archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
4 35 S, 55 40 E
Africa
total: 455 sq km
land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
total: 0 km
491 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Mahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees
agricultural land: 6.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
forest: 88.5% (2018 est.)
other: 5% (2018 est.)
3 sq km (2012)
0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
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 as shown in this population distribution map
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
the smallest African country in terms of both area and population; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands: 42 granitic and 113 coralline; by far the largest island is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and the site of the capital city of Victoria
NOTE: The information regarding Seychelles on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Seychelles 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Seychelles 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
This page was last modified 16 Dec 23, Copyright © 2023 ITA all rights reserved.