TOTAL AREA: 455 sq km (175 sq mi); LAND AREA: 455 sq km (175 sq mi)
COMPARATIVE AREA: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
LAND BOUNDARIES: none
COASTLINE: 491 km (305 mi)
MARITIME CLAIMS:
CONTINENTAL SHELF: edge of continental margin or 200 nm
EXTENDED ECONOMIC ZONE: 200 nm
TERRITORIAL SEA: 12 nm
DISPUTES: claims 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: 4% arable land; 18% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 60% other
ENVIRONMENT: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; no fresh water, catchements collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
NOTE: located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
NET MIGRATION RATE: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1989)
INFANT MORTALITY RATE: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1989)
LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH: 67 years male, 76 years female (1989)
TOTAL FERTILITY RATE: 3.2 children born/woman (1989)
NATIONALITY: noun--Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective--Seychelles
ETHNIC DIVISIONS: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
RELIGION: 90% Roman Catholic, 8% Anglican, 2% other
LANGUAGE: English and French (official); Creole
LITERACY: 60%
LABOR FORCE: 27,700; 31% industry and commerce, 21% services, 20% government, 12% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 16% other (1985); 57% of population of working age (1983)
ORGANIZED LABOR: three major trade unions
.GOVERNMENT OF SEYCHELLES
LONG-FORM NAME: Republic of Seychelles
CAPITAL: Victoria
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS: none
INDEPENDENCE: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
CONSTITUTION: 5 June 1979
LEGAL SYSTEM: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 5 June (1977)
BRANCHES: president; Council of Ministers; People's Assembly (25 members--23 elected and two appointed by the president for four-year terms)
CHIEF OF STATE: and Head of Government President France Albert RENE (assumed the presidency 5 June 1977, elected President 26 June 1979)
SUFFRAGE: universal adult
ELECTIONS: general election held June 1979 gave 98% approval to Rene as only presidential candidate on yes/no ballot; reelected in June 1984 with 92% of vote; People's Assembly election held in 1987
POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS: Rene, who heads the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, came to power by a military coup in June 1977; until then he had been Prime Minister in an uneasy coalition with then President James Mancham, who headed the Seychelles Democratic Party; Rene banned the Seychelles Democratic Party in March 1978 and in March 1979 announced a new Constitution that turned the country into a one-party state
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO; Chancery (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 687-9766
U.S. FOREIGN SERVICE POST: Ambassador James MORAN; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, or APO New York 09030); telephone 23921 or 23922
FLAG: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest
.ECONOMY OF SEYCHELLES
OVERVIEW: The tourist industry makes an important contribution to the economy, employing about 30% of the labor force and providing the main source of hard currency earnings. In recent years the government has launched a program to further promote the tourist industry by attracting foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. By doing so the government hopes to reduce an unemployment rate at the double-digit level.
GDP: $192 million, per capita $2,924; real growth rate 1.4%; (1986)
INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): 2.6% (1987)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 15% (1986)
BUDGET: revenues $106 million; expenditures $130 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1987)
EXPORTS: $19 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities-- fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports); partners-- Pakistan, France, Reunion, UK, Mauritius
IMPORTS: $106 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities-- manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products; partners-- Bahrain, UK, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, France
EXTERNAL DEBT: $178 million (December 1988)
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION: growth rate 10.9% (1985)
ELECTRICITY: 25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per capita (1988)
INDUSTRIES: tourism is the largest industry; processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage
AGRICULTURE: cash crops--coconuts and copra, also cinnamon, vanilla, green leaf tea, patchouli (used for perfumes); food crops--small quantities of sweet potatoes, cassava, sugarcane, and bananas; not self-sufficient in foodstuffs and the bulk of the supply must be imported; cattle, pigs, fish
AID: US commitments (FY78-87), $19 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-86), $264 million; Communist countries (1970-87), $53 million
AIRPORTS: 14 total, 14 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries; 13,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; USAF tracking station
.DEFENSE FORCES OF SEYCHELLES
BRANCHES: Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia
MILITARY MANPOWER: males 15-49, 17,242; 8,848 fit for military service
MILITARY BUDGET: $11.2 million, 8.1% of central government budget (1987)
.TRAVEL IN SEYCHELLES
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Valid passport required. Visitor's visa issued upon arrival, no charge, for stay up to 1 month, extendable up to 1 year. Tourists must have onward/return tickets and sufficient funds for stay. Vaccination certificate not required.
HEALTH: Facilities are good, if not up to U.S. standards. Seychelles' isolation reduces the risk of contracting tropical diseases. Health requirements change; check latest information.
TOURIST OFFICES: Seychelles Tourist Office, Independence House, Box 47, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, Tel 22881; P.O. Box 33018, St. Petersburg, FL 33733, Tel 813-864-3013.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING: Light, tropical clothing is suitable year round. Ties are not worn.
TELEPHONE: When direct dialing to the Seychelles from the U.S., dial 011 (international access code) + 248 [country code] + local number, or made through the international operator.
TIME: 9 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
ELECTRIC CURRENT: 240V
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: Liberation Day (Jun 5); Independence Day (Jun 29).
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: Beaches, water sports, Marine National Park, Valley of May on Praslin Island, Bird Island, and Aldabra refuge.
IMPORTANT!! All requirements/recommendations are subject to change. Be sure to check latest information.
