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; none 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, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force, Militia

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 17,399; 8,933 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

Budget [time series]

revenues $170 million; expenditures $173 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-88), $310 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $60 million

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--5.0878 (January 1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$31 million (f.o.b., 1989 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]

$171 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

$283 million, per capita $4,100; real growth rate 7.0% (1989)

Imports [time series]

$164 million (f.o.b., 1989 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); accounts for 10% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.5% (1989)

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]

9% (1987)

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 Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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, catchments collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

455 km2; land area: 455 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint 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 B. MORAN; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, and Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, or APO New York 09030-0006); telephone (248) 25256

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 People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)

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

Republic of Seychelles

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, 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

Birth rate [time series]

23 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

27,700; industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (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 (1991)

Literacy [time series]

58% (male 56%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

- 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

three major trade unions

Population [time series]

68,932 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.5 children born/woman (1991)