| Location: |
Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
4 35 S, 55 40 E
|
| Area: |
total:
455 sq km
land:
455 sq km
water:
0 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
|
| 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.)
|
| 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
|
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