Vital Statistics

The Seychelles Archipelago consists of more than 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, mainly between Latitudes 4 degrees and 10 degrees South and Longitudes 45 degrees and 60 degrees East.
The islands are clustered into several groups.  The main group consisting of the Mahe group of 40 steeply mountainous granitic islands.  About 75 flat coral islands are clustered into several outlying coralline groups, of which Aldabra, Farquhar, and the Amirante group are the most prominent.
These three groups of islands were dependencies of the Seychelles until 1965 and belonged to the British Indian Ocean Territory.  They were returned to Seychelles control in 1976.

The main island of Mahe covers about 89 sq. miles (144 sq. km).

Nearest Countries: Nearest countries:
west: Kenya and Tanzania.
south: Madagascar and Mauritius.
northeast: Maldives.
Time: Greenwich Mean Time plus 4 hours.
Climate:Climate: tropical; average temperature 75 degrees F. (24 degrees C.)
rainfall varies between islands; average between 52 inches (132 centimeters)
and 92 inches (234 centimeters).
December-May hot season, average temperature 86 degrees F. (30 degrees C.)
June-November cool season, average temperature 75 degrees F. (24 degrees C.)

Status: republic.
Capital: Victoria, on Mahe (estimated population 24,325)
Population: 68,000 increasing by 0.9 per cent per year; 35.1 per cent under 15 years of age; life expectancy 70 years; and, infant mortality 18 per 1,000 live births.
Official Language: Creole.
Main Languages: Creole, English, French.
Main Religion: Christianity, Catholicism.
Currency: 1 Seychelles Rupee (US$0.198) = 100 cents.
Exports: canned tuna, fresh and frozen fish, copra, cinnamon bark, guano, re-exports.
Imports: machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, mineral fuels (of which much is re-exported), manufactures.
Main Industries: fishing, beverages, tobacco, guano extraction, consumer goods  manufacturing.
Main Crops: coconut, cinnamon bark, tea, bananas.
Tourism: main economic activity, contributes about 50 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and more than 70 per cent of total foreign exchange earnings; approximately 90,000 arrivals per year.
U.S. Foreign Service:
            American Embassy
            Box 251
            Victoria, Mahe
            Tel: (248) 225256 * Fax: 225189

Flag: Go to Flag

National Anthem:
Avec couraze disipline nou ti briz tou barier.
Gouvernaye dan nou lamin, nou pou reste touzour Frer.
Zamin, zamin nou pou aret lite.
Plito lamor qui viv dan lesclavaz!
Zamin, zamin nou pou aret lite.
Legalite pou nou tou!
Laliberte pou tou zour!

Chorus

Debout, Zome lib!
Fier Seychellois,
Nou la port ine ouvert.
Nou semin ine trace,
Nou soleil ine leve,
Nou pa pou tourne derier.
Debout, Zome lib!
Debout, Seychellois!
Enou reste dan Linite, dan Laliberte!
Avec dignite nou later nou bezouin kiltive,
Ave determinasion lamer nou pou exploite.
Enou touzour mars nou tou ensam,
Pou recolte tou sa qui noune sinmin.
Enou tou zour mars nou tou ensam,
Fraternite dan leker, nou lavenir devan nou.

Chorus

Translation:
With courage and discipline we have broken all barriers.
With the tiller in our hands, we will always remain brothers.
Never, never shall we cease struggling.
Death rather than to live in slavery!
Never, never shall we cease struggling.
Equality for all of us! Freedom for ever!

Chorus

Rise, free men!
Proud Seychellois, our doors are open.
Our path is traced,
Our sun has risen,
We will not turn back.
Rise, free men!
Rise, Seychellois!
Let us remain in unity and liberty.
With dignity we must cultivate our land,
With determination we must exploit our seas.
Let us for ever march together
To harvest all we have planted.
Let us for ever march together,
Fraternity in our hearts, to the future ahead of us.

Chorus

Geography

Location: Eastern Africa in the western Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar
Map References: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
                               Latitude:       4 degrees 40' South
                               Longitude: 55 degrees 10' East 
Area: total land area 455 sq km,  the size of Washington, DC
Land Boundaries: none, 0 km
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime Claims: continental shelf 200 nm or the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone 200 nm territorial sea 12 nm
International Disputes: Tromelin Island
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
Natural Resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land Use: arable land 4% permanent crops 18% meadows and pastures 0% forest and  woodland 18% other 60%
Irrigated Land: N/A, 0 sq km
Environment: current issues; no fresh ground water, catchments collect rain water, short droughts possible.
Natural Hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare.
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling.
Note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

People

Population: 72,113 (July 1994 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 0.84% (1994 est.)
Birth Rate: 21.88 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death Rate: 6.93 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net Migration Rate: -6.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: total population 69.67 years, male 66.05 years,
                                              female 73.39 years (1994 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality: noun Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective Seychelles
Ethnic Divisions: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
Languages: English (official), French (official), Creole
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write, (1971) total population 58%, male 56%, female 60%
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)

Government

Country Names: conventional long form,  Republic of Seychelles
                             conventional short form,  Seychelles
Digraph: SE
Type: republic
Capital: Victoria
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.
Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
National Holiday: National Day, 18 June (1993) ( adoption of new constitution)
Constitution: 18 June 1993
Legal System: based on English common law, French civil law, and
customary law.
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal.
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
                 James R. MANCHAM (PS party) 36.72%
Cabinet:  Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative Branch: unicameral
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
Judicial Branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Political Parties and Leaders:
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;;
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, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO (correspondent), NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO
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
     FAX (212) 922-9177

Economy

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.
National Product: GNP - exchange rate conversion - $407 million (1992 est.)
National Product Real Growth Rate: 4% (1992 est.)
National Product Per Capita: $5,900 (1992 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices): 3.3% (1992 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 9% (1987)
Budget: revenues $172 million, expenditures $181 million, including capital expenditures of $48 million (1991 est.)
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)
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)
External Debt: $201 million (1992 est.)
Industrial Production: growth rate 1.3% (1991); accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity: capacity;  30,000 kW, production; 80 million kWh, consumption per capita; 1,160 kWh (1991)
Industries: tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage
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
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
Currency: Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
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)
Fiscal Year: calendar year

Communications

Highways: total 260 km, paved 160 km, unpaved crushed stone, earth 100 km
Ports: Victoria
Merchant Marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (over 1,000 GRT) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT
Airports: total 14. Usable 14. Number of permanent-surface runways,  8.
Number of runways over 3,659 m, 0 (zero).
Number of runways 2,440-3,659 m,  1.
Number of runways 1,220-2,439 m,  0 (zero).
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 (closed)

Defense Forces

Branches: Army, National Guard, Marines, Coast Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 19,399; fit for military service 9,900
Defense Expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $12 million, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)