1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon
Coastline
491 km
Comparative area
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Continental shelf
edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Disputes
claims Tromelin Island
Environment
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; no fresh water, catchements collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
4% arable land; 18% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 60% other
Natural resources
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Note
located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
Terrain
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
455 km2; land area: 455 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Infant mortality rate
15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
27,700; 31% industry and commerce, 21% services, 20% government, 12% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 16% other (1985); 57% of population of working age (1983)
Language
English and French (official); Creole
Life expectancy at birth
65 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Literacy
60%
Nationality
noun--Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective--Seychelles
Net migration rate
- 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
three major trade unions
Population
68,336 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Religion
90% Roman Catholic, 8% Anglican, 2% other
Total fertility rate
2.6 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none; note--there may be 21 administrative districts named Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie St. Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand Anse (on Mahe Island), Grand Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port-Glaud, Riviere Anglaise, St. Louis, Takamaka
Capital
Victoria
Communists
negligible, although some Cabinet ministers espouse pro-Soviet line
Constitution
5 June 1979
Diplomatic representation
Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO; Chancery (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 687-9766; US--Ambassador James MORAN; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, or APO New York 09030); telephone 23921 or 23922
Elections
President--last held 9-11 June 1989 (next to be held June 1994); results--President France Albert Rene reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 5 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992); results--SPPF is the only party; seats--(25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23
Executive branch
president, Council of Ministers
Flag
three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest
Independence
29 June 1976 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977)
Legal system
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Long-form name
Republic of Seychelles
Member of
ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 5 June (1977)
Other political or pressure groups
trade unions, Roman Catholic Church
Political parties and leaders
only party--Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert Rene
Suffrage
universal at age 17
Type
republic; member of the Commonwealth
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 7% 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
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-88), $23 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-87), $297 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $56 million
Budget
revenues $106 million; expenditures $130 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1987)
Currency
Seychelles rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
Electricity
25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Seychelles rupees (SR) per US$1--5.4884 (January 1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)
Exports
$17 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports); partners--France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)
External debt
$178 million (December 1988)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$255 million, per capita $3,720; real growth rate 6.2%;
Imports
$116 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products; partners--UK 20%, France 14%, South Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%, Japan 6% (1987)
Industrial production
growth rate 7% (1987)
Industries
tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.3% (1988)
Overview
In this small, open tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides the main source 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.
Unemployment rate
15% (1986)
Communications
Airports
14 total, 14 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
3 major transport aircraft
Highways
260 km total; 160 km bituminous, 100 km crushed stone or earth
Merchant marine
1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT
Ports
Victoria
Telecommunications
direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries; 13,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; USAF tracking station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia
Defense expenditures
6% of GDP, or $12 million (1990 est.)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 17,073; 8,776 fit for military service