from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Seychelles
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. The most recent presidential
elections were held in 2001; President RENE, who had
served since 1977, was re-elected. In April 2004 RENE
stepped down and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn
in as president.
Geography
Location: archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of
Madagascar
Geographic 4 35 S, 55 40 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 455 sq km
land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin
Climate: 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 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural fish, copra, cinnamon trees
resources:
Land use: arable land: 2.17%
permanent crops: 13.04%
other: 84.79% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are
hazards: rare; short droughts possible
Environment - water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
current
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - 41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands
note:
People
Population: 81,541 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.9% (male 10,667/female 10,440)
15-64 years: 68% (male 27,060/female 28,366)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,607/female 3,401) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 28.1 years
male: 27 years
female: 29.1 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.43% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 16.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 10.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 72.08 years
expectancy at male: 66.69 years
birth: female: 77.63 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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: 91.9%
male: 91.4%
female: 92.3% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles
local long form: Republic of Seychelles
local short form: Seychelles
Government republic
type:
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 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse
divisions: 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 UK)
National Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
holiday:
Constitution: 18 June 1993
Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and
customary law
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President James MICHEL (since 14 April
branch: 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14
April 2004); 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 (eligible for two more terms); election
last held 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: President James MICHEL elected
president; percent of vote - James MICHEL (SPPF)
53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 45.71%, Philippe BOULLE
0.56%; 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 unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34
branch: seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a
proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of
the vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next to be held
in December 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF
54.3%, SNP 42.6%, DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23,
SNP 11
Judicial Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts
branch: are appointed by the president
Political Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE];
parties and Mouvement Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques
leaders: HODOUL]; 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 Roman Catholic Church; trade unions
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
(observer)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Jeremie BONNELAME
representation chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY
in the US: 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the
representation ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles
from the US:
Flag five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red,
description: white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of
the hoist side
Economy
Economy - Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this
overview: 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. 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. 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. Growth slowed in 1998-2002, and fell in 2003,
due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors, but resumed
in 2004, erasing a persistent budget deficit. Growth
turned negative again in 2005. Tight controls on
exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange
have impaired short-term economic prospects. The
black-market value of the Seychelles rupee is half the
official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the
currency, the tourist sector may remain sluggish as
vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros,
Mauritius, and Madagascar.
GDP $626 million (2002 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $722 million (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real -3% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $7,800 (2002 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 3.2%
composition by industry: 30.4%
sector: services: 66.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 30,900 (1996)
Labor force - agriculture: 10%
by occupation: industry: 19%
services: 71% (1989)
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 1.6% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 42% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $343.3 million
expenditures: $332.2 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 167% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava
products: (tapioca), bananas; poultry; tuna
Industries: fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla,
coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing,
furniture; beverages
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 241.3 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 224.4 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 7,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-32 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $312.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra,
commodities: petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - UK 23%, Spain 19.6%, France 11.4%, Japan 9.7%, Italy
partners: 7.4%, Germany 5.7%, Netherlands 5.4% (2005)
Imports: $459.9 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum
commodities: products, chemicals
Imports - Saudi Arabia 16.7%, Spain 14.9%, Singapore 7.6%, France
partners: 7.5%, Italy 6.2%, South Africa 6.2% (2005)
Reserves of $41 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $508 million (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $16.4 million (1995)
recipient:
Currency Seychelles rupee (SCR)
(code):
Currency code: SCR
Exchange Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.5 (2005), 5.5
rates: (2004), 5.4007 (2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.8575 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 21,400 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 57,000 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: effective system
system: domestic: 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 AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 42,000 (1997)
Television 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 11,000 (1997)
Internet .sc
country code:
Internet 72 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 20,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 15 (2006)
Airports - total: 8
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 7
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 3
runways: under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Roadways: total: 458 km
paved: 440 km
unpaved: 18 km (2003)
Merchant total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 69,777 GRT/113,501
marine: DWT
by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4
foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1) (2006)
Ports and Victoria
terminals:
Military
Military Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes
branches: Navy Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005)
Military 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 21,612
available for females age 18-49: 22,459 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 16,122
for military females age 18-49: 18,777 (2005 est.)
service:
Military $14.85 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 2.1% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos
international: Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean
Territory)