Location: Eastern Africa in the western Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar

Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 455 sq km
land area: 455 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 491 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: claims Tromelin Island

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

Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 18%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 18%
other: 60%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: no fresh water, catchments collect rain water
natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

NOTE: The information regarding Seychelles on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Seychelles Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Seychelles Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.