1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 455 sq km land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Coastline
491 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Environment-current issues
water supply depends on catchments to collect rain water
Environment-international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geographic coordinates
4 35 S, 55 40 E
Geography-note
40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 2% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: 11% other: 74% (1993 est.)
Location
Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Natural resources
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Terrain
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 30% (male 11,787; female 11,694) 15-64 years: 64% (male 24,555; female 25,681) 65 years and over: 6% (male 1,700; female 3,224) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
19.71 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Infant mortality rate
17 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
English (official), French (official), Creole
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.76 years male: 66.13 years female: 75.53 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60% (1971 est.)
Nationality
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychelles
Net migration rate
-6.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
78,641 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
0.67% (1998 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.98 children born/woman (1998 est.)
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
Constitution
18 June 1993
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles
Data code
SE
Executive branch
chief of state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: President France Albert RENE reelected; percent of vote-France Albert RENE (SPPF) 61%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 27%, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 12%
FAX
[1] (212) 972-1786 Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles
Flag description
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side
Government type
republic
Independence
29 June 1976 (from UK)
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Claude MOREL chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of Seychelles to the United Nations, 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president; Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president Political parties and leaders: ruling party-Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE]; Democratic Party or DP; United Opposition or UO [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] - a coalition of the following parties: Seychelles Party or PS [Wavel RAMKALAWAN], Seychelles Democratic Movement or MSPD [Jacques HONDOUL], and Seychelles Liberal Party or SLP [Ogilvie BERLOUIS]; New Democratic Party [Christopher GILL (former member of DP)] Political pressure groups and leaders: trade unions; Roman Catholic Church
Legal system
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (35 seats, 25 popularly elected by direct vote, 10 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 9 percent of the vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party (elected)-SPPF 24, DP 1; seats by party (awarded)-SPPF 6, DP 1, UO 3 note: the 10 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of each party in the total vote
National capital
Victoria
National holiday
National Day, 18 June (1993) (adoption of new constitution)
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fishing (expansion under way)
Budget
revenues: $220 million expenditures: $241 million, including capital expenditures of $36 million (1994 est.)
Currency
1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
Debt-external
$170 million (1994 est.)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA
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, which accounted for 70% of GDP in 1996-97. 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 dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. The vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war. Although the industry has rebounded, the government recognizes the continuing need for upgrading the sector in the face of stiff international competition.
Electricity-capacity
28,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
1,719 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
125 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1-5.1901 (January 1998), 5.0263 (1997), 4.9700 (1996), 4.7620 (1995), 5.0559 (1994), 5.1815 (1993)
Exports
total value: $56.1 million ( f.o.b., 1995) commodities: fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (re-exports) partners: France, UK, China, Germany, Japan (1993)
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$550 million (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 4% industry: 15% services: 81% (1994)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$7,000 (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
NA%
Imports
total value: $238 million (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: manufactured goods, food, petroleum products, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment partners: China, Singapore, South Africa, UK (1993)
Industrial production growth rate
4% (1992)
Industries
fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Inflation rate-consumer price index
-0.3% (1995 est.)
Labor force
total: 26,000 (1996) by occupation: industry 19%, services 57%, government 14%, fishing, agriculture, and forestry 10% (1989)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios
35,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones
13,000 (1995 est.)
Television broadcast stations
2 (in a government network)
Televisions
6,000 (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Transportation
Airports
14 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 280 km paved: 176 km unpaved: 104 km (1996 est.) Ports and harbors: Victoria
Merchant marine
none
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$13.7 million (1995)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
NA%
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49: 22,107 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 11,111 (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Current issues
On 25 May 1997, the democratically-elected government of President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH was overthrown by disgruntled army personnel under the command of Major Johnny Paul KOROMA; President KABBAH fled to exile in Guinea. The Economic Community of West African States Cease-Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) forces, led by a strong Nigerian contingent, undertook the suppression of the rebellion. They were initially unsuccessful, but, by October 1997, they forced the rebels to agree to a cease-fire and to a plan to return the government to democratic control by 22 April 1998. However, the agreed demobilization of the combatants was not carried out by the rebel junta. On 5 February 1998, hostilities broke out in the outskirts of Freetown and ECOMOG mounted a major offensive, completely routing the rebels. President KABBAH returned to office on 10 March to face the task of restoring order to a demoralized population and a disorganized and severely damaged economy.
Disputes-international
claims Chagos Archipelago in British Indian Ocean Territory Introduction