Map of Seychelles | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814 when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 491 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September; warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Elevation

Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use: arable land: 4%; permanent crops: 18%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 18%; other 60%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean


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Population: 68,932 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Seychellois (sing. and pl.; adjective--Seychelles

Ethnic groups: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Languages: English and French (official; Creole

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 23 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; no fresh water, catchments collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 75 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 58% (male 56%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles

Government type: republic

Capital: Victoria

Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Dependent areas

Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)

National holiday: Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 5 June (1977)

Constitution: 5 June 1979

Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 17

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force, Militia

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO; Chancery (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10,017; telephone (212) 687-9,766; US--Ambassador James B. MORAN; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, and Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, or APO New York 9,030-0006; telephone (248) 25,256

Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides the main source of hard currency earnings. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the high dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 7% of GDP, mostly subsistence farming; cash crops--coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla; other products--sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas; broiler chickens; large share of food needs imported; expansion of tuna fishing under way

Industries: tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1987; accounts for 10% of GDP

Labor force: 27,700; industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985; 57% of population of working age (1983)

Unemployment rate: 9% (1987)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $170 million; expenditures $173 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $31 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
Commodities: fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports)
Partners: France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)

Imports: $164 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
Commodities: manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products
Partners: UK 20%, France 14%, South Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%, Japan 6% (1987)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $171 million (1990 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SR) per US$1--5.0878 (January 1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $12 million, 6% of GDP (1990 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 14 total, 14 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: claims Tromelin Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs