Location 

Seychelles lies in the western part of the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar and 1,593km (995 miles) east of Mombasa, Kenya. It is between 4 and 5 degrees south of the equator at a longitude between 55 and 56 degrees east. The Country is an isolated archipelago of outstanding natural beauty comprising about 115 islands. 

Victoria, the capital and principal port of the Seychelles, is situated on the northeastern coast of Mahé Island and is bounded on three sides by low mountains. Its exports include copra, cinnamon bark, and fish, the main example is tuna . Victoria is also the center of the country’s rapidly developing tourist industry. The airport, completed in 1971, there is only one in the country.


Time 

GMT + 4. 4 hours ahead of London. Daylight savings time is not observed. 

Area 

Land: 455 sq km (175 sq miles). Total: 400,000 sq km (150,000 sq miles) Maritime zone (Exclusive Economic Zone): more than 1.3m sq km. (487,500 sq miles) To compare, the 175 sq miles of land is roughly 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC 

Coastline 

190 m (305 km) 

Elevations  

Highest point: Morne Seychellois, Mahe, 2969 ft (905 m) 

Land Use 

arable land: 2% 
forests and woodland: 11% permanent crops: 13%
other: 74% (1993 est.) 

Vegetation 

The granite islands support luxuriant tropical forest on the mountain slopes. The coral islands are also densely covered with vegetation more characteristic of sandy coral soils. Generally, the most common trees are the coconut palm and casuarina. Others include banyans, screw pines and tortoise trees and the giant coco de mer palm, which is unique to the Seychelles and lives for up to 1,000 years. Of about 200 plant species, 80 are indigenous, including the bois rouge, the giant bois de fer and the capucin. 

Wildlife 

Fruit bats, flying foxes, geckos and skinks are common and there are more than 3,000 species of insect. The giant tortoise (which appears on the Seychelles coat of arms) survived near-extinction; there are now several thousand on Aldabra. There are many species of rare bird, such as the bare-legged scops owl, Seychelles kestrel, black parrot, magpie robin and paradise flycatcher. Four islands are bird sanctuaries, including Bird Island, which is inhabited by millions of fairy terns. 
Natural resources 
Fish, copra, cinnamon trees. 

Climate 

Tropical marine; humid; Two seasons:
Dry Season: (May to October) cooler season during southeast monsoon; 
Wet Season: (November to April) warmer season during northwest monsoon 
The heaviest rainfall is usually during mid-December to mid-January. Seychelles archipelago lies outside the cyclone belt and enjoys stable weather year round. Seychelles has a mean maximum temperature of 29ºC and 12 hours of daylight. 

Language

The official languages are English, French, and Creole, which is a language derived from French. 

Religion

Almost all of the people are Christian, and most are Roman Catholic. 

Government

Executive power is held by a president, who is popularly elected to a five-year term. The president appoints a council of ministers to act as an advisory body. Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly, which has 22 popularly elected members and 11 members selected on a proportional basis. Opposition parties were legalized in 1991. 

Economy

Tourism, agriculture, and fishing are the major sectors of the economy. Trade is dominated by the importation and reexport of petroleum. Other exports include fish, copra, and cinnamon bark. Various fruits are grown for domestic consumption, but the country must import rice, which is the staple food. Since the completion of the international airport at Victoria in 1971, tourism has expanded rapidly. Guano is the only mineral product. The unit of currency is the Seychelles rupee. 

Topography

Seychelles consists of two separate island groups with distinct characteristics. The islands of the Mahé group in the north are formed of granitic rocks and have hilly interiors rising to elevations greater than 900 meters (greater than 2,953 feet). Low-lying coral islands stretch to the south. Most are uninhabited and without water resources.