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.
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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands
Population
81,895 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
25.4% (male 10,504/female 10,272)
15-64 years
68.5% (male 27,405/female 28,706)
65 years and over
6.1% (male 1,590/female 3,418) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
28.4 years
male
27.3 years
female
29.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.432% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
15.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-5.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.023 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.955 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.465 male(s)/female
total population
0.932 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
14.75 deaths/1,000 live births
male
18.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female
10.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
72.34 years
male
66.98 years
female
77.86 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.74 children born/woman (2007 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
91.8%
male
91.4%
female
92.3% (2002 census)
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)
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 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 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 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%; 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, Paul CHOW]; 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)
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
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 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. Growth turned negative again in 2005-06. 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)
$712 million (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
-1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$7,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
3.2%
industry
30.1%
services
66.7% (2006 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)
0.7% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
44.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$371.1 million
expenditures
$376 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
UK 26.2%, France 18.1%, Italy 12.2%, Japan 8.5%, Spain 8.3%, Netherlands 4.4% (2006)
Imports
$570.6 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners
Saudi Arabia 17.6%, South Africa 9.6%, Spain 8.1%, France 7.5%, Singapore 7.2%, Italy 4.8%, UK 4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$44.78 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$616.7 million (2006 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 (2006), 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004), 5.4007 (2003), 5.48 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
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 (2001)
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)
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 branches
Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval 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 - percent of GDP
2% (2006 est.)
Disputes - international
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
