Seychelles

• tropical marine;
• humid;
• cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September);
• warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

• Mahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior;
• others are relatively flat coral atolls, or elevated reefs;
• sits atop the submarine Mascarene Plateau

• more than three quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe;
• Praslin is home to less than 10%, and a smaller percentage is on La Digue and the outer islands, as shown in this population distribution map

• the smallest African country in terms of both area and population;
• the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands, including 42 granitic and 113 coralline;
• the largest island by far is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and is the site of the capital city of Victoria

noun:

Seychellois (singular and plural)

adjective:

Seychellois

total:

39.2 years (2025 est.)

male:

38.2 years

female:

39.4 years

• more than three quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe;
• Praslin is home to less than 10%, and a smaller percentage is on La Digue and the outer islands, as shown in this population distribution map

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.14 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.76 male(s)/female

total population:

1.08 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

10 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

12.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

7.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.6 years (2024 est.)

male:

72.2 years

female:

81.1 years

total:

9.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

4.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

4.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

20.5% (2025 est.)

male:

34.2% (2025 est.)

female:

5.2% (2025 est.)

• limited freshwater resources;
• water pollution;
• biodiversity

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• tropical marine;
• humid;
• cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September);
• warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

urban population:

58.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

48,000 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

24.4% (2022 est.)

municipal:

9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

3.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

900,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Seychelles

conventional short form:

Seychelles

local long form:

Republic of Seychelles

local short form:

Seychelles

etymology:

• named by French Captain Corneille Nicholas MORPHEY after Jean Moreau de SÉCHELLES, the finance minister of France, in 1756;
• the British changed the spelling of the name in 1815 when they acquired the islands

name:

Victoria

geographic coordinates:

4 37 S, 55 27 E

time difference:

UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the British named the town Port Victoria in 1841 after Queen VICTORIA; the name was later shortened

history:

previous 1970, 1979; latest drafted May 1993, approved by referendum 18 June 1993, effective 23 June 1993

amendment process:

• proposed by the National Assembly;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly;
• passage of amendments affecting the country’s sovereignty, symbols and languages, the supremacy of the constitution, fundamental rights and freedoms, amendment procedures, and dissolution of the Assembly also requires approval by at least 60% of voters in a referendum

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Seychelles

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

highest court(s):

• Seychelles Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices);
• Supreme Court of Seychelles (consists of the chief justice and 9 puisne judges);
• Constitutional Court (consists of 3 Supreme Court judges)

judge selection and term of office:

all judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Appointments Authority, a 3-member body, with 1 member appointed by the president of the republic, 1 by the opposition leader in the National Assembly, and 1 by the other 2 appointees; judges serve until retirement at age 70

subordinate courts:

• Magistrates' Courts of Seychelles;
• Family Tribunal for issues such as domestic violence, child custody, and maintenance;
• Employment Tribunal for labor-related disputes

• Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy or SPSJD
• Seychellois Democratic Alliance or LDS (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa/Union Démocratique Seychelloise)
• Seychelles National Party or SNP
• United Seychelles or US

chief of mission:

Ambassador Vivianne FOCK TAVE (since 16 December 2025); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

chancery:

685 Third Avenue, Suite 1107, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 972-1785

FAX:

[1] (212) 972-1786

email address and website:

[email protected]; Foreign Affairs Department Republic of Seychelles » United States of America (mfa.gov.sc)

chief of mission:

• Ambassador Henry V. JARDINE (since 22 February 2023) and Chargé d’Affaires Adham LOUTFI (since 6 October 2023);
• note - Ambassador JARDINE is posted in Mauritius and is accredited to Seychelles, and Chargé d’Affaires LOUTFI is posted in Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

embassy:

2nd Floor, Oliaji Trade Center, Victoria Mahe, Seychelles; note - US Embassy in Seychelles reopened on 1 June 2023 after having been closed in 1996

telephone:

[248] 422 5256

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://sc.usembassy.gov/

description:

five expanding bands of blue, yellow, red, white, and green, radiating from the bottom left corner

meaning:

• the bands symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future;
• blue stands for the sky and sea, yellow for the sun giving light and life, red for the people's determination to work for the future in unity and love, white for social justice and harmony, and green for the land and natural environment

title:

"Koste Seselwa" (Seychellois Unite)

lyrics/music:

David Francois Marc ANDRE and George Charles Robert PAYET

history:

adopted 1996

total World Heritage Sites:

2 (both natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Aldabra Atoll ; Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve

• high-income Indian Ocean island economy;
• rapidly growing tourism sector;
• major tuna exporter;
• offshore financial hub;
• environmentally fragile and investing in ocean rise mitigation;
• recently discovered offshore oil potential;
• successful anticorruption efforts

agriculture:

2.5% (2024 est.)

industry:

12.3% (2024 est.)

services:

65.8% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

lowest 10%:

2.6% (2018 est.)

highest 10%:

23.9% (2018 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

• state-run national broadcaster Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) has the only terrestrial TV station, which also airs broadcasts from international services;
• privately owned Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) channel;
• multi-channel cable and satellite TV available through 2 providers;
• SBC operates 1 AM and 1 FM radio station;
• 2 privately operated radio stations;
• transmissions of 2 international broadcasters available in Victoria (2019)

total ports:

1 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

0

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Victoria

• formed in 1977, the SDF is one of the World's smallest militaries;
• its primary responsibility is maritime security, including countering illegal fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling;
• it was given police powers in 2022;
• the Seychelles maintains close security ties with India, which has provided support to the SDF's maritime security operations (2025)