Airports [time series]

14 total, 14 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

3 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

260 km total; 160 km bituminous, 100 km crushed stone or earth

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Victoria

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

6% of GDP, or $12 million (1990 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 17,073; 8,776 fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 7% 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

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-88), $23 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-87), $297 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $56 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $106 million; expenditures $130 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1987)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Seychelles rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents

Electricity [time series]

25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Seychelles rupees (SR) per US$1--5.4884 (January 1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$17 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports); partners--France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$178 million (December 1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$255 million, per capita $3,720; real growth rate 6.2%; (1988 est.)

Imports [time series]

$116 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products; partners--UK 20%, France 14%, South Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%, Japan 6% (1987)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 7% (1987)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.3% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

In this small, open tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides the main source 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 [time series]

15% (1986)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

491 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Continental shelf [time series]

edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

claims Tromelin Island

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Note [time series]

located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

Terrain [time series]

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

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

455 km2; land area: 455 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

none; note--there may be 21 administrative districts named Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie St. Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand Anse (on Mahe Island), Grand Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port-Glaud, Riviere Anglaise, St. Louis, Takamaka

Capital [time series]

Victoria

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

negligible, although some Cabinet ministers espouse pro-Soviet line

Constitution [time series]

5 June 1979

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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; US--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

Executive branch [time series]

president, Council of Ministers

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

29 June 1976 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal, Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Seychelles

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 5 June (1977)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

trade unions, Roman Catholic Church

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

only party--Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert Rene

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 17 President--last held 9-11 June 1989 (next to be held June 1994); results--President France Albert Rene reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 5 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992); results--SPPF is the only party; seats--(25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; member of the Commonwealth

Birth rate [time series]

24 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

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)

Languages (Language) [time series]

English and French (official); Creole

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

65 years male, 75 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

60%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective--Seychelles

Net migration rate [time series]

- 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

three major trade unions

Population [time series]

68,336 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.6 children born/woman (1990)