Seychelles

Seychelles

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republic of Seychelles Area 453 sq km/174 sq mi Capital Victoria (on Mahé island) (and chief port) Language Creole (an Asian, African, European mixture) (95%), English, French (all official) Religion Roman Catholic 90% Time difference GMT +4 Major holidays 1–2 January, 1 May, 5, 29 June, 15 August, 1 November, 8, 25 December; variable: Corpus Christi, Good Friday, Holy Saturday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Cascade, Port Glaud, Misere, Anse Boileau, Takamaka Physical features comprises two distinct island groups: one, the Granitic group, concentrated, the other, the Outer or Coralline group, widely scattered; totals over 100 islands and islets Airports one international airport and several airstrips; total passengers carried: 420,000 (2001 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 373 km/232 mi, of which 84.5% paved (1997 est); passenger cars: 111.7 per 1,000 people (1999)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government James Michel from 2004 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 23 districts Political parties Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), nationalist socialist; Democratic Party (DP), left of centre Death penalty abolished in 1993 Armed forces 200; including national guard of 250 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 1.7 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 5.2 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4.3 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Seychelles rupee GDP (US$) 694 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) -1.4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 701 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 15,940(2005 est) Consumer price inflation -0.4% (2006 est) Unemployment 1.0% (1995) Labour force 72.8% agriculture, 7.2% industry, 20% services (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 650 million (2005 est) Major trading partners UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Japan, Singapore Resources guano; natural gas and metal deposits were being explored mid-1990s Industries food processing (including cinnamon, coconuts, and tuna canning), beer and soft drinks, petroleum refining, cigarettes, paper, metals, chemicals, wood products, paints, tourism Exports tinned tuna, frozen prawns, fresh and frozen fish, shark fins, cinnamon bark, refined petroleum products. Principal market: UK 27.7% (2004) Imports machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, basic manufactures. Principal source: Saudi Arabia 16.7% (2004) Arable land 2.2% (2006 est) Agricultural products coconuts, copra, cinnamon bark, tea, patchouli, vanilla, limes, sweet potatoes, cassava, yams, sugar cane, bananas; poultry meat and egg production are important for local consumption; fishing


POPULATION

Population 84,200 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.4% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 186 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 50 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 28%, 15–59 62%, 60+ 10% (2002 est) Ethnic groups predominantly Creole (of mixed African, Asian, and European descent); small European minority (mostly French and British) Life expectancy 68 (men); 78 (women) (2000–05) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 14 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 91% (men); 92% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 13.3 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 6 (2002 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 75 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 26.5 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 70.7 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 560 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 278 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 19.8 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 25.3 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

Early 16th century First sighted by European navigators. 1744 Became French colony. 1756 Claimed as French possession and named after an influential French family. 1770s French colonists brought African slaves to settle the previously uninhabited islands; plantations established. 1794 Captured by British during French Revolutionary Wars. 1814 Ceded by France to Britain; incorporated as dependency of Mauritius. 1835 Slavery abolished by British, leading to influx of liberated slaves from Mauritius and Chinese and Indian immigrants. 1903 Became British crown colony, separate from Mauritius. 1963–64 First political parties formed. 1976 Independence achieved from Britain as republic within Commonwealth, with James Mancham of centre-right Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) as president. 1977 More radical France-Albert René ousted Mancham in bloodless coup and took over presidency; white settlers emigrated. 1979 Left-of-centre Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) became sole legal party under new constitution; became nonaligned state. 1981 Attempted coup by South African mercenaries thwarted. 1993 New multiparty constitution adopted; René defeated Mancham, who had returned from exile, in presidential elections; SPPF won parliamentary elections. 2004 René handed over power to former vice-president James Michel. 2006 Michel retained presidency in elections. 2007 Ruling SPPF retained parliamentary majority in elections.


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