# Seychelles

> island sovereign state off the eastern coast of Africa

**Wikidata**: [Q1042](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1042)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seychelles)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/seychelles

## Summary

Seychelles is a country located in the continent of Africa[1]. It was established on June 29, 1976[2]. It has an area of 459.In 2023, Seychelles had a population of 120k[3]. The country operates in the UTC+04:00 and Indian/Mahe time zone[4].

## Summary
Seychelles is an archipelagic sovereign state and republic located off the eastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Comprising 115 islands with its capital at Victoria, it is the smallest country in Africa by area (459 square kilometres) and operates as a multi-party republic with English, French, and Seychellois Creole as its official languages. The nation gained independence on June 29, 1976, and has since developed a high Human Development Index relative to the region, driven by tourism and a services-based economy.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: Archipelagic state, island country, republic, and sovereign state.
- **Location**: Off the eastern coast of Africa (East African islands), continent of Africa.
- **Capital**: Victoria.
- **Area**: 459.0 square kilometres.
- **Population**: 119,773 (2023 estimate); 100,447 (2022 estimate).
- **Inception (Independence)**: June 29, 1976.
- **Currency**: Seychellois rupee (in use since 1914).
- **Official Languages**: English, French, Seychellois Creole.
- **Government**: Republic; Head of State and Government is the President (Wavel Ramkalawan, term ending Oct 2025).
- **International Codes**: ISO 3166-1 alpha-2: SC; alpha-3: SYC; numeric: 690. ITU calling code: +248.
- **Internet TLD**: .sc.
- **Timezone**: UTC+04:00 (Indian/Mahe).
- **Motto**: "Finis Coronat Opus" (The End Crowns the Work).

## FAQs
**What international organizations is Seychelles a member of?**
Seychelles is a member of the United Nations (joined Sept 21, 1976), the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Indian Ocean Commission. It is also a member of the International Monetary Fund groups (IBRD, IFC) and the Universal Postal Union.

**What are the demographics of Seychelles?**
As of 2023, the population is estimated at 119,773. The life expectancy is approximately 74.3 years (2016 data), and the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.785 (2021), indicating high development. The populace is known as Seychellois.

**What are the unique geographical features of Seychelles?**
Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, east of Africa. Its highest point is Morne Seychellois, and its lowest point is the Indian Ocean (sea level). It shares maritime borders with France, Comoros, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Mauritius.

**What symbols represent Seychelles?**
The national flag features five oblique bands of blue, yellow, red, white, and green (adopted June 18, 1996). The national anthem is "Koste Seselwa," and the coat of arms features a shield supported by two sailfish.

## Why It Matters
Seychelles matters as a strategic island nation in the Indian Ocean, serving as a key node in maritime routes and a participant in African and Commonwealth geopolitics. Despite its small land area, it has achieved one of the highest Human Development Indexes in Africa, demonstrating significant economic development through tourism and fisheries. It plays a role in global diplomacy as a voice for small island states (e.g., Alliance of Small Island States) and participates in international regulatory frameworks regarding taxation and maritime boundaries.

## Notable For
- Being the smallest country in Africa by land area (459 km²).
- Possessing a "High" Human Development Index (HDI > 0.800 recorded in 2018-2019).
- Its distinct trilingual policy (English, French, Seychellois Creole).
- Being an archipelagic state with Exclusive Economic Zone borders touching five other nations.
- Inclusion on the European Union tax haven blacklist (as of Feb 2020).

## Body

### Geography and Environment
Seychelles is an island sovereign state situated in the Indian Ocean, geographically classified as part of East Africa and the continent of Africa. The nation consists of an archipelago of islands, including La Digue. Its geographic coordinates are approximately -7.1 latitude and 52.766667 longitude.
- **Extremes**: The highest point is Morne Seychellois, and the lowest point is the Indian Ocean (0 meters).
- **Borders**: As an island nation, it shares maritime borders with France (via the France–Seychelles border), Comoros, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
- **Climate and Time**: The country observes UTC+04:00 year-round (Indian/Mahe timezone).

### Politics and Governance
Seychelles is a republic with a foundational text known as the Constitution of Seychelles. The government operates with Victoria as its capital.
- **Executive**: The Head of State and Government is the President. Wavel Ramkalawan held the office starting October 26, 2020, with a term scheduled to end October 26, 2025. The legislative body is the National Assembly.
- **Diplomatic Relations**: The nation maintains diplomatic relations with major powers including the United States, Russia, China (People's Republic of China), India, and the United Kingdom. It has historically maintained relations with North Korea since 1976.
- **International Membership**: Seychelles joined the United Nations on September 21, 1976. It is a member of the African Union, Commonwealth of Nations (joined 1976), and the Francophonie. It has been a member of Interpol since 1977 and the World Health Organization.

### Economy and Development
Seychelles uses the Seychellois rupee as its currency, which was introduced in 1914. The central bank is the Central Bank of Seychelles.
- **Economic Indicators**: The nominal GDP was approximately $1.59 billion USD in 2022. The Value Added Tax (VAT) rate is 15%.
- **Development**: The country has a Gini coefficient of 32.1 (2018), indicating moderate income inequality. It was listed on the European Union tax haven blacklist as of February 27, 2020.

### Demographics and Society
The population of Seychelles has grown from 41,700 in 1960 to 119,773 in 2023.
- **Population Statistics**: In 2022, the population was estimated at 100,447, with a male population of 63,113 and a female population of 56,766. The urban population in 2022 was 70,004, while the rural population was 49,874.
- **Vital Statistics**: The birth rate in 2022 was 13.1 per 1,000, and the death rate was 7.8 per 1,000. The total fertility rate was 2.3 in 2014.
- **Languages**: The official languages are English, French, and Seychellois Creole. English usage includes approximately 3,000 first-language speakers and 30,000 second-language speakers.
- **Education**: The number of out-of-school children has decreased significantly, from 4,927 in 2000 to 1,312 in 2015.

### National Symbols and Culture
- **Flag**: The current flag was adopted on June 18, 1996. Previous flags were used during the 1961–1976, 1976–1977, and 1977–1996 periods.
- **Anthem**: The national anthem is "Koste Seselwa."
- **Motto**: The official motto is "Finis Coronat Opus" (Latin), translated as "The End Crowns the Work." A tourism slogan is "Another World."
- **Emblems**: The coat of arms features sailfish and a turtle. The demonym for citizens is Seychellois.

### Infrastructure and Technical Identifiers
- **Transport**: Vehicles drive on the left.
- **Utilities**: The mains voltage is 240V at 50Hz, using the BS 1363 plug type.
- **Emergency Services**: The universal emergency number is 112; specific numbers include 133 for police and 151 for medical services.
- **Identifiers**: The ISO 3166-1 codes are SC (alpha-2), SYC (alpha-3), and 690 (numeric). The telephone country code is +248. The top-level internet domain is .sc.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.workwithdata.com/place/seychelles)
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. BnF authorities
4. CiNii Research
5. [Source](https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-list-of-non-cooperative-jurisdictions/)
6. [Source](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb-2021e/africa)
7. Lingua Libre
8. [Source](http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/seychelles)
9. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Development_Bank)
10. [Interpol](https://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/World)
11. [Source](https://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/Africa/Seychelles)
12. [Source](https://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Africa/SEYCHELLES)
13. [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons](https://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/member-states/member-states-by-region/africa/member-state-seychelles/)
14. [Source](https://www.opcw.org/about-us/member-states/seychelles)
15. [Source](http://www.unesco.org/eri/cp/ListeMS_Indicators.asp)
16. [Source](http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/member-countries.html)
17. [Source](https://www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/About-UPU/Member-Countries?csid=-1&cid=263)
18. [Source](https://www.itu.int/online/mm/scripts/gensel8)
19. [Source](https://public.wmo.int/en/members/seychelles)
20. [Source](https://www.who.int/choice/demography/by_country/en/)
21. [Source](https://www.wcoomd.org/-/media/wco/public/global/pdf/about-us/wco-members/list-of-members-with-membership-date.pdf)
22. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_the_Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons)
23. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Continental_Free_Trade_Area#List_of_signatories_and_parties_to_the_agreement)
24. [Source](https://www.ncnk.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/publications/NCNK_Issue_Brief_DPRK_Diplomatic_Relations.pdf)
25. [Source](http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/11227)
26. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
27. [Source](https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/)
28. FIPS 10-4
29. MusicBrainz
30. [Human Development Report. 2022](https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/human-development-index#/indicies/HDI)
31. [World Bank Open Data](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL)
32. [Source](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=SC)
33. [Source](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI)
34. [Source](http://cnig.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CNT-PVM_r%C3%A9vis%C3%A9_2020-01-27-1.pdf)
35. World Bank Open Data
36. The National Terminology Database for Irish
37. [Source](https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2017)
38. [Source](http://chartsbin.com/view/edr)
39. [World Bank](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD)
40. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=DEMO_DS)
41. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=3372)
42. BabelNet
43. [International Numbering Resources Database](http://www.itu.int/net/itu-t/inrdb/e129_important_numbers.aspx)
44. [World Plugs](http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/list_bylocation.htm)
45. English as a Global Language, second edition
46. [Source](https://countrycodebase.com/undp/)
47. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=239)
48. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
49. [Gazetteer](https://github.com/EnvironmentOntology/gaz/blob/master/src/ontology/gaz_countries.csv)
50. iNaturalist