1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
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
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Disputes
claims Tromelin Island
Environment
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; no fresh water, catchments collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 4%; permanent crops 18%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 18%; other 60%
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Total area
455 km2; land area: 455 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
23 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Infant mortality rate
15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
27,700; industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985); 57% of population of working age (1983)
Language
English and French (official); Creole
Life expectancy at birth
65 years male, 75 years female (1991)
Literacy
58% (male 56%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
Nationality
noun--Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective--Seychelles
Net migration rate
- 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
three major trade unions
Population
68,932 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
Religion
Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
Total fertility rate
2.5 children born/woman (1991)
Government
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 Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint 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 B. MORAN; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, and Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, or APO New York 09030-0006); telephone (248) 25256
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 People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)
Long-form name
Republic of Seychelles
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, 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
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
Budget
revenues $170 million; expenditures $173 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Currency
Seychelles rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-88), $310 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $60 million
Electricity
25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Seychelles rupees (SR) per US$1--5.0878 (January 1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)
Exports
$31 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports); partners--France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)
External debt
$171 million (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$283 million, per capita $4,100; real growth rate 7.0% (1989)
Imports
$164 million (f.o.b., 1989 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); accounts for 10% of GDP
Industries
tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.5% (1989)
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
9% (1987)
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; none 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, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force, Militia
Defense expenditures
$12 million, 6% of GDP (1990 est.) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 17,399; 8,933 fit for military service