2010 Edition

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.

Area

land

455 sq km

total

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

highest point

Morne Seychellois 905 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 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%

other

84.79% (2005)

permanent crops

13.04%

Location

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 22.8% (male 10,201/female 9,732) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 31,870/female 29,439) 65 years and over: 7.1% (male 2,321/female 3,913) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

15.53 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

6.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

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

female

8.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

15.02 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.97 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.09 years (2010 est.)

male

68.6 years

total population

73.28 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

92.3% (2002 census)

male

91.4%

total population

91.8%

Median age

female

32.5 years (2010 est.)

male

31.5 years

total

32 years

Nationality

adjective

Seychellois

noun

Seychellois (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

88,340 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

0.966% (2010 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)

female

16 years (2008)

male

14 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.031 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

54% of total population (2008)

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

geographic coordinates

4 38 S, 55 27 E

name

Victoria

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

chancery

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Jean Ronald JUMEAU

FAX

[1] (212) 972-1786

telephone

[1] (212) 972-1785

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 53.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 45.7%, Philippe BOULLE 0.6%; note - this was the first election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011)

head of government

President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004)

Flag description

five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side; the oblique bands are meant to symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future; blue represents sky and sea, yellow the sun giving light and life, red the peoples' determination to work for the future in unity and love, white social justice and harmony, green the land and natural environment

Government type

republic

Independence

29 June 1976 (from the UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, 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; members to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11

elections

last held on 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012)

National anthem

lyrics/music

David Francois Marc ANDRE and George Charles Robert PAYET note: adopted 1996

name

"Koste Seselwa" (Seychellois Unite)

National holiday

Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party); Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Roman Catholic Church

other

trade unions

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), copra, bananas; poultry; tuna

Central bank discount rate

NA% (31 December 2009) 5.13% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15.35% (31 December 2009 est.) 11.81% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$351 million (2010 est.) -$284.2 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$1.374 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $1.321 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

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. GDP grew about 7-8% per year in 2006-07, 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. Despite these actions, the Seychelles economy has struggled to maintain its gains and in 2008 suffered from food and oil price shocks, a foreign exchange shortage, high inflation, large financing gaps, and the global recession. In July 2008 the government defaulted on a Euro amortizing note worth roughly US$80 million, leading to a downgrading of Seychelles credit rating, but in October 2010 the EU approved a $2.9 million grant as part of a larger four-year program for Seychelles. In response to Seychelles successful implementation of tighter monetary and fiscal policies, the IMF upgraded Seychelles to a three-year exteneded fund facility (EFF) of $31 million in December 2009. In 2008, GDP fell more than 1% due to declining tourism, but the economy recovered in 2009-10 with a notable increase in tourist numbers for 2010.

Electricity - consumption

232.5 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

250 million kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 12.221 (2010), 13.6124 (2009), 8 (2008), 6.5 (2007), 5.5 (2006)

Exports

$464 million (2010 est.) $432.5 million (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)

Exports - partners

UK 24.84%, France 18.53%, Italy 9.45%, Mauritius 9.03%, Japan 6.98%, Spain 4.92% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2.9%

industry

30.8%

services

66.2% (2009 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$21,600 (2010 est.) $21,100 (2009 est.) $21,100 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (2010 est.) 0.7% (2009 est.) -1.3% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$919 million (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.908 billion (2010 est.) $1.843 billion (2009 est.) $1.83 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$831 million (2010 est.) $759.1 million (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals, other manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 16.44%, India 8.33%, Spain 7.49%, South Africa 6.72%, France 6.39%, Brazil 6.07%, Singapore 5.07% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2010 est.)

Industries

fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-2.2% (2010 est.) 31.8% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

36.2% of GDP (2010 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 (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

7,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

7,653 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

58.8% of GDP (2010 est.) 58.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$193 million (31 December 2010 est.) $190.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$415 million (31 December 2010 est.) $352 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$678.5 million (31 December 2010 est.) $582.5 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$274.2 million (31 December 2010 est) $240.5 million (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

2% (2006 est.)

Broadcast media

the government operates the only terrestrial TV station, which provides local programming and airs broadcasts from international services; multi-channel cable and satellite TV are available via subscription; the government operates 1 AM and 1 FM radio station; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are accessible in Victoria (2007)

Internet country code

.sc

Internet hosts

256 (2010)

Internet users

32,000 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 130 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago

general assessment

effective system

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

22,100 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

92,300 (2009)

Airports

14 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6, petroleum tanker 1

foreign-owned

3 (Hong Kong 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 1) (2010)

total

9

Ports and terminals

Victoria

Roadways

paved

440 km

total

458 km

unpaved

18 km (2003)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 26,040 females age 16-49: 23,961 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 19,989 females age 16-49: 19,882 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

672 (2010 est.)

male

704

Military branches

Seychelles Defense Force

Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005)

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 (2010)

Disputes - international

together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) page last updated on January 19, 2011 ======================================================================