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Introduction | Seychelles

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. The most recent presidential elections were held in 2001; President RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected. In April 2004 RENE stepped down and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn in as president.

Geography | Seychelles

Location: | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates: | 4 35 S, 55 40 E
Map references: | Africa
Area: | total: 455 sq km land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - 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 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: | NA
Natural hazards: | lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Environment - current issues: | water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
Environment - 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | 41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

People | Seychelles

Population: | 81,541 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 25.9% (male 10,667/female 10,440) 15-64 years: 68% (male 27,060/female 28,366) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,607/female 3,401) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 28.1 years male: 27 years female: 29.1 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.43% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 16.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | -5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 72.08 years male: 66.69 years female: 77.63 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois
Ethnic groups: | mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
Religions: | Roman Catholic 82.3%, 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)
Languages: | Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.9% male: 91.4% female: 92.3% (2003 est.)

Government | Seychelles

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
Independence: | 29 June 1976 (from UK)
National holiday: | Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
Constitution: | 18 June 1993
Legal system: | based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Suffrage: | 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government 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 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL (SPPF) 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 45.71%, Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first 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 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next to be held in December 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%, DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11
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, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Roman Catholic Church; trade unions
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Jeremie BONNELAME chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles
Flag description: | five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side

Economy | Seychelles

Economy - overview: | Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. 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 in order 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. Sharp drops illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf War, and once again following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Growth slowed in 1998-2002, and fell in 2003, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors, but resumed in 2004, erasing a persistent budget deficit. Growth turned negative again in 2005. Tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term economic prospects. The black-market value of the Seychelles rupee is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency, the tourist sector may remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $626 million (2002 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $722 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | -3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $7,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3.2% industry: 30.4% services: 66.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: | 30,900 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 10% industry: 19% services: 71% (1989)
Unemployment rate: | NA%
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 1.6% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 42% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $343.3 million expenditures: $332.2 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: | 167% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: | coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; poultry; tuna
Industries: | fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 241.3 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 224.4 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 7,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance: | $-32 million (2005 est.)
Exports: | $312.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: | canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - partners: | UK 23%, Spain 19.6%, France 11.4%, Japan 9.7%, Italy 7.4%, Germany 5.7%, Netherlands 5.4% (2005)
Imports: | $459.9 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners: | Saudi Arabia 16.7%, Spain 14.9%, Singapore 7.6%, France 7.5%, Italy 6.2%, South Africa 6.2% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $41 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $508 million (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $16.4 million (1995)
Currency (code): | Seychelles rupee (SCR)
Currency code: | SCR
Exchange rates: | Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004), 5.4007 (2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.8575 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Seychelles

Telephones - main lines in use: | 21,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 57,000 (2005)
Telephone system: | general assessment: effective system domestic: 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)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: | 42,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: | 11,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .sc
Internet hosts: | 72 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)
Internet users: | 20,000 (2005)

Transportation | Seychelles

Airports: | 15 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Roadways: | total: 458 km paved: 440 km unpaved: 18 km (2003)
Merchant marine: | total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 69,777 GRT/113,501 DWT by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4 foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals: | Victoria

Military | Seychelles

Military branches: | Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Navy Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005)
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 21,612 females age 18-49: 22,459 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 16,122 females age 18-49: 18,777 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $14.85 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues | Seychelles

Disputes - international: | together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006