Editing Geography of Seychelles (section)

==Geology==

The Seychelles Bank is founded on a granite basement, a fragment separated from the Indian continental plate during the [[Palaeocene]] about 66 million years ago. This break-up was associated with the volcanic activity that built the [[Mascarene Plateau]]. The occurrence of syenite, diorite and microgranite in the western part of the Seychelles Bank could indicate that crustal deposit across the northwestern Indian Ocean Ridge apparently drove the Seychelles block southwestwards, causing it to collide with the northeastern edge of the Mascarene Basin. This collision could have led to the development of the Amirante Trough.<ref name="Mart, Y 1988, Pp. 261-274"/>  This rift formation is associated with the [[Réunion hotspot]] which is also responsible for [[Réunion Island]] and the [[Deccan Traps]] in [[India]]. Because of its long isolation, the Seychelles hosts several unique species including the [[coco de mer]], a [[palm tree|palm]] which has the largest seeds of any plant and the world's largest population of [[Aldabrachelys|giant tortoise]]s.{{Fact|date=September 2021}}