1994 Edition

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 Larue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Agriculture

accounts for 5% 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

Airports

total: 14 usable: 14 with permanent-surface runways: 8 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:

Area

total area: 455 sq km land area: 455 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Birth rate

21.88 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Army, National Guard, Marines, Coast Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force

Budget

revenues: $172 million expenditures: $181 million, including capital expenditures of $48 million (1991 est.)

Capital

Victoria

Climate

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

Coastline

491 km

Constitution

18 June 1993

Currency

1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents

Death rate

6.93 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $12 million, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)

Digraph

SE

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Marc Michael Rogers MARENGO chancery: (temporary) 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10017 telephone: (212) 687-9766 or 9767

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-89), $315 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $60 million

Electricity

capacity: 30,000 kW production: 80 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,160 kWh (1991)

Environment

current issues: no fresh water, catchments collect rain water natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Ethnic divisions

Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Exchange rates

Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1 - 5.2681 (January 1994), 5.1815 (1993), 5.1220 (1992), 5.2893 (1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989)

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); election last held 20- 23 July 1993; results - President France Albert RENE reelected by 59.5% of votes, MANCHAM (PS party) 36.72% cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Exports

$47 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (re-exports) partners: UK 54% France 23%, Reunion 14%, (1991)

External debt

$201 million (1992 est.)

FAX

(212) 922-9177

(248) 25189

Fiscal year

calendar year

Flag

three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest

Highways

total: 260 km paved: 160 km unpaved: crushed stone, earth 100 km

Imports

$192 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: manufactured goods, food, petroleum products, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment partners: South Africa 13%, Singapore 12%, UK 12% (1991)

Independence

29 June 1976 (from UK)

Industrial production

growth rate 1.3% (1991); accounts for 12% of GDP

Industries

tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage

Infant mortality rate

11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.3% (1992 est.)

International disputes

claims Tromelin Island

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Labor force

27,700 (1985) by occupation: industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985) note: 57% of population of working age (1983)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Languages

English (official), French (official), Creole

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.67 years male: 66.05 years female: 73.39 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1971) total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60%

Location

Eastern Africa in the western Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 19,399; fit for military service 9,900

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO

Merchant marine

1 refrigerated cargo (over 1,000 GRT) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles

National holiday

National Day, 18 June (1993) ( adoption of new constitution)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $407 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$5,900 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

4% (1992 est.)

Nationality

noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychelles

Natural resources

fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Net migration rate

-6.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Opposition (UO) is a coalition of the following parties

Seychelles Party (PS), Wavel RAMKALAWAN; Seychelles Democratic Movement (MSPD), Jacques HONDOUL; Seychelles Liberal Party (SLP), Ogilvie BERLOUIS;;

Other political or pressure groups

trade unions; Roman Catholic Church

Overview

In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% 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.

People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)

elections last held 20-23 July 1993; results - SPPF 82%, DP 15%, UO 3%; seats - (33 total, 22 elected) SPPF 22

Political parties and leaders

ruling party - Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert RENE; Democratic Party (DP), Sir James MANCHAM; United

Population

72,113 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.84% (1994 est.)

Ports

Victoria

Religions

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

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Telecommunications

direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries; 13,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; USAF tracking station

Terrain

Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Total fertility rate

2.23 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic

Unemployment rate

9% (1987)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew F. MATTINGLY embassy: 4th Floor, Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe mailing address: Box 148, Unit 62501, Victoria, Seychelles; APO AE 09815-2501 telephone: (248) 25256