Seychelles: Fact file

Updated March 2010

Name Republic of the Seychelles
Area 455.3 sq km
Capital Victoria
Boundaries Indian Ocean (archipelago)
Population 85 000, 2007 (National Statistics Bureau 2008, 9)
Pop growth rate 0.5%, 2007 (National Statistics Bureau 2008, 9)
Urbanisation 55.3%, 1990 (UNDP 2009)
Life expectancy at birth Female 77.7 yrs, male 68.9 yrs, 2007 (National Statistics Bureau 2008, 11)
Infant mortality 10.7/1000, 2007 (National Statistics Bureau 2008, 11)
HIV/AIDS prevalence No data (Republic Of Seychelles 2008)
Adult literacy rate Aged 12 plu: Female 96%, male 96, 2008 (National Statistics Bureau 2008, 14)
Military expenditure 1.7% of GDP; 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2010a)
Health expenditure 6.8% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2010b)
Legal system Based on English common law and elements derived from the French Napoleonic Code (Library of Congress Undated)
Independence 29 June 1976
GDP US$0.71 billion, 2007 est (IMF 2008)
GDP per capita US$9 600, 2007 (IMF 2009, 65)
GDP growth rate -1.9%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 62)
Main exports Sea food, refined petroleum, chemicals (Frame 2008, 1026)
Currency 100 cents = 1 Seychelles rupee
Unemployment 1.9%, Dec 2008 (Michel 2008)
Inflation rate 37%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 66)
External debt ratio 38.4% of GDP, 2008 (IMF 2009, 84)
Roads 498 km, 478 tarred (Frame 2008, 1022)
Rail None (Frame 2008, 1022)
Airports 7 paved, 1 international (Victoria) (Frame 2008, 170)
Ethnic groups African, European, Indian and Chinese (Frame 2008, 1018)
Languages Seselwa (Creole French, official) (Frame 2008, 1018)
Religion Roman Catholic 82%, Anglican 6%, remainder mainly Protestant (US Department of State 2009)

Sources

AVIGATION NETWORKS UNDATED "Airports in Seychelles", [www] http://worldaerodata.com/countries/Seychelles.php [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS UNDATED "Legal System and Civil Rights" IN Country Studies, [www] http://worldaerodata.com/countries/Seychelles.php [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.

IMF 2008 World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

IMF 2009 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2009/AFR/eng/sreo1009.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

NATIONAL STATISTICS BUREAU 2008 Seychelles in Figures, [www] http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/downloads/pdf/Seychelles%20In%20Figures%202008%20EDITION.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

MICHEL, JA 2008 "State of the Nation Speech 2008 by Seychelles President J.A. Michel (12/02/2008)", [www] http://www.polity.org.za/article/state-of-the-nation-speech-2008-by-seychelles-president-ja-michel-12022008-2008-02-12 [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES 2008 UNGASS Country Progress Report Seychelles, Reporting for the Period: January 2006 - December 2007, 5, [www] http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/2008/seychelles_2008_country_progress_report_en.pdf [PDF document, opens in window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010a "Military expenditure (% of GDP)" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3AMS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010b "Total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Gross+domestic+product&d=WHO&f=inID%3AHSR20 [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2009 "Seychelles" IN International Religious Freedom Report 2009, [www] http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127253.htm [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UNDP 2009 "Seychelles HDI Rank - 57", IN Human Development Report 2009, [www] http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_SYC.html [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).