of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 0%
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

@Seychelles:People

Population: 79,326 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 11,499; female 11,338)
15-64 years: 65% (male 25,143; female 26,386)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,674; female 3,286) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.49% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 17.99 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.74 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.41 years
male: 64.87 years
female: 76.12 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.85 children born/woman (2000 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.