Seychelles

republicIndependence 29 June 1976 (from UK)

Seychelles as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 68 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalVictoria

Area455 km2

Populationas each edition published it

68,932 people July 1991 · 68,336 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.88% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 69.26 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.5 children per woman 1991 · 2.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

15 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 15 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $5,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -4.5% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

455km2

land area: 455 km2Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

491 km Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Land use

arable land 4%;
permanent crops 18%;
meadows and pastures 0%;
forest and woodland 18%;
other 60%

Environment

lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare;
short droughts possible;
no fresh water, catchments collect rain;
40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Note

located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

People

14 fields

Population

68,932

(July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

23Death

Religion

Roman Catholic 90%Anglican 8%other 2%

Literacy

58%

(male 56%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Nationality

noun--Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective--Seychelles

Ethnic divisions

Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Labor force

27,700;
industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985);
57% of population of working age (1983)

Government

Republic

18 fields

National Assembly, 23 seats, elected 5 December 1987one dot, one seat

(25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23

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 Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Independence

29 June 1976 (from UK)

Constitution

5 June 1979

Legal system

based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law

National holiday

Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 5 June (1977)

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch

unicameral People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977)

Political parties and leaders

only party--Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert RENE

Suffrage

universal at age 17 President--last held 9-11 June 1989 (next to be held June 1994);
results--President France Albert RENE reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held 5 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992);
results--SPPF is the only party;
seats--(25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23

Communists

negligible, although some Cabinet ministers espouse pro-Soviet line

Other political or pressure groups

trade unions, Roman Catholic Church

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO;
Chancery (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10017;
telephone (212) 687-9766;
US--Ambassador James B. MORAN;
Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, and Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, or APO New York 09030-0006);
telephone (248) 25256

Flag

three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest

Economy

In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides the main source of hard currency earnings.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$283million

per capita $4,100; real growth rate 7.0% (1989)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.5%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

(1987)

External debt

$171million

(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$170 millionExpenditures

$173 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Overview

In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides the main source of hard currency earnings. 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 high dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.

Exports

$31 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports);
partners--France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)

Imports

$164 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products;
partners--UK 20%, France 14%, South Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%, Japan 6% (1987)

Industrial production

growth rate 7% (1987); accounts for 10% of GDP

Electricity

25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage

Agriculture

accounts for 7% of GDP, mostly subsistence farming;
cash crops--coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla;
other products--sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas;
broiler chickens;
large share of food needs imported;
expansion of tuna fishing under way

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-88), $310 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $60 million

Communications

6 fields

Airports, 14 total, 14 usable

permanent-surface runways

8runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

none

direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries;
13,000 telephones;
stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station;
USAF tracking station