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<noinclude><pagequality level="3" user="Library Guy" /></noinclude>{{larger|'''Seychelles'''}}
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[[Image:World Factbook (1990) Seychelles.jpg|300px|center]]
{{sm| '''See regional map VII'''}}
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'''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
:''Extended 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:''' Mahé Group is granitic, narrow
coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral,
flat, elevated reefs
'''Natural resources:''' fish, copra, cinnamon
trees
'''Land use:''' 4% arable land; 18% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 18%
forest and woodland; 60% other
'''Environment:''' 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
'''Note:''' located north-northeast of Madagascar
in the Indian Ocean
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'''People'''
'''Population:''' 68,336 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
'''Birth rate:''' 24 births/1,000 population
(1990)
'''Death rate:''' 7 deaths/1,000 population
(1990)
'''Net migration rate:''' 8 migrants/1,000
population (1990)
'''Infant mortality rate:''' 15 deaths/1,000 live
births (1990)
'''Life expectancy at birth:''' 65 years male,
75 years female (1990)
'''Total fertility rate:''' 2.6 children born/woman
(1990)
'''Nationality:''' noun—Seychellois (sing. and
pl.); adjective—Seychelles
'''Ethnic divisions:''' Seychellois (mixture of
Asians, Africans, Europeans)
'''Religion:''' 90% Roman Catholic, 8% Anglican,
2% other
'''Language:''' English and French (official);
Creole
'''Literacy:''' 60%
'''Labor force:''' 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)
'''Organized labor:''' three major trade unions
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'''Government'''
'''Long-form name:''' Republic of Seychelles
'''Type:''' republic; member of the
Commonwealth
'''Capital:''' Victoria
'''Administrative divisions:''' 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 Mahé
Island), Grand Anse (on Praslin Island),
La Digue, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe
Larue, Port-Glaud, Riviere Anglaise, St.
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 National
Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
'''Judicial branch:''' Court of Appeal,
Supreme Court
'''Leaders:''' ''Chief of State and Head of''
''Government''—President France Albert RENÉ
(since 5 June 1977)
'''Political parties and leaders:''' only
party—Seychelles People's Progressive Front
(SPPF), France Albert René
'''Suffrage:''' universal at age 17
'''Elections:''' ''President''—last held 9-11 June
1989 (next to be held June 1994);
results—President France Albert René
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:''' ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, I FAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL,
NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO
'''Diplomatic representation:''' Second Secretary,
Chargé 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
'''Flag:''' three horizontal bands of red (top),
white (wavy), and green; the white band is
the thinnest, the red band is the thickest
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'''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:''' $255 million, per capita $3,720; real
growth rate 6.2%; (1988 est.)
'''Inflation rate (consumer prices):''' 2.3%
(1988)
'''Unemployment rate:''' 15% (1986)
'''Budget:''' revenues $106 million; expenditures
$130 million, including capital
expenditures of $21 million (1987)
'''Exports:''' $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)
'''Imports:''' $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)
'''External debt:''' $178 million (December
1988)
'''Industrial production:''' growth rate 7%
(1987)
'''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 {{hws|prod|products}}<noinclude>
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