Geography

Area

Climate

tropical marine climate; characterized by humidity; experiences a cooler season during the southeast monsoon from late May to September; encounters a warmer season during the northwest monsoon from March to May

Terrain

The Mahe Group consists of volcanic formations featuring a narrow coastal area and a rugged, hilly landscape; other islands in the group are primarily flat coral atolls or elevated reefs; these islands are situated on the submarine Mascarene Plateau

Land use

Location

A collection of islands located in the Indian Ocean, positioned to the northeast of Madagascar

Coastline

491 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

3 sq km (2012)

Map references

Africa

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

Situated outside the cyclone zone, thus experiencing infrequent severe storms; however, short droughts can occasionally occur

Geography - note

Recognized as the smallest nation in Africa regarding both land area and population; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles enumerates 155 islands, comprising 42 granitic and 113 coralline; the largest island is Mahe, which accommodates approximately 90% of the population and is where the capital city, Victoria, is located

Natural resources

primary products include fish, coconuts (copra), and cinnamon trees

Area - comparative

covers an area 2.5 times larger than Washington, D.C.

Geographic coordinates

4 35 S, 55 40 E

Population distribution

over three-quarters of the population resides on the principal island of Mahe; Praslin hosts less than 10% of the population, with an even smaller fraction living on La Digue and the outer islands, as illustrated in this population distribution map