Seychelles

Airports

total: 14 usable: 14 with permanent-surface runways: 8 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

Highways

total: 260 km paved: 160 km unpaved: crushed stone, earth 100 km

Merchant marine

1 refrigerated cargo (over 1,000 GRT) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT

Ports

Victoria

Telecommunications

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

Branches

Army, National Guard, Marines, Coast Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $12 million, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 19,399; fit for military service 9,900

Agriculture

accounts for 5% 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

Budget

revenues: $172 million expenditures: $181 million, including capital expenditures of $48 million (1991 est.)

Currency

1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-89), $315 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $60 million

Electricity

capacity: 30,000 kW production: 80 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,160 kWh (1991)

Exchange rates

Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1 - 5.2681 (January 1994), 5.1815 (1993), 5.1220 (1992), 5.2893 (1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989)

Exports

$47 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (re-exports) partners: UK 54% France 23%, Reunion 14%, (1991)

External debt

$201 million (1992 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$192 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: manufactured goods, food, petroleum products, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment partners: South Africa 13%, Singapore 12%, UK 12% (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate 1.3% (1991); accounts for 12% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.3% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $407 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$5,900 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

4% (1992 est.)

Overview

In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% 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.

Unemployment rate

9% (1987)

Area

total area: 455 sq km land area: 455 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

491 km

Environment

current issues: no fresh water, catchments collect rain water natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

International disputes

claims Tromelin Island

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

Eastern Africa in the western Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Note

40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Terrain

Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

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 Larue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Capital

Victoria

Constitution

18 June 1993

Digraph

SE

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Marc Michael Rogers MARENGO chancery: (temporary) 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10017 telephone: (212) 687-9766 or 9767

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); election last held 20- 23 July 1993; results - President France Albert RENE reelected by 59.5% of votes, MANCHAM (PS party) 36.72% cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

FAX

(212) 922-9177

FAX

(248) 25189

Flag

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

Independence

29 June 1976 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO

Names

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

National holiday

National Day, 18 June (1993) ( adoption of new constitution)

Other political or pressure groups

trade unions; Roman Catholic Church

People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)

elections last held 20-23 July 1993; results - SPPF 82%, DP 15%, UO 3%; seats - (33 total, 22 elected) SPPF 22

Political parties and leaders

ruling party - Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert RENE; Democratic Party (DP), Sir James MANCHAM; United Opposition (UO) is a coalition of the following parties: Seychelles Party (PS), Wavel RAMKALAWAN; Seychelles Democratic Movement (MSPD), Jacques HONDOUL; Seychelles Liberal Party (SLP), Ogilvie BERLOUIS;;

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew F. MATTINGLY embassy: 4th Floor, Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe mailing address: Box 148, Unit 62501, Victoria, Seychelles; APO AE 09815-2501 telephone: (248) 25256

Birth rate

21.88 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

6.93 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Infant mortality rate

11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

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

Languages

English (official), French (official), Creole

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.67 years male: 66.05 years female: 73.39 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1971) total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60%

Nationality

noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychelles

Net migration rate

-6.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

72,113 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.84% (1994 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%

Total fertility rate

2.23 children born/woman (1994 est.)