Seychelles: Introduction

Seychelles is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. It is east of mainland Africa, and the most proximate country is Madagascar. The geography consists of narrow coastal strips and central ranges of hills. The government system is a republic; the chief of state and head of government is the president. Seychelles has a service-oriented mixed economy in which some citizens still rely of subsistence farming, but tourism has promoted an economy with a variety of private freedom in combination with centralized government regulation. Seychelles is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).