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Background:
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 A
lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the
islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter.
Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a
close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. The
most recent presidential elections were held 31 August-2
September 2001. President RENE, who has served since 1977, was
re-elected. |
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Location:
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Eastern Africa,
group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar |
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Geographic coordinates:
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4 35 S, 55 40 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 455
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 455 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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2.5 times the
size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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491 km |
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Climate:
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tropical marine;
humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to
September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to
May) |
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Terrain:
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Mahe Group is
granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are
coral, flat, elevated reefs |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish, copra,
cinnamon trees |
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Land use:
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arable land:
2.22%
permanent crops: 13.33%
other: 84.45% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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lies outside the
cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts
possible |
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Environment - current issues:
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water supply
depends on catchments to collect rainwater |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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40 granitic and
about 50 coralline islands |
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Population:
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80,832 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
26.9% (male 10,987; female 10,717)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 26,380; female 27,731)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 1,638; female 3,379)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
27.3 years
male: 26.2 years
female: 28.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.45% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
|
16.55
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.41 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-5.69 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
15.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 20.2 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 71.53 years
male: 66.1 years
female: 77.14 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychellois |
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Ethnic groups:
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mixed French,
African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic
86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian 2.5%, other 4.1% |
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Languages:
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English
(official), French (official), Creole |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 56%
female: 60% (1971 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Victoria |
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Administrative divisions:
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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),
Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont
Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud,
Saint Louis, Takamaka |
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Independence:
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29 June 1976
(from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Constitution Day
(National Day), 18 June (1993) |
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Constitution:
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18 June 1993 |
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Legal system:
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based on English
common law, French civil law, and customary law |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; election last held 31 August-2 September 2001
(next to be held NA 2006)
election results: France Albert RENE re-elected
president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 54.19%,
Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 44.95%, Philippe BOULLE 0.86%; note -
the first time that presidential elections have been held
separately from legislative elections
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
head of government: President France Albert RENE (since
5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25
elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis
to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next held by
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF
54.3%, SNP 42.6%, DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11
note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to
the percentage that each party won of the total vote |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Appeal;
Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the
president |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party
or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement Seychellois
pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National Party
or SNP (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel
RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF
[France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] - the governing party |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Roman Catholic
Church; trade unions |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Claude Sylvestre MOREL
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY
10017
FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not
have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is
accredited to the Seychelles |
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Economy - overview:
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Since
independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean
archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old
near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist
sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and
provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna
fishing. 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
dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming,
fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. A sharp drop
illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in 1991-92
due largely to the Gulf war, and once again following the 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Other issues
facing the government are the curbing of the budget deficit,
including the containment of social welfare costs, and further
privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in
1998-2002, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Also,
tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign
exchange have impaired short-term economic prospects. The
black market value of the Seychelles rupee is half the
official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency
the tourist sector should remain sluggish as vacationers seek
cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and
Madagascar. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $626 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.5% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $7,800 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
2.4%
industry: 24.4%
services: 73.2% (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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30,900 (1996) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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industry 19%,
services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$249 million
expenditures: $262 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
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Industries:
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fishing; tourism;
processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope,
boat building, printing, furniture; beverages |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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160 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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148.8 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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4,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts,
cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas;
broiler chickens; tuna fish |
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Exports:
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$250 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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canned tuna,
frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports) |
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Exports - partners:
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UK 24.6%, France
17.1%, Mauritius 8.7%, Italy 7.5%, US 7.2%, Germany 6.7%,
Japan 5.8%, Netherlands 5.8%, Spain 5.8%, Thailand 5.5% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$383.7 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
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Imports - partners:
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Saudi Arabia
14.8%, France 12.2%, South Africa 10.9%, Spain 9.4%, Italy
9.1%, Singapore 6.8%, UK 5.7% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$170 million
(2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$16.4 million
(1995) |
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Currency:
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Seychelles rupee
(SCR) |
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Currency code:
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SCR |
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Exchange rates:
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Seychelles rupees
per US dollar - 5.4 (2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.86 (2001), 5.71
(2000), 5.34 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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21,700 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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44,700 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: effective system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
in the archipelago
international: country code - 248; direct
radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries
and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 1,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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2 (plus 9
repeaters) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.sc |
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Internet hosts:
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266 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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11,700 (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total: 373
km
paved: 315 km
unpaved: 58 km (1997 est.) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Victoria |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 8
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 42,223 GRT/63,538 DWT
by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, container 1
foreign-owned: Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Nigeria 1, South
Africa 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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15 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Coast Guard
(including Navy Wing, Air Wing), National Guard, Presidential
Protection Unit (includes Presidential Guard), Seychelles
National Police (includes Police Mobile Unit) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 23,661 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 11,712 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$11.6 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.8% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
|
together with
Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago
(UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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