World Factbook
Seychelles
Republic of Seychelles
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
455 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
455 sq km
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 volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are relatively flat coral atolls, or elevated reefs; sits atop the submarine Mascarene Plateau
Land use
other
38% (2023 est.)
forest
58.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
3.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Location
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Coastline
491 km
Elevation
lowest point
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point
Morne Seychellois 905 m
Irrigated land
3 sq km (2012)
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts
Geography - note
the smallest African country in terms of both area and population; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands, including 42 granitic and 113 coralline; the largest island by far is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and is the site of the capital city of Victoria
Natural resources
fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees
Area - comparative
2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
4 35 S, 55 40 E
Population distribution
more than three quarters of the population lives on the main island of Mahe; Praslin is home to less than 10%, and a smaller percentage is on La Digue and the outer islands, as shown in this population distribution map