Seychelles

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

agricultural land:

6.5%;

• arable land 2.2%;
• permanent crops 4.3%;
• permanent pasture 0%

forest:

88.5%

other:

5% (2011 est.)

• more than three-quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe;
• Praslin contains less than 10%;
• a smaller percent on La Digue and the outer islands

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

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

noun:

Seychellois (singular and plural)

adjective:

Seychellois

• more than three-quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe;
• Praslin contains less than 10%;
• a smaller percent on La Digue and the outer islands

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.12 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.64 male(s)/female

total population:

1.06 male(s)/female (2016 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 SECHELLES, the finance minister of France, in 1756

name:

Victoria

geographic coordinates:

4 37 S, 55 27 E

time difference:

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

history:

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

amendments:

• 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;
• amended several times, last in 2017 (2017)

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

chief of state:

• President Danny FAURE (since 16 October 2016);
• Vice President Vincent MERITON (since 28 October 2016);
• note - James Alix MICHEL resigned the presidency effective 16 October 2016;
• the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Danny FAURE (since 16 October 2016);
• Vice President Vincent MERITON (since 28 October 2016);
• note - James Alix MICHEL resigned the presidency effective 16 October 2016

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for 1 additional term);
• election last held on 3-5 December 2015 with runoff on 16-18 December 2015 (next to be held in December 2020)

election results:

President James Alix MICHEL reelected president; percent of vote in second round - James Alix MICHEL (PL) 50.2%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 49.8%

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 appointed 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

• Lafors Demokratik Seselwa or LSD (Martin AGLAE)
• People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [James Alix MICHEL] (formerly SPPF)
• Seselwa (Seychelles) United Party or SUP [Robert ERNESTA] (formerly the New Democratic Party or NDP)
• Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO)
• Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy or SPSD
• Seychelles Patriotic Movement or SPM [Regis FRANCOURT]
• Seychelloise Alliance (Lalyans Seselwa) [Patrick PILLAY]
• Seychellois Democratic Alliance (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa) or LDS [Roger MANCIENNE] (includes SNP, Seychelloise Alliance, SPSD, SUP)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ronald Jean JUMEAU (since 8 September 2017)

chancery:

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 972-1785

FAX:

[1] (212) 972-1786

consulate(s) general:

New York

• 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

name:

"Koste Seselwa" (Seychellois Unite)

lyrics/music:

David Francois Marc ANDRE and George Charles Robert PAYET

note: adopted 1996

agriculture:

3%

industry:

23%

services:

74% (2006)

lowest 10%:

4.7%

highest 10%:

15.4% (2007)

general assessment:

effective system

domestic:

• combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is approximately 185 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) (2016)

• 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 through 2 providers;
• the government operates 1 AM and 1 FM radio station;
• there is 1 privately operated radio station;
• transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are accessible in Victoria (2016)

number of registered air carriers:

1; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

497,496

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

19,234,992 mt-km (2015)

total:

526 km

paved:

514 km

unpaved:

12 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 196

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)

country comparison to the world: 118