Seychelles
Republic of Seychelles
republicIndependence 29 June 1976 (from UK)
Seychelles as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 95 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, | northeast of Madagascar
18 fieldsLand useshare of 455 sq km
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
Environment-international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 30% (male 11,787; female 11,694)
- 15-64 years:
- 64% (male 24,555; female 25,681)
- 65 years and over:
- 6% (male 1,700; female 3,224) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.95 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.52 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Government
Republic; President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
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 Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); 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 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
- election results:
- President France Albert RENE reelected; percent of vote-France Albert RENE (SPPF) 61%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 27%, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 12%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (35 seats, 25 popularly elected by direct vote, 10 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 9 percent of the vote; members serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party-NA;
- seats by party (elected)-SPPF 24, DP 1;
- seats by party (awarded)-SPPF 6, DP 1, UO 3
note: the 10 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of each party in the total vote
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president; Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders
- ruling party-Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE];
- Democratic Party or DP;
- United Opposition or UO [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] - a coalition of the
- following parties:
- Seychelles Party or PS [Wavel RAMKALAWAN], Seychelles Democratic Movement or MSPD [Jacques HONDOUL], and Seychelles Liberal Party or SLP [Ogilvie BERLOUIS];
- New Democratic Party [Christopher GILL (former member of DP)]
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Claude MOREL
- chancery:
- (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of Seychelles to the United Nations, 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10017
- telephone:
- [1] (212) 972-1785
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
Economy
Since independence in 1976, per capita output in | this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the | old near-subsistence level.
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1994)
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, which accounted for 70% of GDP in 1996-97.
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. The vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war.
Although the industry has rebounded, the government recognizes the continuing need for upgrading the sector in the face of stiff international competition.
Industries
- fishing;
- tourism;
- processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture;
- beverages
Agriculture-products
- coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas;
- broiler chickens;
- tuna fishing (expansion under way)
Exports
- total value:
- $56.1 million ( f.o.b., 1995)
- commodities:
- fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (re-exports)
- partners:
- France, UK, China, Germany, Japan (1993)
Imports
- total value:
- $238 million (c.i.f., 1995)
- commodities:
- manufactured goods, food, petroleum products, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment
- partners:
- China, Singapore, South Africa, UK (1993)
Exchange rates
Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1-5.1901 (January 1998), 5.0263 (1997), 4.9700 (1996), 4.7620 (1995), 5.0559 (1994), 5.1815 (1993)
Telephone system
- domestic:
- radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago
- international:
- direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Transportation
7 fieldsNetworkskm
Military
Army, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard, | Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
5 fieldsMilitary branches
Army, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
Transnational Issues
1 fieldIntroduction
1 fieldCurrent issues
On 25 May 1997, the democratically-elected government of President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH was overthrown by disgruntled army personnel under the command of Major Johnny Paul KOROMA; President KABBAH fled to exile in Guinea. The Economic Community of West African States Cease-Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) forces, led by a strong Nigerian contingent, undertook the suppression of the rebellion.
They were initially unsuccessful, but, by October 1997, they forced the rebels to agree to a cease-fire and to a plan to return the government to democratic control by 22 April 1998. However, the agreed demobilization of the combatants was not carried out by the rebel junta. On 5 February 1998, hostilities broke out in the outskirts of Freetown and ECOMOG mounted a major offensive, completely routing the rebels.
President KABBAH returned to office on 10 March to face the task of restoring order to a demoralized population and a disorganized and severely damaged economy.
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Seychelles.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/seychelles/1998.