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Compare Seychelles (2002) - United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2006)

Compare Seychelles (2002) z United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2006)

 Seychelles (2002)United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2006)
 SeychellesUnited States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Administrative divisions 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 -
Age structure 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 11,238; female 11,002)


15-64 years: 66% (male 25,763; female 27,086)


65 years and over: 6.2% (male 1,667; female 3,342) (2002 est.)
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Agriculture - products coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish -
Airports 14 (2001) Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable


Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable


Johnston Atoll: 1 - closed and not maintained


Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938


Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies


Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
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Airports - with unpaved runways total: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 4 (2002)
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Area total: 455 sq km


land: 455 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km


Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km


Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km


Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km


Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km


Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km


Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km


Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km
Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Background 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. The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.


Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.


Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.


Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony.


Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
Birth rate 17.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Budget revenues: $249 million


expenditures: $262 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) (1998 est.)
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Capital Victoria -
Climate tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May) Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun


Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation


Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter


Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year
Coastline 491 km Baker Island: 4.8 km


Howland Island: 6.4 km


Jarvis Island: 8 km


Johnston Atoll: 34 km


Kingman Reef: 3 km


Midway Islands: 15 km


Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km
Constitution 18 June 1993 -
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles


conventional short form: Seychelles
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll
Currency Seychelles rupee (SCR) -
Death rate 6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Debt - external $240 million (1999 est.) -
Dependency status - unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system


note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles -
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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Disputes - international claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) none
Economic aid - recipient $16.4 million (1995) (1995) -
Economy - overview 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 and once again following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Other issues facing the government are the curbing of the budget deficit, including the containment of social welfare costs, and further privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2001, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Also, tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term economic prospects. The black market value of the Seychelles rupee 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. no economic activity
Electricity - consumption 148.8 million kWh (2000) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - production 160 million kWh (2000) -
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
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Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


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


highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m
Environment - current issues water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources


Kingman Reef: none


Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA
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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Ethnic groups mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab -
Exchange rates Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.7458 (January 2002), 5.8575 (2001), 5.7138 (2000), 5.3426 (1999), 5.2622 (1998), 5.0263 (1997) -
Executive branch 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 31 August-2 September 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 54.19%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 44.95%, Philippe BOULLE 0.86%; note - the first time that presidential elections have been held separately from legislative elections
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Exports $182.6 million f.o.b. (2001) -
Exports - commodities canned tuna, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports) -
Exports - partners UK 48.1%, Italy 23.1%, France 14.8%, Netherlands 2.7% (1999) -
Fiscal year calendar year -
Flag description five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side the flag of the US is used
GDP purchasing power parity - $605 million (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3%


industry: 26%


services: 71% (1999) (1999)
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GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 1.5% (2001 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 4 35 S, 55 40 E Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W


Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W


Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W


Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W


Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W


Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W


Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W
Geography - note 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife


Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference


Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public


Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography


Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific
Highways total: 280 km


paved: 176 km


unpaved: 104 km (1997)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
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Imports $360.2 million f.o.b. (2001) -
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals -
Imports - partners Italy 13.3%, South Africa 10.7%, France 9.9%, UK 8.0%, Singapore 7.7% (1999) -
Independence 29 June 1976 (from UK) -
Industrial production growth rate NA% -
Industries fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages -
Infant mortality rate 16.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) -
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.1% (2001 est.) -
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) -
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km -
Judicial branch Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president -
Labor force 30,900 (1996) (1996) -
Labor force - by occupation industry 19%, services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989) (1989) -
Land boundaries 0 km none
Land use arable land: 2.22%


permanent crops: 13.33%


other: 84.45% (1998 est.)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
Languages English (official), French (official), Creole -
Legal system based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
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 10% of the vote; members serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next held by 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%, DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11


note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the percentage that each party won of the total vote
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Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.97 years


male: 65.48 years


female: 76.63 years (2002 est.)
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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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Location Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar Oceania


Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands


Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands


Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa


Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo


Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Map references Africa Oceania
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
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,086 GRT/10,192 DWT


ships by type: cargo 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: South Africa 2 (2002 est.)
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Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches Army, Coast Guard (includes Air Wing), Presidential Protection Unit (includes Presidential Guard), Police Force (includes Police Mobile Unit, a special weapons and tactics unit capable of assisting the Army in maintaining internal stability) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $11 million (FY01) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.8% (FY01) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 23,210 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 11,554 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993) -
Nationality noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)


adjective: Seychellois
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Natural hazards lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard


Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard


Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
Natural resources fish, copra, cinnamon trees terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Net migration rate -5.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
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 -
Political pressure groups and leaders Roman Catholic Church; trade unions -
Population 80,098 (July 2002 est.) no indigenous inhabitants


note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service


Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island


Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll


Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife staff
Population below poverty line NA% -
Population growth rate 0.47% (2002 est.) -
Ports and harbors Victoria -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998) -
Radios 42,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km (2003) -
Religions Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian 2.5%, other 4.1% -
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 (2002 est.)
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Suffrage 17 years of age; universal -
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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Telephones - main lines in use 19,635 (1997) -
Telephones - mobile cellular 16,316 (1999) -
Television broadcast stations 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997) -
Terrain Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor
Total fertility rate 1.81 children born/woman (2002 est.) -
Unemployment rate NA% -
Waterways none -
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