Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
4 35 S, 55 40 E
Map references:
Africa
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 455 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 199
land:
455 sq km
water:
0 sq km
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
491 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
More Climate Details
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point:
Morne Seychellois 905 m
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
arable land: 2.17%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
4.35%
other:
93.48% (2011)
2.6 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts
water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands: 42 granitic and 113 coralline; by far the largest island is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and the site of the capital city of Victoria