SEYCHELLES GEOGRAPHY Total area: 455 km2; land area: 455 km2 Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 491 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive 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: arable land 4%; permanent crops 18%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 18%; other 60% Environment: 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 Note: located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean PEOPLE Population: 68,932 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991) Birth rate: 23 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 75 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective--Seychelles Ethnic divisions: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans) Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2% Language: English and French (official); Creole Literacy: 58% (male 56%, female 60%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971) Labor force: 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) Organized labor: three major trade unions GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Seychelles 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 Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka 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) Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple) Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977) Political parties and leaders: only party--Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert RENE Suffrage: universal at age 17 Elections: 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 Communists: negligible, although some Cabinet ministers espouse pro-Soviet line Other political or pressure groups: trade unions, Roman Catholic Church Member of: 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 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; 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 Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest ECONOMY Overview: 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. GDP: $283 million, per capita $4,100; real growth rate 7.0% (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989) Unemployment rate: 9% (1987) Budget: revenues $180 million; expenditures $202 million, including capital expenditures of $32 (1989) Exports: $40 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports); partners--France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987) Imports: $186 million (f.o.b., 1990 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) External debt: $171 million (1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1987); accounts for 10% of GDP Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage Agriculture: 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 Economic aid: 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 Currency: Seychelles rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents Exchange rates: 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) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 260 km total; 160 km bituminous, 100 km crushed stone or earth Ports: Victoria Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft Airports: 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 Telecommunications: 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 DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force, Militia Manpower availability: males 15-49, 17,399; 8,933 fit for military service Defense expenditures: $12 million, 6% of GDP (1990 est.)