Seychelles - Seychelles [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Seychelles

I INTRODUCTION

Seychelles, republic, consisting of an archipelago of some 115 islands, scattered across the western Indian Ocean, northeast of the island of Madagascar, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The total land area is 454 sq km (175 sq mi).

II LAND

The country consists of two distinct island groups: the Mahé group in the north and the low-lying coral islands stretching to the south. The 32 islands of the Mahé group are formed of granitic rocks and have hilly interiors rising to elevations greater than 900 m (greater than 2,950 ft). All the country's principal islands belong to this group; they include Mahé Island (the largest), Praslin, Silhouette, and La Digue. The 83 coral islands are largely without water resources, and most are uninhabited.

III PEOPLE

The population of the Seychelles (2005 estimate) is 81,188. The capital, principal city, and leading port is Victoria (population, 1990 estimate, greater city 35,000), on Mahé Island. About 90 percent of the country's population lives on Mahé. Most people are of mixed French and African descent; Indian and Chinese minorities are also present. The official languages are Creole (a patois based on French), English, and French. Some 98 percent of the population is Christian, most of them Roman Catholic.

IV ECONOMY AND GOVERNMENT

Tourism, agriculture, and fishing are the principal sectors of the economy. Receipts from tourism were $171 million in 2003, when 122,000 tourists visited the country. Trade is dominated by the importation and reexport of petroleum; other exports include fish, copra, and cinnamon bark. Various fruits are grown for domestic consumption, however, the staple food, rice, must be imported. Since the completion of the international airport at Victoria in 1971, tourism has expanded rapidly. Guano is the only mineral product. In 2002 the national budget included $289 million in revenue and $330 in expenditure. The unit of currency is the Seychelles rupee (5.40 rupees equal U.S.$1; 2003 average).

Under the 1993 constitution, executive power is held by a president, who is popularly elected to a five-year term. The president appoints a council of ministers to act as an advisory body. Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly, which has 25 popularly elected members and 9 members selected on a proportional basis. The Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) is the leading political group; opposition parties were legalized in 1991.

V HISTORY

Possibly known to the Arabs as early as the 9th century ad, the Seychelles were visited by the Portuguese in 1502. In 1756 France claimed the islands, which were then uninhabited, and French planters and their slaves settled on them, beginning in 1768. In 1794 Great Britain annexed the Seychelles. The islands were administered from Mauritius during most of the 1800s, and in 1903 they were made a separate British dependency.

Political parties, chief of which were the Democratic Party led by James Mancham and the SPPF headed by Albert René, began to form in the 1960s. Their agitation resulted in a new constitution in 1967, and three years later a ministerial form of government was established. By 1974 both major parties were united in calling for independence, although otherwise bitterly antagonistic. When independence was achieved, on June 29, 1976, a coalition republican government was formed, with Mancham as president and René as prime minister. A year later, while Mancham was abroad, SPPF supporters staged a coup and installed René as head of state. In 1978 René declared the country a one-party state, and a new constitution to that effect was proclaimed in 1979. An attempt by South African-based mercenaries to restore Mancham to power was thwarted with Tanzanian help in 1981, and an army mutiny was similarly thwarted in 1982. Several more coup attempts were suppressed in the late 1980s.

Seychelles turned toward a multiparty system in 1991. The nation's economy grew steadily in the early 1990s, and René was reelected in 1993 and 1998. The SPPF won 30 out of 34 seats in 1998 legislative elections. René was reelected president again in 2001. The elections were held two years ahead of schedule in an attempt to demonstrate the country's political stability. René retired from office in April 2004 and handed the presidency to his vice president, James Michel.

Seychelles: Flag and Anthem

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