Location:
Eastern Africa- Indian Ocean
Capital City:
Victoria
Area:
total: 455 sq km
land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Land boundaries:
Total: 0 km
coastal line
491 km
Seychelles
Climate:
tropical marine;
humid;
the cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September);
the warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain:
Mahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation:
mean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources:
fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees
Land use:
agricultural land: 6.5%
arable land 2.2%; permanent crops 4.3%; permanent pasture 0%
forest: 88.5%
other: 5% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
3 sq km (2012)
Population – distribution:
more than three-quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe; Praslin contains less than 10%; a smaller percent on La Digue and the outer islands
Natural hazards:
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare;
occasional short droughts
People and Society
As the islands of Seychelles had no indigenous population, the current Seychellois are people who have immigrated. The largest ethnic groups were those of African, French, Indian and Chinese descent. The median age of the Seychellois was 32 years. Seychelles’ modern population is composed of the descendants of French and later British settlers, Africans, and Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern traders and is concentrated on three of its 155 islands – the vast majority on Mahe and lesser numbers on Praslin and La Digue. Seychelles’ population grew rapidly during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to natural increase, but the pace has slowed because of fertility decline.
The total fertility rate dropped sharply from 4.0 children per woman in 1980 to 1.9 in 2015, mainly as a result of a family planning program, free education and health care, and increased female labor force participation. Life expectancy has increased steadily, but women on average live 9 years longer than men, a difference that is higher than that typical of developed countries. The combination of reduced fertility and increased longevity has resulted in an aging population, which will put pressure on the government’s provision of pensions and health care. Seychelles’ sustained investment in social welfare services, such as free primary health care and education up to the post-secondary level, has enabled the country to achieve a high human development index score – among the highest in Africa.
Despite some of its health and education indicators being nearly on par with Western countries, Seychelles has a high level of income inequality. An increasing number of migrant workers – mainly young men – have been coming to Seychelles in recent years to work in the construction and tourism industries. As of 2011, foreign workers made up nearly a quarter of the workforce. Indians are the largest non-Seychellois population – representing half of the country’s foreigners – followed by Malagasy.
Population:
93,920 (July 2017 est.)
Nationality:
Seychellois s)
Ethnic groups:
mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
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.)
Ethnicity, Language, and Religion
90% of the populations inhabit the main island of Seychellois known as Mahe. The remaining 10% inhabit the other islands though not all islands are inhabited. The major ethnic groups in Seychelles are the Seychellois African, also known as Creole, along with people of Indian and Chinese origin. The Creole is the leading ethnic group of Seychelles, accounting for 84,000 members of the population. Their history is traced back when Africans (mostly the East Africans and people of Madagascar) were brought to the islands as slaves to work in the sugarcane and coffee farms owned by the French. The group known as Indo-Seychellois are the second largest ethnic group in Seychelles with a total population of approximately 5,524. The Chinese population in Seychelles number approximately 1,100 people among the total population in the country, and they are also known as Sino-Seychellois.
French and English are official languages along with Seychellois Creole, which is primarily based upon French. However, nowadays the language is often laced with English words and phrases. Including second-language speakers, Seychellois is the most-spoken official language in Seychelles, followed by French, and lastly by English. 87% of the population speaks Seychellois, 51% speaks French, and 38% speaks English.
The great majority of the population practices Christianity. According to the most recent estimates, Roman Catholics constituted about 87% of the Christian community; Anglicans totaled another 7%. Other Christian churches include Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, the Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Church, Nazarites, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hindus, Muslims, and Baha’is are also present. The constitution provides for freedom of religion and there is no state religion; however, the government does offer sometimes substantial financial assistance to churches from the state budget, primarily in the form of grants, through an application process that is open to all.
Education
Formal education in Seychelles began in the mid-1800s with the opening of Roman Catholic and Anglican mission schools staffed by foreign teachers. The government assumed responsibility for these schools in 1944. When the government opened a technical college in 1970, the country had a supply of locally trained teachers and was able to establish more schools. A system of free and compulsory education was established in 1981 for children in grades one through nine. Seychelles is the only country in Africa that has already fully achieved education for all, in line with the six Education For All (EFA) goals set out by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, for attainment in 2015, according to a new report published by UNESCO’s Regional Office in Dakar.
Students are taught to read and write in Creole until grade three when they are taught in English in some subjects. Education in French begins in grade six. When students finish their compulsory education, they are given the opportunity to attend a National Youth Service (NYS) program where they receive training in academics and in life skills. In 1991, the enrollment in NYS was 1,394 students. Students who do not attend NYS can volunteer for a six-month government work program in which they are paid a small stipend while training. Education for students is free and compulsory from ages 5 to 16 in primary and secondary schools. Prior to age five, schools called creches to provide pre-primary education. All creches have formally organized early childhood care and development.
Primary education is designated as grades one through six and secondary education continues for another five years. However, only three years of secondary are compulsory. Special education is also provided within the spectrum of primary and secondary education. Students who complete their secondary education can attend Seychelles Polytechnic College where they are able to receive pre-university training in teacher education, business, humanities and science, and hotels/tourism. Since no university exists in Seychelles, further education is usually done through scholarship programs in other countries.
There are a total of 68 schools in Seychelles. The public school system consists of 23 crèches, 25 primary schools and 13 secondary schools. They are located on Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, and Silhouette. Additionally, there are three private schools: École Française, International School, and the Independent School. All the private schools are on Mahé, and the International School has a branch on Praslin. There are seven post-secondary (non-tertiary) schools: the Seychelles Polytechnic, School of Advanced Level Studies, Seychelles Tourism Academy, University of Seychelles Education, Seychelles Institute of Technology, Maritime Training Center, Seychelles Agricultural and Horticultural Training Center and the National Institute for Health and Social Studies.
Economy
Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence, near-subsistence level, moving the island into the high-income group of countries. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which directly employs about 26% of the labor force and directly and indirectly accounts for more than 55% of GDP, and by tuna fishing. In recent years, the government has encouraged foreign investment to upgrade hotels and tourism industry services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of the offshore financial, information, and communication sectors, and renewable energy.
Seychelles’ economy has benefited from continued robust growth in tourist arrivals, which rose by 15.4% in 2017 to a record high of 349,861 (more than three times its resident population). Other real activity indicators have also been strong, especially in the services sectors, which accounts for close to three-quarters of the economy. Electricity consumption rose by 4%, and total data traffic by 60%, in the first three quarters of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. Overall, real GDP is estimated to have grown by 4.2% in 2017. To meet the associated, strong growth in demand for labor, Seychelles has relied increasingly on expatriate workers.
With a formal unemployment rate of 4.5%, Seychelles is at full employment. Rising labor demand has been met by a surge in expatriate workers—their numbers, as measured by new and renewed Gainful Occupation Permits, approximately doubling since 2014, to 16,792 in 2016. Foreign workers are employed mostly in construction and tourism and account for about a quarter of the total workforce. Effective 1 January 2017, Seychelles was no longer eligible for trade benefits under the US African Growth and Opportunities Act after having gained developed country status. The Seychellois Government met the IMF’s performance criteria for 2017 but recognizes a need to make additional progress to reduce high-income inequality, represented by a Gini coefficient of 46.8.
The baseline scenario assumes Seychelles will maintain prudent fiscal policy aimed at reducing the government’s indebtedness. The 2018 Budget sets a target of a primary surplus of 2.5% of GDP. Although reduced from previous years’ targets of 3%, this surplus remains consistent with the authorities’ medium-term objective of reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio to 50% by 2021. This will require continued expenditure control as well as new, permanent measures to raise revenues beyond and above the one-off measures taken in 2017. The government plans to shift from a flat-rate tax to a progressive income tax in mid-2018. This would effectively lessen the tax burden on those with a lower ability to pay but possibly increase the challenge of generating offsetting revenues to fund pro-poor public expenditure. Inflation is expected to remain moderate at about 3.5%. The positive base effect of the 2017 administered price increases should be offset by the projected higher fuel import prices.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.736 billion (2017 est.)
$2.606 billion (2016 est.)
$2.494 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.479 billion (2017 est.)
GDP – real growth rate:
5% (2017 est.)
4.5% (2016 est.)
5% (2015 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP):
$28,700 (2017 est.)
$27,700 (2016 est.)
$26,800 (2015 est.)
Gross national saving:
16.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
11.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
15.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
GDP – composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 23%
services: 74% (2006)
Agriculture – products:
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Industries:
diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)
Population below poverty line:
39.3% (2013 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $571.8 million
expenditures: $557.2 million (2017 est.)
Agriculture
Although tourism plays a major role in Seychelles’ economy, agriculture remains an important sector – and as a result, efforts are being made at the highest level to revitalize the agricultural and fishing industries with a four-year investment strategy. About 10 percent of the potential agricultural land (limited by shallow and infertile soils), estimated at 6,000 ha, is currently used for agriculture. Agriculture is characterized by small family farms of 0.25–0.5 ha that practice mixed cropping. There are about 400 registered crop production farms; 47 registered commercial layer farms and 10 registered commercial broiler farms; 1,500 pig fattening units and 32 pigs breeding units.
The total area of the islands suitable for agriculture is around 400 hectares and the sharply-defined wet and dry seasons can make things challenging. To offset the often-cheap imported products, the government has taken various steps to decrease dependency on imported foods, including reduced trade tax on fertilizers and equipment and deregulating production and marketing. The islands’ climate makes them unsuitable for growing rice and other grains. The breeding of livestock including cattle, pigs, and chickens has remained steady, although it is hampered to a degree by developments such as housing on the agricultural land. According to Nature Seychelles, the local economy suffered a setback because of the global market – such as cheap chicken imports having a detrimental effect on Seychelles’ own chicken farmers.
Two traditional crops of cinnamon and copra – dried coconut which produces an oil – used to be of greater export significance in years gone by. In recent years, this has declined because it’s difficult to offset the high costs of production against low-cost competitors on the international market. Similarly, vanilla was of great importance in the past but it is now produced on a smaller scale. Tea grown on the slopes of Mahé – a more recent plantation crop – serves mainly local consumers. Having said that, luxury foodstuffs such as premium quality tropical fruits are fetching higher prices in supermarkets in Europe, thanks to being cultivated to the highest environmental standards and being branded with Seychelles’ exclusivity.
Electricity access:
population without electricity: 2,795
electrification – total population: 97%
electrification – urban areas: 97%
electrification – rural areas: 97% (2012)
Electricity – production:
409 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – consumption:
365.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – exports:
0 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity – imports:
0 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity – installed generating capacity:
87,000 kW (2015 est.)
Electricity – from fossil fuels:
92% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Electricity – from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Telephones – fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 20,836
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (July 2016 est.
Telephones – mobile cellular:
total: 151,857
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 162 (July 2016 est.)
Internet country code:
.sc
total: 52,664
percent of population: 56.5% (July 2016 est.)
Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector in Seychelles has a significant impact on the country’s economy. In 2011 manufacturing contributed 8.8% of to the total GDP of Seychelles. Seychelles is classified 74 out of 185 countries by the World Bank for ease of doing business, a ranking based on how conducive the regulatory environment is to the opening and operation of a local firm. Industrial production is estimated to be growing at a rate of 4%. Seychelles’ main industries include tourism, fishing, farming, oil drilling, and manufacturing. Most manufacturers are small-scale and consist largely of food processing plants. The manufacture of beer, cigarettes, chemicals, and furniture, among other items, also plays a significant role within the sector. Recent developments in global warming have harmed the fishing industry in Seychelles, particularly concerning the fishing of tuna.
Offshore financial services have become increasingly important to Seychelles’ economy since the early 2000s. The Seychelles International Business Authority (SIBA) helps ensure that professional standards are adhered to within offshore industries and allows for certain fiscal advantages. Exports of goods and services made up 45.6% of GDP in 2011 according to the World Bank, an overall decline of 5 points since 2010. The main export industries include canned and frozen fish, cinnamon, copra, and petroleum products, which are exported primarily to France, the UK and J, pan. In 2012, Seychelles was estimated to have exports equating to US$493.3 million (est. CIA World Factbook).
The 2013 Global Competitiveness Report scores and ranks the sophistication of production processes around the world, where a low country score of 1 means “no sophistication and labor intensive” and a high score of 7 means production processes are the “world’s best and apply the most efficient technologies”. In this respect, Seychelles ranks 101 out of 144 countries with a score of 3.2 out of 7.0.
Banking and Finance
The banking system of the Republic of Seychelles is a state system of financial institutions. The structure of the banking system of Seychelles comprises the Central Bank of Seychelles and traditional commercial and offshore banking institutions. Additionally, the banking system includes specialized financial institutions and foreign exchange offices. The №14 “Financial Institutions Act”, which was adopted at the end of 2004, is the fundamental legislative act that regulates the activities of the banking institutions on the territory of the Republic of Seychelles.
Speaking about the state banking sector of Seychelles, it must be mentioned that since the last decades it has been developing alongside with the stable economic growth of the state. The diversification of the local economy and the development of the financial sector have actively contributed to the improvement of the banking sector. The foreign investments, which are continuously lured into the offshore zone, have become a basis for establishing a modern banking system that meets all the highest international standards.
The banking system of the Republic of Seychelles was created based on the experience of the most developed countries with the appropriate systems. Availability and provision of the following financial tools should be singled out among the main areas of the local banking activities. The opportunities provided by a remote banking service are worth mentioning separately. The Seychelles banking institutions provide a possibility of accessing personal accounts remotely via the Internet. This service greatly facilitates the way of managing offshore companies and allows managing financial assets from any point of the globe. Today there is no need to visit a banking institution in order to use the full range of advantages of the financial banking services.
All the functions of the main state financial regulator were entrusted to the Monetary Authority. It was responsible for the management of the state currency reserves, issuance of the national currency and national debt management. The Authority performed functions of the Central banking authority and acted as the main governmental fiscal authority. It was also the ultimate lender to the banks, which were on the verge of bankruptcy. The continuous development of the state banking sector has contributed to the transformation of the Monetary Authority into the main state financial regulator.
Tourism
Tourism is the most important nongovernment sector of Seychelles’ economy. About 15 percent of the formal workforce is directly employed in tourism, and employment in construction, banking, transportation, and other activities is closely tied to the tourist industry. Tourists enjoy Seychelles’ coral beaches and opportunities for water sports. Wildlife in the archipelago is also a major attraction. Stunning and unspoiled, the Seychelles star in countless tropical island fantasies. Beautiful boulder-strewn beaches, virgin jungles, thriving coral reefs, and UNESCO-listed nature reserves are just some of the many attractions of the archipelago’s 115 coral and granite islands, which are the peaks of a vast underwater plateau.
Seychelles lie east of Kenya, near the equator. Almost half their total land area is protected, and many of the islands and atolls are contained within marine sanctuaries. On land, you can hike mountain trails, bask on the ravishing beaches, rock climb, photograph the unique flora and fauna, and dine on mouthwatering Créole cuisine. Aquatic pursuits abound in the clear, azure water. Diving, snorkeling, surfing, and sailing are all world class, and Seychelles boasts some of the richest fishing grounds in the world.
Place of Attraction
One of Mahé’s most beautiful beaches, this small and secluded crescent of sand on the island’s south coast is a favorite surfing spot thanks to its frequent big swells and wild waves. The lack of a protective reef makes swimming a little rough when tradewinds blow from the southeast, but sunbathers, beachcombers, and photographers will enjoy this picturesque, palm-framed strand at any time of year. Turtles nest along the powdery shores here.
The largest island of the archipelago and one of the most popular places to visit in Seychelles, Mahé boasts of verdant forests, highest mountain ranges of Seychelles, and over 65 beaches with a vast diversity of flora and fauna. The island is also famous for the Beau Vallon beach and the numerous tourist attractions of the Victoria city – one of the tiniest capital cities of the world.
Praslin, or the Isle de Palme, is most popular for the Vallée de Mai UNESCO World Heritage Site and the coco de mer that grows here in abundance. Home to Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette that are coveted as two of the most beautiful beaches of the world, the island is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Seychelles.
The pretty village of Baie Lazare on Mahé was named after 18th-century French explorer Lazare Picault, who landed here when the French government sent him to explore the islands. One of the area’s main tourist attractions is the neo-Gothic Baie Lazare Church, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, which provides a panoramic view of the area. The stunning beaches of Anse Soleil and Petite Anse are favorites, with their striking azure water and dazzling white sand.
Bird Island, formerly known as the Îles aux Vaches, is home to dugongs (sea cows) and over a million migratory birds that are found here during May – November. Among the most popular places to visit in Seychelles for bird watching, the island boasts of a large number of fairy terns, sooty terns, noddy terns, saunders’s terns, cardinals, ground doves, crested terns, plovers, and Giant land tortoises on this island.
The world’s largest raised coral atoll, Aldabra Island is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The island is known to have a volcanic origin. Tourists can spot numerous bird and animal species on the island. These include tiger sharks, manta rays, white-throated Aldabra rail (the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean), dimorphic egrets, Aldabra sacred ibis, Malagasy kestrel, and giant land tortoises.
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