Seychelles

Location

• archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
• the smallest African country in terms of both area and population; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands, including 42 granitic and 113 coralline; the largest island by far is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and is the site of the capital city of Victoria

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Victoria	22,881	Capital

Size

• 176 square miles
• 455 square kilometers
• 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

History

Seychelles was uninhabited before Europeans discovered the islands early in the 16th century. After a lengthy struggle, France eventually ceded control of the islands to Great Britain in 1814. During colonial rule, a plantation-based economy developed that relied on imported labor, primarily from European colonies in Africa. Seychelles gained independence in 1976 through negotiations with Great Britain. In 1977, Prime Minister France-Albert RENE launched a coup against the country’s first president, and Seychelles became a socialist one-party state until adopting a new constitution and holding elections in 1993. RENE continued to lead Seychelles through two election cycles until he stepped down in 2004. Vice President James Alix MICHEL took over the presidency and in 2006 was elected to a new five-year term; he was reelected in 2011 and again in 2015. In 2016, James MICHEL resigned and handed over the presidency to his vice-president, Danny FAURE. In 2020, Wavel RAMKALAWAN was elected president, the first time an opposition candidate has won the presidency.

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 volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are relatively flat coral atolls, or elevated reefs; sits atop the submarine Mascarene Plateau

Languages

Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1970, 1979; latest drafted May 1993, approved by referendum 18 June 1993, effective 23 June 1993amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting the country’s sovereignty, symbols and languages, the supremacy of the constitution, fundamental rights and freedoms, amendment procedures, and dissolution of the Assembly also requires approval by at least 60% of voters in a referendum
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Wavel RAMKALAWAN (since 26 October 2020)head of government: President Wavel RAMKALAWAN (since 26 October 2020)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)most recent election date: 22-24 October 2020election results: 2020: Wavel RAMKALAWAN elected president; Wavel RAMKALAWAN (LDS) 54.9%, Danny FAURE (US) 43.5%, other 1.6%2015:  President James Alix MICHEL reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - James Alix MICHEL (PL) 47.8%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 35.3%, other 16.9%; percent of vote in second round - James Alix MICHEL 50.2%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 49.8%expected date of next election: 2025note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Seychelles Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices); Supreme Court of Seychelles (consists of the chief justice and 9 puisne judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 Supreme Court judges)judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Appointments Authority, a 3-member body, with 1 member appointed by the president of the republic, 1 by the opposition leader in the National Assembly, and 1 by the other 2 appointees; judges serve until retirement at age 70subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts of Seychelles; Family Tribunal for issues such as domestic violence, child custody, and maintenance; Employment Tribunal for labor-related disputes
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assemblylegislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 35 (all directly elected)electoral system: mixed systemscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 10/22/2020 to 10/24/2020parties elected and seats per party: Seychelles Democratic Alliance (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa, LDS) (25); United Seychelles (US) (10)percentage of women in chamber: 28.6%expected date of next election: September 2025

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income Indian Ocean island economy; rapidly growing tourism sector; major tuna exporter; offshore financial hub; environmentally fragile and investing in ocean rise mitigation; recently discovered offshore oil potential; successful anticorruption efforts
• Budget: revenues: $695.973 million (2023 est.)expenditures: $728.171 million (2023 est.)note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees
• Industries: fishing, tourism, beverages
• Agricultural Products: coconuts, vegetables, bananas, eggs, chicken, pork, fruits, tomatoes, tropical fruits, cassava (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 3.4% (2022 est.)arable land: 0.3% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 3% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)forest: 73.3% (2022 est.)other: 23.4% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, fish, ships, cars, plastic products (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: UAE 32%, Spain 10%, France 6%, South Africa 6%, India 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: fish, scrap iron, animal meal, broadcasting equipment, ships (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: France 20%, Mauritius 12%, UK 9%, Japan 8%, Italy 8% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports