Geographical Location
   
 

Seychelles is located in the western part of the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar and east of Mombasa, Kenya. It is between 4 and 5 degrees south of the equator at a longitude between 55 and 56 degrees east.

The total land area is approximately 454 sq km with Victoria as its capital, which is located in the largest island Mahˆm.

It consists of about 115 islands, and 35 islands of the "Inner Islands Group" are granitic, rocky and hilly with narrow coastal strips. The others are coralline, low-lying and covered with dense vegetation. These include Aldabra, with the world's largest tropical lagoon.

 
   
Population
   
 

The total population is around 80,000 with 90% of them live in Mahˆm.

The ethic groups are mixed of French, English, Indian, Chinese and African origins.

The sex ratio of male to female in Seychelles is 0.93 to 1

The literate rate in Seychelles is around 58%.

   
Language
   
 

The official and spoken language is Creole, which is a French patois, French and English.

English is widely spoken in business and tourism related establishments.
   
Currency
   
  The official currency is Seychelles Rupee (SCR).
   
Economy
   
 

The main industry in Seychelles is tourism which employs 30% of the workforce and contributes 70% of hard currency earnings.

Recently, the government promotes the farming, small-scale manufacturing and fishing industries, especially tuna sector, in order to switch the dependence on tourism.

Further, due to the establishment of Seychelles International Business Authority and a suite of progressive laws, the incorporation of offshore structures are facilitated which in turn enhance the foreign investment and leads to the rapid growth in financial segment. For example, an increasing number of international banks and insurance companies have established either branches or subsidiaries in Seychelles. Hence more and more local management, accounting and legal firms are formed to provide clients with support.
   
Government
   
  Seychelles is discovered by a Portuguese explorer named Vasco de Gama and the first French settlement was established on St. Anne Island in 1770. But in 1814, Seychelles together with Mauritius were ceded to Great Britain under the terms of The Treaty of Pars, and became an independent republic within the British Commonwealth.

The Government is composed of the president, which is both the chief of state and head of government, and a 39-member unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale. 25 of them are elected by popular vote, while 9 numbers are allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote.

General elections are held at intervals of not longer than five years.
   
Law and Taxation
   
  The legal system is based on English Common Law, French Civil Law, and Customary Law.

The judicial power of Seychelles is vested in the Judiciary, consisting of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and other subordinate courts or tribunals established under the Constitution. The concept of the separation of powers, as defined by the Constitution, guarantees the independence of the Judiciary.

The principal corporate legislation is the International Business Companies Act 1994.
   
Local Infrastructure
   
  The Port of Victoria possesses more than 6,000 sqm of covered storage space, which is also well equipped with modern cargo handling equipment.

The Seychelles International Airport is one of the finest in the Indian Ocean region. Besides the national flag carrier, Air Seychelles, the airport is served by a number of other airlines.
   
Advantages
   
  - Political and economic stability.
- No exchange control regulations.
- No tax on offshore profit other than Government License fee.
- No disclosure necessary.
- Flexible Company law.
- Excellent worldwide communication facilities.