{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
Seychelles was uninhabited before Europeans discovered the islands early in the 16th century. After a lengthy struggle, France eventually ceded control of the islands to Great Britain in 1814. During colonial rule, a plantation-based economy developed that relied on imported labor, primarily from European colonies in Africa. Seychelles gained independence in 1976 through negotiations with Great Britain. In 1977, Prime Minister France-Albert RENE launched a coup against the country’s first president, and Seychelles became a socialist one-party state until adopting a new constitution and holding elections in 1993. RENE continued to lead Seychelles through two election cycles until he stepped down in 2004. Vice President James Alix MICHEL took over the presidency and in 2006 was elected to a new five-year term; he was reelected in 2011 and again in 2015. In 2016, James MICHEL resigned and handed over the presidency to his vice-president, Danny FAURE. In 2020, Wavel RAMKALAWAN was elected president, the first time an opposition candidate has won the presidency.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "4 35 S, 55 40 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total ": { "text": "455 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "455 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "0 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C." }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "0 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "491 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "contiguous zone": { "text": "24 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" }, "continental shelf": { "text": "200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)" }, "Terrain": { "text": "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": { "text": "Morne Seychellois 905 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Indian Ocean 0 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "3.4% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 0.3% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "58.6% (2023 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "38% (2023 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "3 sq km (2012)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "more than three quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe; Praslin is home to less than 10%, and a smaller percentage is on La Digue and the outer islands, as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the smallest African country in terms of both area and population; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands, including 42 granitic and 113 coralline; the largest island by far is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and is the site of the capital city of Victoria" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "total": { "text": "98,187 (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "50,973" }, "female": { "text": "47,214" } }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Seychellois (singular and plural)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Seychellois" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "predominantly Creole (mainly of East African and Malagasy heritage); also French, Indian, Chinese, and Arab populations" }, "Languages": { "text": "Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)" }, "Religions": { "text": "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.)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "17.7% (male 8,912/female 8,439)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "72.4% (male 37,841/female 33,210)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "10% (2024 est.) (male 4,220/female 5,565)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "38.2 (2024 est.)" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "24.4 (2024 est.)" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "13.8 (2024 est.)" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "7.3 (2024 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "39.2 years (2025 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "38.2 years" }, "female": { "text": "39.4 years" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.53% (2025 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "11.59 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "7.02 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "more than three quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe; Praslin is home to less than 10%, and a smaller percentage is on La Digue and the outer islands, as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "58.8% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "28,000 VICTORIA (capital) (2018)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.06 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "1.14 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.76 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1.08 male(s)/female (2024 est.)" } }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "42 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "10 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "12.8 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "7.4 deaths/1,000 live births" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "76.6 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "72.2 years" }, "female": { "text": "81.1 years" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "1.8 children born/woman (2025 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "0.89 (2025 est.)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: total": { "text": "total: 96.4% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 3.6% of population (2022 est.)" } }, "Health expenditure": { "Health expenditure (as % of GDP)": { "text": "5.3% of GDP (2021)" }, "Health expenditure (as % of national budget)": { "text": "10.2% of national budget (2022 est.)" } }, "Physician density": { "text": "2.25 physicians/1,000 population (2019)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "3.2 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: total": { "text": "total: 100% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0% of population (2022 est.)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "14% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "9.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "4.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "4.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "20.5% (2025 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "34.2% (2025 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "5.2% (2025 est.)" } }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "44.6% (2022 est.)" }, "Education expenditure": { "Education expenditure (% GDP)": { "text": "4.5% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Education expenditure (% national budget)": { "text": "10.7% national budget (2025 est.)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "13 years (2023 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "13 years (2023 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "15 years (2023 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environmental issues": { "text": "limited freshwater resources; water pollution; biodiversity" }, "International environmental agreements": { "party to": { "text": "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": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "3.4% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 0.3% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "58.6% (2023 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "38% (2023 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "58.8% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "893,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "92 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "893,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" } }, "Particulate matter emissions": { "text": "17.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)" }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "48,000 tons (2024 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "24.4% (2022 est.)" } }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "3.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "900,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)" } } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Republic of Seychelles" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Seychelles" }, "local long form": { "text": "Republic of Seychelles" }, "local short form": { "text": "Seychelles" }, "etymology": { "text": "named by French Captain Corneille Nicholas MORPHEY after Jean Moreau de SÉCHELLES, the finance minister of France, in 1756; the British changed the spelling of the name in 1815 when they acquired the islands" } }, "Government type": { "text": "presidential republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Victoria" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "4 37 S, 55 27 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "the British named the town Port Victoria in 1841 after Queen VICTORIA; the name was later shortened" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "27 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Royale, Au Cap, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand Anse Mahe, Grand Anse Praslin, Ile Persévérance I, Ile Persévérance II, La Digue, La Rivière Anglaise, Les Mamelles, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port Glaud, Roche Caiman, Saint Louis, Takamaka" }, "Legal system": { "text": "mixed system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "previous 1970, 1979; latest drafted May 1993, approved by referendum 18 June 1993, effective 23 June 1993" }, "amendment process": { "text": "proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting the country’s sovereignty, symbols and languages, the supremacy of the constitution, fundamental rights and freedoms, amendment procedures, and dissolution of the Assembly also requires approval by at least 60% of voters in a referendum" } }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of the Seychelles" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "5 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Patrick HERMINIE (since 26 October 2025)" }, "head of government": { "text": "President Patrick HERMINIE (since 26 October 2025)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" }, "election/appointment process": { "text": "president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "9 October 2025" }, "election results": { "text": "