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GEOGRAPHY

Location:

 Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic Coordinates:

 4 35 S, 55 40 E

Area:

 Total: 455 sq km
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 (Rank: 110)

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:

 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:

 3 sq km (2008)

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

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PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

Nationality:

 Noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
Adjective: Seychellois

Ethnic Groups:

 Mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab

Languages:

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

Religions:

 Roman Catholic 82.3%, Protestant 7.5% (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)

Population:

 89,188 (July 2011 est.)

Age Structure:

 0-14 years: 21.9% (male 9,987/female 9,501)
15-64 years: 71% (male 33,044/female 30,277)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 2,399/female 3,980) (2011 est.)

Median Age:

 Total: 32.5 years
Male: 32 years
Female: 33 years (2011 est.)

Population Growth Rate:

 0.945% (2011 est.)

Birth Rate:

 15.33 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death Rate:

 6.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

Net Migration Rate:

 1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Urbanization:

 Urban population: 55% of total population (2010)
Rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major Cities - Population:

 VICTORIA (capital) 26,000 (2009)

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 (2011 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate:

 Total: 11.66 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 14.62 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life Expectancy At Birth:

 Total population: 73.52 years
Male: 68.87 years
Female: 78.32 years (2011 est.)

Total Fertility Rate:

 1.91 children born/woman (2011 est.)

Health Expenditures:

 4% of GDP (2009)

Physicians Density:

 1.51 physicians/1,000 population (2004)

Hospital Bed Density:

 3.94 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Obesity - Adult Prevalence Rate:

 25.1% (2004)

Education Expenditures:

 5% of GDP (2006)

Literacy:

 Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.8%
Male: 91.4%
Female: 92.3% (2002 census)

Average Years of Schooling:

 Total: 15 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2008)

Unemployment, Youth Ages 15-24:

 Total: 20.3% (2002)

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GOVERNMENT

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:

 June 18, 1993

Legal System:

 Mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law

International Law Organization Participation:

 Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt 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 Alix 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 19-21 May 2011 (next to be held in 2016)

Election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 55.5%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 41.4%, Philippe BOULLE 1.7%, Ralph VOLCERE 1.5%; note - this was the second 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 29 September - 1 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); note - the National Assembly was dissolved in July 2011 resulting in early elections

Election results: percent of vote by party - PL 88.6%, PDM 10.9%, independents 0.6%; seats by party - PL 31, vacant - 3; note - the ruling SPPF changed its name to People's Party (Party Lepep) in June 2009; the SNP and NDP boycotted the 2011 elections

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]; New Democratic Party or NDP; People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [France Albert RENE]; Popular Democratic Movement or PDM; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO)

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders:

 Roman Catholic Church
Other: trade unions

International Organization Participation:

 ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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
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

National Anthem:

 Name: "Koste Seselwa" (Seychellois Unite)
Lyrics/music: David Francois Marc ANDRE and George Charles Robert PAYET

Note: adopted 1996

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ECONOMY

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 extended 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.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):

 $2.053 billion (2010 est.)
$1.932 billion (2009 est.)
$1.919 billion (2008 est.)

Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (Official Exchange Rate):

 $936 million (2010 est.)

GDP - Real Growth Rate:

 6.2% (2010 est.)
0.7% (2009 est.)
-1.3% (2008 est.)

GDP - Per Capita (PPP):

 $23,200 (2010 est.)
$22,100 (2009 est.)
$22,200 (2008 est.)

Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - Composition By Sector:

 Agriculture: 1.9%
Industry: 18.9%
Services: 79.1% (2010 est.)

Labor Force:

 39,560 (2006)

Labor Force - By Occupation:

 Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 23%
Services: 74% (2006)

Unemployment Rate:

 2% (2006 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line:

 NA%

Household Income / Consumption By Share:

 Lowest 10%: 4.7%
Highest 10%: 15.4%

Distribution of Family Income - Gini Index:

 65.8 (2007)

Investment (Gross Fixed):

 29% of GDP (2010 est.)

Budget:

 Revenues: $339.7 million
Expenditures: $314.9 million (2010 est.)

Taxes and Other Revenues:

 36.3% of GDP (2010 est.)

Budget Surplus / Deficit:

 2.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

Public Debt:

 53.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
59.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices):

 -2.4% (2010 est.)
31.8% (2009 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate:

 11.17% (31 December 2010 est.)
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate:

 12.703% (31 December 2010 est.)
15.347% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of Money:

 $173.1 million (31 December 2008)
$330.8 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of Quasi Money:

 $185.2 million (31 December 2008)
$249 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of Narrow Money:

 $319.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$290.9 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of Broad Money:

 $458.3 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$425.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of Domestic Credit:

 $479 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$441.2 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Agriculture - Products:

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

Industries:

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

Industrial Production Growth Rate:

 2% (2010 est.)

Electricity - Production:

 260 million kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - Production By Source:

 Fossil fuel: 100%
Hydro: 0%
Nuclear: 0%
Other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - Consumption:

 241.8 million kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - Exports:

 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - Imports:

 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil - Production:

 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - Consumption:

 8,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - Exports:

 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - Imports:

 6,203 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - Proven Reserves:

 0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Natural Gas - Production:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Consumption:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Exports:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Imports:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Proven Reserves:

 0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

Current Account Balance:

 -$420.1 million (2010 est.)
-$253.1 million (2009 est.)

Exports:

 $407.3 million (2010 est.)
$432.5 million (2009 est.)

Exports - Commodities:

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

Exports - Partners:

 UK 19%, France 17.7%, Italy 11.1%, Japan 10.8%, Thailand 7% (2010)

Imports:

 $915.6 million (2010 est.)
$780.4 million (2009 est.)

Imports - Commodities:

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

Imports - Partners:

 Saudi Arabia 21.1%, South Africa 8.4%, France 6.8%, Spain 6.6%, Singapore 6%, Italy 4.7% (2010)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold:

 $235.6 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$190.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt - External:

 $1.526 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
$1.624 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange Rates:

 Convert Seychelles Rupee to Any Currency

Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar -
12.221 (2010)
13.61 (2009)
8 (2008)
6.5 (2007)
5.5 (2006)

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COMMUNICATIONS

Telephones - Main Lines In Use:

 22,000 (2010)

Telephones - Cellular:

 117,600 (2010)

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)

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)

Radio Broadcast Stations:

 AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2001)

Television Broadcast Stations:

 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)

Internet Country Code:

 .sc

Internet Hosts:

 256 (2010)

Internet Users:

 32,000 (2008)

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TRANSPORTATION

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)

Roadways:

 Total: 508 km
Paved: 490 km
Unpaved: 18 km (2008)

Merchant Marine:

 Total: 9
By type: cargo 1, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6, petroleum tanker 1
Foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 1) (2010)

Ports and Terminals:

 Victoria

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MILITARY

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 (2010)

Manpower Available For Military Service:

 Males age 16-49: 26,257
Females age 16-49: 23,996 (2010 est.)

Manpower Fit For Military Service:

 Males age 16-49: 20,231
Females age 16-49: 19,891 (2010 est.)

Manpower Reaching Militarily Significant Age Annually:

 Male: 686
Female: 650 (2010 est.)

Military Expenditures:

 2% of GDP (2006 est.)

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TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES

Disputes - International:

 Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)

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Last Updated: December 2011

Seychelles Main Page World Factbook Main Page





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