Seychelles

§1. 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.

§2. Seychelles Geography

Location:
  archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
  4 35 S, 55 40 E

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 455 km²
  land: 455 km²
  water: 0 km²

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:
  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 km²

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
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

§3. Seychelles 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 growth rate:
  0.43% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  16.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.08 years
  male: 66.69 years
  female: 77.63 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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: 91.9%
  male: 91.4%
  female: 92.3% (2003 est.)

§4. Seychelles Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
  conventional short form: Seychelles

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  Victoria

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 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

Suffrage:
  17 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President James 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); 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; election
    last held 31 August-2 September 2001 (next to be held August 2006)
  election results: France Albert RENE re-elected president; percent of vote
    - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 54.19%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 44.95%,
    Philippe BOULLE 0.86%; note - the first time that presidential elections
    have been held separately from legislative elections; France Albert RENE
    stepped down 14 April 2004 and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn in
    as president

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 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 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, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement Seychellois
  pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National Party or SNP
  (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles
  People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] - the
  governing party

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Roman Catholic Church; trade unions

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, 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 representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jeremie BONNELAME
  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 the Seychelles

Flag description:
  five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green
  (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side

§5. Seychelles Economy

Economy - overview:
  Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this 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 (purchasing power parity):
  $626 million (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $722 million (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  -3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $7,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 3.2%
  industry: 30.4%
  services: 66.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  30,900 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 10%, industry 19%, services 71% (1989)

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  41.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $343.3 million
  expenditures: $332.2 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  129.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas;
  poultry; tuna

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  241.3 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  224.4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  7,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-16.66 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $312.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products
  (reexports)

Exports - partners:
  UK 27.7%, France 15.8%, Spain 12.6%, Japan 8.6%, Italy 7.5%, Germany 5.6%
  (2004)

Imports:
  $459.9 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
  Saudi Arabia 15.5%, Spain 13.3%, France 10.3%, Singapore 7%, South Africa
  6.8%, Italy 6.7%, UK 4.7% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $29.16 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $276.8 million (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $16.4 million (1995)

Currency (code):
  Seychelles rupee (SCR)

Exchange rates:
  Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004), 5.4007 (2003),
  5.48 (2002), 5.8575 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Seychelles Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  21,200 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  54,500 (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: effective 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 broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:
  .sc

Internet hosts:
  525 (2005)

Internet users:
  20,000 (2005)

§7. Seychelles Transportation

Airports:
  15 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 3 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 4 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 280 km
  paved: 176 km
  unpaved: 104 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 69,777 GRT/112,464 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4
  foreign-owned: 3 (Cyprus 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Victoria

§8. Seychelles Military

Military branches:
  Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Navy Wing, Air Wing),
    National Guard (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 21,612 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 16,122 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $14.85 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2.1% (2005 est.)

§9. Seychelles Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago
  (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)


<Factbook 2006>
