A republic and member of the Commonwealth, the Seychelles consists of about 100 islands widely scattered over the western Indian Ocean. The main island of Mahé is 1,800 km (1,100 mi) from the east coast of the African continent. Area: 455 sq km (176 sq mi). Pop. (1996 est.): 76,100. Cap.: Victoria. Monetary unit: Seychelles rupee, with (Oct. 11, 1996) a free rate of SR 5 to U.S. $1 (SR 7.87 = £1 sterling). President in 1996, France-Albert René.
The Seychelles enjoyed an uneventful year in 1996, with steady if moderate economic growth of about 3.9% over the previous year. International aid totaling $13 million a year helped the government finance a range of projects, including protection of the environment and the transport infrastructure and the rehabilitation of the Victoria Market.
The nation’s steady progress in recent years was reflected in Human Development Report 1996, which ranked the Seychelles as 60th in world development terms. Some of the important human development statistics were as follows: life expectancy, 71 years; rate of adult literacy, 88%; and copies of daily newspapers per 100 people, 4. The government spent 12.9% of its total expenditure on education.
This article updates SEYCHELLES.