Seychelles Geography - 2022

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates

4 35 S, 55 40 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 455 sq km

land: 455 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Area comparison map

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

491 km

Maritime claims

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

Climate

tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

Terrain

Mahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are relatively flat coral atolls, or elevated reefs; sits atop the submarine Mascarene Plateau

Elevation

highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees

Land use

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.)

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 as shown in this population distribution map

Natural hazards

lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts

Geography - note

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 2022 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Seychelles 2022 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Seychelles 2022 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.