Country name

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

Government 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), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

National holiday

Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Location

Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates

4 35 S, 55 40 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 455 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

491 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions)

territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM

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: 2.22%
permanent crops: 13.33%
other: 84.45% (1998 est.)

GDP

purchasing power parity - $626 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 24.4%
services: 73.2% (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

industry 19%, services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989)

Industries

fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages

Agriculture - products

coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish

Exports

$250 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)

Exports - partners

UK 24.6%, France 17.1%, Mauritius 8.7%, Italy 7.5%, US 7.2%, Germany 6.7%, Japan 5.8%, Netherlands 5.8%, Spain 5.8%, Thailand 5.5% (2002)

Imports

$383.7 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 14.8%, France 12.2%, South Africa 10.9%, Spain 9.4%, Italy 9.1%, Singapore 6.8%, UK 5.7% (2002)

Currency

Seychelles rupee (SCR)

Currency code

SCR

Exchange rates

Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.4 (2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.86 (2001), 5.71 (2000), 5.34 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year