Map of Seychelles | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 455 km²
Land: 455 km²
Comparative: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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
Disputes: claims Tromelin Island

Climate:

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


top of page


Population: 69,519 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)

Nationality:

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 (1992)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: -8 migrants/1000 population (1992)

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
Current issues note: located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1992)

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: 85% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles

Government type: republic

Capital: Victoria

Administrative divisions:

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: president, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation: Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO; Chancery (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10,017; telephone (212) 687-9,766
US:

Diplomatic representation

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


top of page


Economy overview: In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% 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.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $350 million, per capita $5,200; real growth rate -4.5% (1991 est.)

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: 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)
Organized labor: three major trade unions

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 $180 million; expenditures $202 million, including capital expenditures of $32 million (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: $40 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports)
Partners: France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)

Imports: $186 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1 - 5.2946 (March 1992), 5.2893 (1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 30,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,160 kWh per capita (1991)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $12 million, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs