t, 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%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 74% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

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 rain water

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

People

Population: 79,164 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 11,712; female 11,569)
15-64 years: 64% (male 24,879; female 26,038)
65 years and over: 7% (male 1,709; female 3,257) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.65% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 19.39 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.65 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.95 years
male: 66.61 years
female: 75.42 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychelles

Ethnic groups: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans,
Europeans)

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%

Languages: English (official), French (official), Creole

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 56%
female: 60% (1971 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles

Data code: SE

Government type: republic

Capital: Victoria

Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse aux
Pins, An