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. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert RENE who had served since 1977 was re-elected in 2001 but stepped down in 2004. Vice President James MICHEL took over the presidency and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term.


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Location: archipelago in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 4 35 S 55 40 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 455 km²
Rank: 198
Land: 455 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 491 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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
Extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

Natural resources: fish copra cinnamon trees

Land use
Arable land: 2.17%
Permanent crops: 13.04%
Other: 84.79% (2005)

Irrigated land: 3 km² (2008)

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: 41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands


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Population: 89,188 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 196
Growth rate: 0.945% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 119
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Seychellois
Adjective: Seychellois

Ethnic groups: mixed French African Indian Chinese and Arab

Languages: Creole 91.8% English (official) 4.9% other 3.1% unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 82.3% Protestant 7.5% (Anglican 6.4% Seventh-Day Adventist 1.1%) other Christian 3.4% Hindu 2.1% Muslim 1.1% other non-Christian 1.5% unspecified 1.5% none 0.6% (2002 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.9%
15-64 years: 71% (male 33,044/female 30,277)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 2,399/female 3,980) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 32.5 years
Male: 32 years
Female: 33 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.945% (2011 est.)
Rank: 119

Birth rate: 15.33 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 133

Death rate: 6.91 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 138

Net migration rate: 1.03 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 53

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 55% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.031 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.66 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 137
Male: 14.62 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 8.6 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.52 years
Rank: 115
Male: 68.87 years
Female: 78.32 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 136

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.51 physicians/1000 population (2004)
Rank: 78

Hospital bed density: 3.94 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 52

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25.1% (2004)
Rank: 11

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 56

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.8%
Male: 91.4%
Female: 92.3% (2002 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
Conventional short form: Seychelles
Local long form: Republic of Seychelles
Local short form: Seychelles

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Victoria
Geographic coordinates: 4 38 S 55 27 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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) Grand' Anse (on Praslin) 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 the UK)

National holiday: Constitution Day (National Day) 18 June (1993)

Constitution: 18 June 1993

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law French civil law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President James Alix MICHEL ; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on 19-21 May 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 55.5% Wavel RAMKALAWAN 41.4% Philippe BOULLE 1.7% Ralph VOLCERE 1.5%; note - this was the second election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members elected by popular vote 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 29 September - 1 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); note - the National Assembly was dissolved in July 2011 resulting in early elections
Election results: percent of vote by party - PL 88.6% PDM 10.9% independents 0.6%; seats by party - PL 31 vacant - 3; note - the ruling SPPF changed its name to People's Party (Party Lepep) in June 2009; the SNP and NDP boycotted the 2011 elections

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM Paul CHOW]; New Democratic Party or NDP; People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [France Albert RENE]; Popular Democratic Movement or PDM; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO)

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AOSIS AU C COMESA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO InOC Interpol IOC IPU ISO (correspondent) ITU MIGA NAM OIF OPCW SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Ronald JUMEAU
In the us chancery: 800 Second Avenue Suite 400C New York NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
In the us fax: [1] (212) 972-1786
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles

Flag description: five oblique bands of blue (hoist side) yellow red white and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side; the oblique bands are meant to symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future; blue represents sky and sea yellow the sun giving light and life red the peoples' determination to work for the future in unity and love white social justice and harmony green the land and natural environment

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Koste Seselwa'
Lyricsmusic: David Francois Marc ANDRE and George Charles Robert PAYET
Note: adopted 1996

National heritage


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Economy overview: Since independence in 1976 per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence near-subsistence level moving the island into the upper-middle income group of countries. Growth has been led by the tourist sector which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings and by tuna fishing. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming fishing and small-scale manufacturing. GDP grew about 7-8% per year in 2006-07 driven by tourism and a boom in tourism-related construction. The Seychelles rupee was allowed to depreciate in 2006 after being overvalued for years and fell by 10% in the first 9 months of 2007. Despite these actions the Seychelles economy has struggled to maintain its gains and in 2008 suffered from food and oil price shocks a foreign exchange shortage high inflation large financing gaps and the global recession. In July 2008 the government defaulted on a Euro amortizing note worth roughly US$80 million leading to a downgrading of Seychelles credit rating but in October 2010 the EU approved a $2.9 million grant as part of a larger four-year program for Seychelles. In response to Seychelles successful implementation of tighter monetary and fiscal policies the IMF upgraded Seychelles to a three-year extended fund facility (EFF) of $31 million in December 2009. In 2008 GDP fell more than 1% due to declining tourism but the economy recovered in 2009-10 with a notable increase in tourist numbers for 2010.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 185
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 48

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 56
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.9%
Industry: 18.9%
Services: 79.1% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts cinnamon vanilla sweet potatoes cassava (tapioca) copra bananas; poultry; tuna

Industries: fishing tourism processing of coconuts and vanilla coir (coconut fiber) rope boat building printing furniture; beverages

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2010 est.)
Rank: 132

Labor force: 39,560 (2006)
Rank: 195
By occupation agriculture: 3%
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation services: 74% (2006)

Unemployment rate: 2% (2006 est.)
Rank: 13

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4.7%
Highest 10: 15.4%

Distribution of family income gini index: 65.8 (2007)
Rank: 2

Budget
Revenues: $339.7 million
Expenditures: $314.9 million (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 2.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 20

Taxes and other revenues: 36.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 59

Public debt: 59.2% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 45

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 31.8% (2009 est.)
Rank: 2

Central bank discount rate:

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15.347% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 46

Stock of narrow money: $290.9 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 167

Stock of broad money: $425.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 175

Stock of domestic credit: $441.2 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 166

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$253.1 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 107

Exports: $432.5 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 173
Commodities: canned tuna frozen fish cinnamon bark copra petroleum products (reexports)
Partners: UK 19% France 17.7% Italy 11.1% Japan 10.8% Thailand 7% (2010)

Imports: $780.4 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 175
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs petroleum products chemicals other manufactured goods
Partners: Saudi Arabia 21.1% South Africa 8.4% France 6.8% Spain 6.6% Singapore 6% Italy 4.7% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $190.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 160

Debt external: $1.624 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 146

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 260 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 172
Consumption: 241.8 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 174
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 120
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 127
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 172
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 180
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 186

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 22,000 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 186
Mobile cellular: 117,600 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 187

Telephone system
General assessment: effective system
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 130 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago
International: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Broadcast media: the government operates the only terrestrial TV station which provides local programming and airs broadcasts from international services; multi-channel cable and satellite TV are available via subscription; the government operates 1 AM and 1 FM radio station; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are accessible in Victoria (2007)

Internet
Country code: .sc
Hosts: 256 (2010)
Hosts rank: 187
Users: 32,000 (2008)
Users rank: 179

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 72

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 14 (2010)
Rank: 150
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 508 km
Rank: 193
Paved: 490 km
Unpaved: 18 km (2008)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 9
Rank: 119
By type: cargo 1 carrier 1 chemical tanker 6 petroleum tanker 1
Foreign owned: 3 (Hong Kong 1 Nigeria 1 South Africa 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Victoria


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Disputes international: Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs