SEYCHELLES
(Republic Seychelles)

Capital: Victoria

Flag: the flag consists of five inclined strips (from left to right) blue, yellow, red, white and green.

Anthem: Begins with the words "Seychelles and Resistant and True".

Money: Seychelles rupee (r) - paper currency in 100 cents. There are coins from 5, 10 and 25 cents and 1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 1000 and 1500 rupees and a note of 10, 25, 50 and 100 rupees. r1 = $0.18182 (or $1 = r5.5) as of 2005.

WEIGHT AND MEASURES: the metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS: New year, on January 1-2; Labor Day, on May 1; National day, on June 5; Independence Day, on June 29; Assumption, on August 15; All Saints' Day, on November 1; Immaculate conception, on December 8; Christmas, on December 25. Moveable religious feasts include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Corpus Christi and Rise.

TIME: 16:00 - midday.

ARRANGEMENT, SIZE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Seychelles, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, contain about 115 islands, the majority of which aren't constantly manned. The second-large country in Africa, the Seychelles have the area of 455 sq.km (176 quarter. Miles) of which the main island of Mahe makes 144 sq.km (56 quarter. Miles). Rather, the area occupied with the Seychelles is a little more, than 2,5 times more, than in Washington, the District of Columbia. There are two main clusters: one granite group concentrated around Mahe; another, to sw, includes the coral islands of Aldabra and Farkuar's group. Located at distance of 1600 km (1000 miles) from east coast of Africa, Mahe 27 km long (17 miles) of nanosecond and 11 km (7 miles).
The capital of the Seychelles, Victoria, is located on the island of Mahe.

TOPOGRAPHY

The Seychelles - the highest points of Ridge Maskareney, the ridge in the Indian Ocean passing, as a rule, from the North on the South. Granite islands rise over the surface of the sea, forming peak or a crest which, in case of Mahe, reaches height of 912 m (2992 feet) on Morne Seychellois, the highest point. Strong crests, the towering rocks, boulders and domes promote big natural beauty of islands. Here and there, in deepenings of a rocky relief, pockets of the lateritny soil, often very thin and easily collapsing are located. Mahe possesses white sandy beaches behind which the corals and sinks known as the plateau are located. The small streams which are going down on hillsides lay alluvial material, creating the most fertile soils on the island.

Korallina the Seychelles, on the contrary, low lie, rising by only several feet over the surface of the sea. Many have a typical lagoon in the Indian Ocean. Soils tend to be thin, with bad humidity. These islands are suitable only for a coconut palm and several other types.