2008 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2008 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Background
A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected in 2001, but stepped down in 2004. Vice President James MICHEL took over the presidency and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term.
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 rainwater
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
4 35 S, 55 40 E
Geography - note
41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands
Irrigated land
NA
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 2.17% permanent crops: 13.04% other: 84.79% (2005)
Location
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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: 24.9% (male 10,337/female 10,108) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 27,752/female 29,048) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,575/female 3,427) (2008 est.)
Birth rate
15.6 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate
6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Education expenditures
6.5% of GDP (2006)
Ethnic groups
mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
total: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Languages
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.6 years male: 67.27 years female: 78.1 years (2008 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.8% male: 91.4% female: 92.3% (2002 census)
Median age
total: 28.7 years male: 27.6 years female: 29.8 years (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois
Net migration rate
-5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Population
82,247 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate
0.428% (2008 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2007)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.73 children born/woman (2008 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), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
Capital
name: Victoria geographic coordinates: 4 38 S, 55 27 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
18 June 1993
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles local long form: Republic of Seychelles local short form: Seychelles
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Ronald JUMEAU chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
Executive branch
chief of state: President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
FAX
[1] (212) 972-1786
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
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Legal system
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11
National holiday
Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)
Political pressure groups and leaders
Roman Catholic Church other: trade unions
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture - products
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; poultry; tuna
Budget
revenues: $372.3 million expenditures: $362.2 million (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate
5.13% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
10.89% (31 December 2007)
Currency (code)
Seychelles rupee (SCR)
Currency code
SCR
Current account balance
-$272 million (2007 est.)
Debt - external
$1.059 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$18.81 million (2005)
Economy - overview
Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence, near-subsistence level, moving the island into the upper-middle income group of countries. 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. In recent years, the government has encouraged foreign investment 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. Sharp drops illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf War and once again following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Economic growth slowed in 1998-2002 and fell in 2003-04, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors, but resumed in 2005-07. Real GDP grew by 5.8% in 2007, driven by tourism and a boom in tourism-related construction. The Seychelles rupee was allowed to depreciate in 2006 after being overvalued for years and fell by 10% in the first 9 months of 2007.
Electricity - consumption
193.4 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production
208 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exchange rates
Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 6.5 (2007), 5.5 (2006), 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004), 5.4007 (2003)
Exports
$395 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities
canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - partners
UK 23.7%, France 19.8%, Mauritius 10%, Japan 8.3%, Italy 5.7%, Spain 5.1% (2007)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 2.1% industry: 28.3% services: 69.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$16,600 (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.3% (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$710 million (2007 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.378 billion (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$823 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners
Saudi Arabia 17.6%, Germany 10.8%, France 8.1%, Spain 7.6%, South Africa 6.4%, Singapore 5.8% (2007)
Industrial production growth rate
7% (2007 est.)
Industries
fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.3% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
8.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Labor force
39,560 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 3% industry: 23% services: 74% (2006)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$NA
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
6,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports
5,722 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Public debt
92.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$40.8 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
$660.2 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of money
$330.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money
$249 million (31 December 2007)
Unemployment rate
2% (2006 est.)
Communications
Internet country code
.sc
Internet hosts
284 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
32,000 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios
42,000 (1997)
Telephone system
general assessment: effective system domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 125 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use
22,700 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular
77,300 (2007)
Television broadcast stations
2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
11,000 (1997)
Transportation
Airports
15 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Merchant marine
total: 8 by type: cargo 1, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6 foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals
Victoria
Roadways
total: 458 km paved: 440 km unpaved: 18 km (2003)
Military and Security
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49: 23,598 females age 16-49: 24,424 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 17,942 females age 16-49: 20,436 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 770 female: 750 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures
2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Seychelles Defense Force
Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008