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Geography of Seychelles

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
Land boundaries: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 granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources:fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use:arable land: 2.17%
permanent crops: 13.04%
other: 84.79% (2005)
Irrigated land:NA
Natural hazards:lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Environment - current issues:water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

Seychelles Quickstats

  • Population: 81,895 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 455 sq km
  • Density: 178 /km² (60th)
  • GDP (total): $626 million (203rd)
  • GDP (per capita): $11,818 (57th)
  • Literacy: 91.8%

Languages of Seychelles

Useful to know

  • Currency: Seychellois rupee (SCR)
  • Dial code: +248

International Trade

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