1987 Edition

Climate

tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

Coastline

491 km

Comparative area

about one and one-half times the size of Washington, D. C.

Continental shelf

edge of continental margin or 200 nm

Environment

lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land use

4% arable land; 18% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 60% other

Special notes

none

Terrain

Mahé Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs, no fresh water, mostly uninhabited

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

300 km VICTORIAS. «> , Mahe Amiranta * Island Isles fis aes Indian Ocean a ‘ Aldabra yislands : Ld ieee t Cosmoledo Farquhar Group +» Group

280 km?; land area: 270 km?

Ethnic divisions

Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Infant mortality rate

26/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

1984 (est.) formal employment (all sectors)—38.4 government, 30.7% parastatal, 30.8% private; formal employment (by sector)—49.0% industry and commerce, 39.0% services, 11.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing

Language

English and French (official); Creole

Life expectancy

66

Literacy

60%

Nationality

noun—Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective—Seychelles

Organized labor

3 major trade unions

Population

67,552 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 1.52%

Religion

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

Branches

President, Council of Ministers, People’s Assembly

Capital

Victoria, Mahé Island

Communists

negligible, although some Cabinet ministers espouse pro-Soviet line

Elections

general election held June 1979 gave 98% approval to René as only presidential candidate on yes/no ballot; reelected in June 1984 with 92% of vote Political parties and leaders: René, who heads the Seychelles People’s Progressive Front, came to power by a military coup in June 1977; until then he had been Prime Minister in an uneasy coalition with then President James Mancham, who headed the Seychelles Democratic Party; René banned the Seychelles Democratic Party in March 1978 and announced a new constitution in March 1979 that turned the country into a one-party state

Government leader

France Albert RENE, President (since June 1979)

Legal system

based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law

Member of

AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holidays

5 and 29 June

Official name

Republic of Seychelles

Other political or pressure groups

trade unions, Roman Catholic Church

Suffrage

universal adult

Type

republic; member of the Commonwealth

Agriculture

islands depend largely on coconut production and export of copra; cinnamon, vanilla, and patchouli (used for perfumes) are other cash crops; food crops—small quantities of sweet potatoes, cassava, sugarcane, and bananas; islands not self-sufficient in foodstuffs and the bulk of the supply must be imported; fish is an important food source

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF (1978-84), $232 million; US (FY78-85), $14 million, Communist countries (1970-85), $42 million

Budget

(1984) revenues, $61 million; grants, $4 million; current expenditures, $64 million; capital expenditures, $11 million; net lending, $3.5 million

Electric power

25,000 kW capacity; 59 million kWh produced, 880 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$4.5 million (f.0.b., 1985); fish, copra, cinnamon bark

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$175 million, $2,670 per capita, real growth rate 6.0% (1985)

Imports

$90 million (f.0.b., 1985); manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transport equipment, and petroleum products

Major industries

tourism is largest industry; processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, small-scale manufacture of consumer goods, coir rope factory, tea factory

Major trade partners

exports—Pakistan, France, Reunion, UK, Mauritius; imports—Bahrain, UK, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, France

Monetary conversion rate

5.99 Seychelles rupees=US$1 (January 1987)

Natural resources

fish, copra, spices

Airfields

14 total, 14 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Highways

282 km total; 145 km bituminous, 137 km crushed stone or earth

Ports

1 port (Victoria); development underway will double capacity

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries; 9,100 telephones (13.6 per 100 popl.); 2 AM, no FM stations; 1 TV station; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; USAF tracking station

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $10 million, 10.3% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 16,000; 8,000 fit for military service