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Seychelles Geography Profile

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Locationarchipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates4 35 S, 55 40 E
Map referencesAfrica
Areatotal: 455 sq km

land: 455 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundariestotal: 0 km
Coastline491 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climatetropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
TerrainMahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation extremeshighest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Natural resourcesfish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees
Land useagricultural land: 6.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 88.5% (2018 est.)

other: 5% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land3 sq km (2012)
Total renewable water resources0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Natural hazardslies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts
Geography - notethe smallest African country in terms of both area and population; 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

Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021