Seychelles Population: 90,846
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| Background | |
| A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected in 2001, but stepped down in 2004. Vice President James MICHEL took over the presidency and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term; he was reelected in May 2011. |
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| Geography | |
| 41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands | |
| Location: | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar |
| Geographic coordinates: | 4 35 S, 55 40 E |
| Area: | total: 455 sq km land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 491 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| 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 |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m |
| Natural resources: | fish, copra, cinnamon trees |
| Land use: | arable land: 2.17% permanent crops: 13.04% other: 84.79% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 3 sq km |
| Natural hazards: | lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts |
| Current Environment Issues: | water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater |
| International Environment Agreements: | 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 90,846 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 21.2% (male 9,852/female 9,364) 15-24 years: 14.6% (male 6,932/female 6,293) 25-54 years: 49.3% (male 23,471/female 21,306) 55-64 years: 7.8% (male 3,663/female 3,378) 65 years and over: 7.3% (male 2,520/female 4,067) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 32.9 years male: 32.4 years female: 33.4 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.922% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 15.1 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 1.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 11.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 14.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 73.77 years male: 69.14 years female: 78.54 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.89 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois |
| Ethnic groups: | mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 82.3%, Protestant 7.5% (Anglican 6.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.1%), other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census) |
| Languages: | Creole 91.8%, English (official) 4.9%, other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.8% male: 91.4% female: 92.3% (2002 census) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles local long form: Republic of Seychelles local short form: Seychelles |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | name: Victoria geographic coordinates: 4 37 S, 55 27 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 25 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Royale, Au Cap, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand Anse Mahe, Grand Anse Praslin, Inner Islands, La Riviere Anglaise, Les Mamalles, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port Glaud, Roche Caiman, Saint Louis, Takamaka |
| Independence: | 29 June 1976 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993) |
| Constitution: | 18 June 1993 |
| Legal system: | mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); Vice President Danny FAURE (since 1 July 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); Vice President Danny FAURE (since 1 July 2010) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on 19-21 May 2011 (next to be held in 2016) election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 55.5%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 41.4%, Philippe BOULLE 1.7%, Ralph VOLCERE 1.5%; note - this was the second election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004 |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 29 September - 1 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); note - the National Assembly was dissolved in July 2011 resulting in early elections election results: percent of vote by party - PL 88.6%, PDM 10.9%, independents 0.6%; seats by party - PL 31, vacant - 3; note - the ruling SPPF changed its name to People's Party (Party Lepep) in June 2009; the SNP and NDP boycotted the 2011 elections |
| Judicial branch: | Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president |
| Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; New Democratic Party or NDP; People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [France Albert RENE]; Popular Democratic Movement or PDM; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Roman Catholic Church other: trade unions |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Marie-Louise Cecile POTTER chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles |
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| Economy | |
| Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence, near-subsistence level, moving the island into the upper-middle-income group of countries. 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. In recent years, the government has encouraged foreign investment 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. In July 2008 the government defaulted on a Euro amortizing note worth roughly US$80 million, leading to a downgrading of Seychelles credit rating. In an effort to obtain loans to service its debt, Seychelles in November 2008 signed a standby arrangement with the IMF that mandated floating the exchange rate, removing foreign exchange controls, cutting government spending, and tightening monetary policy. In response to Seychelles' successful implementation of these policies, the IMF upgraded Seychelles to a three-year extended fund facility (EFF) of $31 million in December 2009. In 2008, GDP fell more than 1% due to declining tourism and the initial effects of liberalization, but the economy recovered in 2010-11 after the reforms took hold and tourism increased. Growth slowed again in 2012 with flagging tourism from Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Seychelles is attempting to implement further structural reforms, including overhauling the tax system, reorganizing of state enterprises, and deregulating the finance and communications sectors. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.41 billion (2012 est.) $2.339 billion (2011 est.) $2.226 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $971 million (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 3% (2012 est.) 5.1% (2011 est.) 6.7% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $26,200 (2012 est.) $25,800 (2011 est.) $24,800 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 2% industry: 18.5% services: 79.5% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 39,560 (2006) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 3% industry: 23% services: 74% (2006) |
| Unemployment rate: | 2% (2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 4.7% highest 10%: 15.4% (2007) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.2% (2012 est.) 2.6% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 41.7% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $390.7 million expenditures: $376.3 million (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 39.3% of GDP (2012 est.) 44.4% of GDP (2011 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), copra, bananas; poultry; tuna |
| Industries: | fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 2% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 245 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 176 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 227.9 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$179.8 million (2012 est.) -$211.1 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $501.8 million (2012 est.) $495.1 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports) |
| Exports - partners: | France 26.5%, UK 21%, Japan 11%, Italy 10% (2011) |
| Imports: | $890.8 million (2012 est.) $877.1 million (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals, other manufactured goods |
| Imports - partners: | Saudi Arabia 23.9%, Spain 8.3%, France 5.8%, South Africa 5%, Singapore 4.1% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $272.8 million (31 December 2012 est.) $252.3 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $1.453 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $1.475 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 13.82 (2012 est.) 12.381 (2011 est.) 12.068 (2010 est.) 13.61 (2009) 8 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 27,900 (2011) country comparison to the world: 180 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 126,600 (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: effective system domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 170 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) (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .sc |
| Internet hosts: | 247 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 32,000 (2008) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 14 (2012) country comparison to the world: 150 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2012) |
| Heliports: | 1 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total: 508 km paved: 490 km unpaved: 18 km (2003) |
| Merchant marine: | 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) |
| Ports and terminals: | Victoria |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2012) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 26,257 females age 16-49: 23,996 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 20,231 females age 16-49: 19,891 (2010 est.) |
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