Country	Seychelles
Capital	Victoria
Continent	Africa
Currency	Seychellois rupee(SCR)
Languages	French, English & Seychellois Creole

Locaion

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic Co ordinates

4 35 S, 55 40 E

Land Boundries

0 km

Geography - note

41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

Population

88,340 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world:196

Nationality

Noun:Seychellois (singular and plural)
Adjective:Seychellois

Ethnic groups

mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab

Religions

Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)

Languages

Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)

Country Name

Conventional long form:Republic of Seychelles
Conventional short form:Seychelles
Local long form:Republic of Seychelles
Local short form:Seychelles

Government Type

republic

Capital

Name:Victoria
Geographic coordinates:4 38 S, 55 27 E
Time difference:UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Independence

29 June 1976 (from the UK)

National Holiday

Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)

Constitution

18 June 1993

Legal system

based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government:President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004)
Cabinet:Council of Ministers appointed by the president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results:President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 53.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 45.7%, Philippe BOULLE 0.6%; note - this was the first election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results:percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president

Political Parties and Leaders

Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party); Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Roman Catholic Church
other: trade unions

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Jean Ronald JUMEAU
Chancery:800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
Telephone:1] (212) 972-1785
FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles

Flag description

five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side; the oblique bands are meant to symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future; blue represents sky and sea, yellow the sun giving light and life, red the peoples' determination to work for the future in unity and love, white social justice and harmony, green the land and natural environment

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The move comes in line with the directives of President His Highness Shaikh ... Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital opens in SeychellesGulf Today all 45 news articles » When an Air India Plane was Hijacked by Mercenaries in Seychelles - The Wire The Wire When an Air India Plane was Hijacked by Mercenaries in Seychelles The Wire In November 1981, Capt Umesh Saxena, piloting an Air India plane, landed in Seychelles in the middle of a counter coup attempt to overthrow President Albert Rene. The plane had come from Zimbabwe and was on its way to Bombay. The airport was locked ... BN Travel!: Susan Ekpoh Shares Valuable Tips on How to Enjoy a Holiday in Seychelles with Less than $1000 - BellaNaija BellaNaija BN Travel!: Susan Ekpoh Shares Valuable Tips on How to Enjoy a Holiday in Seychelles with Less than $1000 BellaNaija For years, I dreamt of visiting Seychelles. Being seated on pristine white beaches, watching the sun paint the sky magnificent hues of gold as it said goodnight; star gazing snuggled into a single entity with the love of my life – these thoughts filled ... Group wants Seychelles to legalise cannabis as way to reduce heroin use - Seychelles News Agency Seychelles News Agency Group wants Seychelles to legalise cannabis as way to reduce heroin use Seychelles News Agency Ralph Volcere, who is spearheading the movement 'Legalizing Cannabis in Seychelles,' told SNA the purpose of making the substance legal is to control the abuse of heroin in the country. Volcere who was an independent candidate for the district of Au ... Seychelles' gov't committee looking closely at missing $ 6.7 million, official says - Seychelles News Agency Seychelles News Agency Seychelles' gov't committee looking closely at missing $ 6.7 million, official says Seychelles News Agency (Seychelles News Agency) - The Finance and Public Account Committee in the Seychelles National Assembly is to decide on what steps to take in their next meeting on the missing $6.7 million (SCR90 million) found in the report of the auditor general ...