Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 18 June (1993) ( adoption of new constitution)

Constitution: 18 June 1993

Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); election last held 20- 23 July 1993; results - President France Albert RENE reelected by 59.5% of votes, MANCHAM (PS party) 36.72%
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple): elections last held 20-23 July 1993; results - SPPF 82%, DP 15%, UO 3%; seats - (33 total, 22 elected) SPPF 22

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: ruling party - Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert RENE; Democratic Party (DP), Sir James MANCHAM; United Opposition (UO) is a coalition of the following parties: Seychelles Party (PS), Wavel RAMKALAWAN; Seychelles Democratic Movement (MSPD), Jacques HONDOUL; Seychelles Liberal Party (SLP), Ogilvie BERLOUIS;;
Other political or pressure groups: trade unions; Roman Catholic Church
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marc Michael Rogers MARENGO
chancery: (temporary) 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 687-9766 or 9767
FAX: (212) 922-9177
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew F. MATTINGLY
embassy: 4th Floor, Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe
mailing address: Box 148, Unit 62501, Victoria, Seychelles; APO AE 09815-2501
telephone: (248) 25256
FAX: (248) 25189

Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest

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 Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Seychelles Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.