PEOPLE
About 90% of the Seychellois
people live on Mahe Island. Most others live on Praslin and La
Digue, with the remaining smaller islands either sparsely populated
or uninhabited.
Most Seychellois are descendants of early French settlers and the African slaves brought to the Seychelles in the 19th century by the British, who freed them from slave ships on the East African coast. Indians and Chinese (1.1% of the population) account for the other permanent inhabitants. In 2006, about 4,000 expatriates lived and worked in Seychelles. Of those, about 65 were American.
Seychelles culture is a mixture
of French and African (Creole) influences. Creole is the native
language of 94% of the people, however, English and French are
commonly used. English remains the language of government and
commerce.
About 92% of the population over age 15 is literate, and the literacy rate of school-aged children has risen to well over 98%. Increases are expected, as nearly all children of primary school age attend school, and the government encourages adult education.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Seychellois.
Population (2006 est.): 86,000.
Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 1%.
Ethnic groups: Creole (European, Asian, and African).
Religions: Catholic 86.6%, Anglican Church 6.8%, other Christians 2.5%, other 4.1%.
Languages: Official languages are Creole, English, and French.
Education: Public schools and private schools, compulsory through grade 10. Literacy (1994)--87.5%.
Health: Free government health services for all people. Life expectancy--male 65.48 yrs, female 73.63 yrs. Infant mortality rate--16.86/1000.
Work force: 32,382 with 3,550 unemployed. Industries include tourism, fishing, manufacturing, and construction.
