Map of Seychelles | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993.


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Location: Eastern Africa in the western Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 455 km²
Land: 455 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 491 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin
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: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible

Geography
Note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands


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Population: 72,113 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.84% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Seychellois (singular and plural)

Ethnic groups

Languages: English (official), French (official), Creole

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.84% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 21.88 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.93 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: no fresh water, catchments collect rain water

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 11.7 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.67 years
Male: 66.05 years
Female: 73.39 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
Total population: 58%
Male: 56%
Female: 60%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form:

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 Larue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Dependent areas

Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 18 June (1993) ( adoption of new constitution)

Constitution: 18 June 1993

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977; election last held 20- 23 July 1993; results - President France Albert RENE reelected by 59.5% of votes, MANCHAM (PS party) 36.72%

Legislative branch: Army, National Guard, Marines, Coast Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
People's Assembly Assemblee du Peuple: elections last held 20-23 July 1993; results - SPPF 82%, DP 15%, UO 3%; seats - (33 total, 22 elected) SPPF 22

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, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew F. MATTINGLY
From the us chancery: (temporary) 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10,017
From the us telephone: (248) 25,256
From the us fax: (248) 25,189
From the us embassy: 4th Floor, Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe
From the us mailing address: Box 148, Unit 62,501, Victoria, Seychelles; APO AE 9,815-2,501

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $5,900 (1992 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 5% 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: 1.3% (1991; accounts for 12% of GDP

Labor force: 27,700 (1985)
By occupation industry and commerce: 31%
By occupation services: 21%
By occupation government: 20%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 12%
By occupation other: 16% (1985)
By occupation note: 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:$172 million

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: $47 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (re-exports)
Partners: UK 54% France 23%, Reunion 14%, (1991)

Imports: $192 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: manufactured goods, food, petroleum products, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment
Partners: South Africa 13%, Singapore 12%, UK 12% (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $201 million (1992 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1 - 5.2681 (January 1994), 5.1815 (1993), 5.1220 (1992), 5.2893 (1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 30,000 kW
Production: 80 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,160 kWh (1991)

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
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $12 million, 4% 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
Usable: 14
With permanentsurface runways: 8
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 0

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (over 1,000 GRT) 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