence as a republic within the Commonwealth in 1976.  The African sovereign nation with the smallest population, but also the African sovereign nation with the highest nominal per capita GDP, Seychelles is a group of 115 islands, total land area of about 177 square miles, and much of the nation’s economy is tourist-based (including another of this stamp enthusiast’s enthusiasms - DIVING).

Stamp details:
Top left:
Issued on: April 5, 1890
From: Victoria, Colony of Seychelles
MC #1

Top middle:
Issued in: 1906
From: Victoria, Crown Colony of Seychelles
MC #52

Top right:
Issued on: June 29, 1976
From: Victoria, Republic of Seychelles
MC #355

Stamp on bottom:
Issued on: June 28, 2006
From: Victoria, Republic of Seychelles
MC #896

Recognized as a sovereign state by the UN: Yes (since September 21, 1976)
Official name: Republic of Seychelles; République des Seychelles; Repiblik Sesel
Member of the Universal Postal Union: Yes (since October 7, 1977)