|
Red
Sea Management provides Seychelles offshore incorporation, Seychelles offshore asset protection and a full range of services. |
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Report on
Seychelles
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| Background:
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A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands
ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came
in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution
and free elections in 1993.
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| Location:
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Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of
Madagascar
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Geographic coordinates:
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4 35 S, 55 40 E
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| Map
references:
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Africa
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| Area: |
total: 455 sq km
land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area -
comparative:
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2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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| Land
boundaries: |
0 km
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|
Coastline:
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491 km
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| Maritime
claims:
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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
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| Climate:
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tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late
May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to
May)
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| Terrain:
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Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are
coral, flat, elevated reefs
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| Elevation
extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m |
| Natural
resources:
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fish, copra, cinnamon trees
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| Land use:
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arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 74% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated
land:
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NA sq km
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| Natural
hazards:
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lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short
droughts possible
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Environment - current issues:
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water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
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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
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| Geography
- note:
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40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
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Population: |
79,715 (July 2001 est.)
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| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 28.27% (male 11,367; female 11,167)
15-64 years: 65.47% (male 25,453; female 26,737)
65 years and over: 6.26% (male 1,673; female 3,318) (2001 est.)
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Population growth rate:
|
0.49% (2001 est.)
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| Birth
rate: |
17.66 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Death
rate: |
6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Net
migration rate: |
-6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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| Infant
mortality rate: |
17.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
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| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 70.69 years
male: 65.17 years
female: 76.37 years (2001 est.)
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| Total
fertility rate: |
1.83 children born/woman (2001 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA%
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| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality: |
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychelles
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| Ethnic
groups:
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Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
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Languages: |
English (official), French (official), Creole
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| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 56%
female: 60% (1971 est.)
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| Country
name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles
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Government type:
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republic
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| Capital: |
Victoria
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Administrative divisions:
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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), Grand'
Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont
Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
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Independence: |
29 June 1976 (from UK)
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| National
holiday: |
Constitution Day, 18 June (1993)
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Constitution:
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18 June 1993
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| Legal
system: |
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
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| Suffrage:
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17 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of
vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 66.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 19.5%,
Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 13.8%
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|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25
elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to
parties winning at least ten percent of the vote; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 61.7%, UO 26.1%, DP
12.1%; seats by party - SPPF 30, UO 3, DP 1
note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of
each party in the total vote
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| Judicial
branch:
|
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed
by the president
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| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM]; Seychelles National Party or
SNP (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN];
Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE] -
the governing party
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| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Roman Catholic Church; trade unions
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|
International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Claude Sylvestre MOREL
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to
Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles
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| Flag
description: |
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green
(bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side
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| Economy
- overview:
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Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean
archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old
near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector,
which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70%
of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years the
government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade
hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved
to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of
farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. The vulnerability of
the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 1991-92 due
largely to the Gulf war. Although the industry has rebounded, the
government recognizes the continuing need for upgrading the sector in
the face of stiff international competition. Other issues facing the
government are the curbing of the budget deficit and further
privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2000, due
to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Tight controls on exchange rates
and the scarcity of foreign exchange have hindered short-term economic
prospects. The black market value of the Seychelles ruppee is half the
official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency the
tourist sector should remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper
destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
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| GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $610 million (2000 est.)
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| GDP -
real growth rate: |
1.5% (2000 est.)
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| GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.)
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| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 26.3%
services: 70.6% (1999)
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Population below poverty line: |
NA%
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| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6% (1999 est.)
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| Labor
force: |
30,900 (1996)
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| Labor
force - by occupation: |
industry 19%, services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989)
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Unemployment rate: |
NA%
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| Budget:
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revenues: $249 million
expenditures: $262 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
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Industries: |
fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut
fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production: |
160 million kWh (1999)
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
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Electricity - consumption: |
148.8 million kWh (1999)
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca),
bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish
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| Exports: |
$111 million (f.o.b., 1999)
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| Exports -
commodities: |
fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
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| Exports -
partners: |
France, UK, Netherlands, Italy, China, Germany, Japan
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| Imports: |
$440 million (c.i.f., 1999)
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| Imports -
commodities: |
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
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| Imports -
partners: |
South Africa, UK, China, Singapore, France, Italy
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| Debt -
external: |
$240 million (1999 est.)
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| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$16.4 million (1995)
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| Currency:
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Seychelles rupee (SCR)
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| Currency
code: |
SCR
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| Exchange
rates:
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Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 6.0397 (November 2000), 5.6009
(2000), 5,3426 (1999), 5.2622 (1998), 5.0263 (1997), 4.9700 (1996)
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| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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19,635 (1997)
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
16,316 (1999)
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Telephone system: |
general assessment: effective system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the
archipelago
international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent
island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
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| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 2 (1998)
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| Radios: |
42,000 (1997)
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Television broadcast stations: |
2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
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Televisions: |
11,000 (1997)
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| Internet
country code: |
.sc
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| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000)
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| Internet
users: |
5,000 (2000)
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| Railways:
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0 km
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| Highways: |
total: 373 km
paved: 315 km
unpaved: 58 km (1997)
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Waterways: |
none
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| Ports and
harbors: |
Victoria
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| Merchant
marine: |
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,353 GRT/7,638 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.)
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| Airports: |
14 (2000 est.)
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| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
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| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.)
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| Military
branches: |
Army, Coast Guard, air wing, National Guard, Presidential Protection
Unit, Police Force
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| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 22,951 (2001 est.)
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| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 11,452 (2001 est.)
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| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$13 million (FY93)
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| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.8% (FY93)
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| Disputes
- international: |
claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean
Territory) |
