Short facts about the geography of Seychelles

Location:

Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:

4 35 S, 55 40 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total:  455 sq km land:  455 sq km water:  0 sq km

Area - comparative:

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

491 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone:  24 NM continental shelf:  200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone:  200 NM territorial sea:  12 NM

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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:  Indian Ocean 0 m highest point:  Morne Seychellois 905 m

Natural resources:

fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use:

arable land:  2% permanent crops:  13% permanent pastures:  0% forests and woodland:  11% other:  74% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

NA sq km

Natural hazards:

lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible

Environment - current issues:

water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater

Environment - international agreements:

party to:  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified:  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:

40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Source: World Factbook