Seychelles: Seychelles Geography Profile

2 TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES

Seychelles has no outside territories or dependencies.

3 CLIMATE

Despite lying close to the equator, trade winds keep the country\'s climate temperate. Coastal temperatures remain fairly constant at 27°C (81°F) throughout the year. Temperatures are generally lower at the higher altitudes, particularly at night. Humidity tends to be high, particularly in the coastal regions.

Average annual rainfall varies markedly across the islands of the Seychelles. The coastal regions on Mahé experience an annual rainfall of 236 centimeters (93 inches), while the areas at higher elevations receive about 356 centimeters (140 inches). The coral islands of the southwest, such as Aldabra and Assumption, experience much less rainfall, averaging about 50 centimeters (20 inches) annually.

Generally, the period from May through October is slightly drier, although southeast-erly winds bring brief rains each two to three days even during these months of the year. The northeasterly winds prevail from December through March, bringing heavier and additional frequent rains.

4 TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS

There are additional than one hundred islands that make up the country of Seychelles. Generally they fall into two categories: the core group of high-rising granite islands, and a group of low coralline atolls in the southwest part of the country. Seychelles is located on the African Tectonic Plate.

5 OCEANS AND SEAS

Seacoast and Undersea Features

The Seychelles archipelago is spread over approximately 388,498 square kilometers (150,000 square miles) of the Indian Ocean east of Africa. Surrounding the islands are coral reefs.

Sea Inlets and Straits

Baie Ternay and Port Launay, both on Mahé Island, are adjacent marine parks edged in stunning coral reefs.

Islands and Archipelagos

The total number of islands varies depending upon what is considered an island. Some are merely sand cays and shoals barely above the high tide mark. There are thirty-two granitic Seychelles islands; the remaining seventy to ninety islands are coralline. The total land area of the granitic group is about 259 square kilometers (100 square miles).

The major granitic island is Mahé (144 square kilometers/56 square miles). It is surrounded by coral reefs and ringed by beaches featuring fine white sand. Praslin, the second-major island, is located northeast of Mahé. The United Nations\' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated Vallée de Mai near the center of the island as a World Heritage Site. It is the only place in the world where the coco-de-mer palm tree is found. It is as well home to three of the world\'s rarest birds: the Seychelles bulbul, the fruit pigeon, and the black parrot.

Other inhabited (or tourist destination) islands include La Digue (east of Praslin); Frigate (due east of Mahé and south of La Digue); and Silhouette (northwest of Mahé). The majority northerly of the granitic islands is Aride, home to a bird sanctuary.

The Cosmoledo Group makes up the majority southwesterly of the Seychelles. The coralline Aldabra, part of the Aldabra Group (Groupe d\'Aldabra), is the world\'s major atoll. The group includes a ring of four islands with a central lagoon that fills and empties twice each day through four channels. The diversity of wildlife, inclunding giant tortoises and the Aldabran Rail (a species of flightless bird), have as well earned the island a designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Coastal Features

White, sandy beaches surround the granitic islands with flats of corals and shells behind them. Tar balls have washed up on the beaches for decades, indicating the possibility of undersea oil reserves.

6 INLAND LAKES

There are no major lakes in Seychelles, but there are small ponds and marshes on some of the islands.

7 RIVERS AND WATERFALLS

There are no major rivers in Seychelles. There are, however, a lot of small streams that drain the mountain slopes.

8 DESERTS

There are no desert regions in Seychelles.

9 FLAT AND ROLLING TERRAIN

Seychelles has no permanent pastures and only 13 % of its land is used for crops. Only 11 % of Seychelles is considered forest land. Primary forests exist only on Praslin and Curieuse Islands, both of which lie north of Mahé. These native forests of the coco-de-mer palm tree are presently protected in small reserves. Coconut plantations have virtually restored all broadleaf evergreen rain forests. Other native tree species on Seychelles have adapted to the local conditions. A lot of forests are planted with fruit and spice plants, making good use of scarce land resources.

10 MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANOES

The Mascarene Ridge, a granite ridge that runs from north to south mostly underwater in the Indian Ocean, formed most of the islands of the Seychelles. On Mahé, Mount Seychelles (Morne Seychellois) reaches the highest point in the country at 912 meters (2,992 feet). The mountainous characteristics of the granitic islands are part the notable characteristics that appeal to tourists.

11 CANYONS AND CAVES

There are no major land caves in Seychelles. Several underwater caves surround the coastlines of the islands, however; these provide homes to a variety of marine life.

12 PLATEAUS AND MONOLITHS

There are no major plateau regions in Seychelles.

13 MAN-MADE FEATURES

There are no major man-made structures affecting the geography of Seychelles.