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 ::Seychelles
Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
4 35 S, 55 40 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 455 sq km
98
land:
455 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
491 km
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
Climate:
Current Weather
tropical marine; humid;
cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer
season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain:
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources:
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use:
arable land: 2.17%
permanent crops:
13.04%
other:
84.79% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
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
Geography - note:
41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands
People ::Seychelles
Population:
88,340 (July 2010 est.)
96
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.3% (male 10,094/female 9,614)
15-64 years:
70.6% (male 32,466/female 29,865)
65 years and over:
7.1% (male 2,355/female 3,946) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 32 years
male:
31.5 years
female:
32.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.966% (2010 est.)
25
Birth rate:
15.53 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
34
Death rate:
6.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
36
Net migration rate:
1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Urbanization:
urban population: 54% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.97 deaths/1,000 live births
40
male:
15.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
8.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.28 years
15
male:
68.6 years
female:
78.09 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
39
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective:
Seychellois
Ethnic groups:
mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
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)
Languages:
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
91.8%
male:
91.4%
female:
92.3% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male:
14 years
female:
15 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
6.5% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 31
Government ::Seychelles
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form:
Seychelles
local long form:
Republic of Seychelles
local short form:
Seychelles
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Victoria
geographic coordinates:
4 38 S, 55 27 E
time difference:
UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
Independence:
29 June 1976 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
Constitution:
18 June 1993
Legal system:
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
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 government
head of government:
President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
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)
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
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)
elections:
last held on 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
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
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)
chancery:
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
telephone:
[1] (212) 972-1785
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 Seychelles
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
Economy ::Seychelles
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.
Seychelles requested an IMF Stand-By Agreement in December 2008. In
2009, GDP fell nearly 9% due to declining tourism.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.682 billion (2009 est.)
86
$1.843 billion (2008 est.)
$1.859 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$663.7 million (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-8.7% (2009 est.)
08
-0.9% (2008 est.)
9.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$19,400 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
$21,300 (2008 est.)
$21,700 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.9%
industry:
30.8%
services:
66.2% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
39,560 (2006)
97
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3%
industry:
23%
services:
74% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
2% (2006 est.)
3
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
UK 21.1%, France 19.1%, Mauritius 10.1%, Japan 7.9%, Italy 7.8%, Netherlands 6% (2008)
Imports:
$703 million (2009 est.)
80
$1.008 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 17.2%, Singapore 12.2%, France 10.1%, Spain 8%, Germany 7%, India 6.9%, South Africa 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$197 million (31 December 2009 est.)
48
$63.8 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.25 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
43
$1.422 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 14.2 (2009), 8 (2008), 6.5 (2007), 5.5 (2006), 5.5 (2005)
Communications ::Seychelles
Telephones - main lines in use:
23,200 (2008)
88
Telephones - mobile cellular:
85,300 (2008)
84
Telephone system:
general assessment: effective system
domestic:
combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 130 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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.sc
Internet hosts:
324 (2009)
9
Internet users:
32,000 (2008)
9
Transportation ::Seychelles
Airports:
14 (2009)
50
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
914 to 1,523 m:
6
under 914 m:
1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
914 to 1,523 m:
1
under 914 m:
5 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 458 km
95
paved:
440 km
unpaved:
18 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 8
21
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
Military ::Seychelles
Military branches:
Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
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:
male: 704
female:
672 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational Issues ::Seychelles
Disputes - international:
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
