| Background: |
The island of
Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last
remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held
sway in both France and England. The islands were the only
British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. |
| Location: |
Western Europe,
islands in the English Channel, northwest of France |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
49 28 N, 2 35 W |
| Area: |
total:
194 sq km
land: 194 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark,
and some other smaller islands |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Climate: |
temperate with
mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are
overcast |
| Terrain: |
mostly level with
low hills in southwest |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
| Natural
resources: |
cropland |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA% |
| Environment
- current issues: |
NA |
| Geography
- note: |
large, deepwater
harbor at Saint Peter Port |
| Population: |
64,342 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
16.22% (male 5,285; female 5,151)
15-64 years: 66.67% (male 21,264; female
21,630)
65 years and over: 17.11% (male 4,546; female
6,466) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.39% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
9.9 births/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.87 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
3.89 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 79.78 years
male: 76.78 years
female: 82.88 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.36 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
| Ethnic
groups: |
UK and
Norman-French descent |
| Religions: |
Anglican, Roman
Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist |
| Languages: |
English, French,
Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
| Literacy: |
definition:
NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
| Dependency
status: |
British crown
dependency |
| Capital: |
Saint Peter Port |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (British
crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10
parishes including St. Peter Port, St. Sampson, Vale, Castel,
St. Saviour, St. Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, St.
Martin, St. Andrew |
| Independence: |
none (British
crown dependency) |
| National
holiday: |
Liberation Day, 9
May (1945) |
| Constitution: |
unwritten; partly
statutes, partly common law and practice |
| Legal
system: |
English law and
local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and
Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000)
and Bailiff De Vic G. CAREY (since NA)
cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee
appointed by the Assembly of the States
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff
appointed by the monarch |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Assembly of the States; consists of the Bailiff, 10 Douzaine
(parish council) representatives, 45 People's Deputies
elected by popular franchise, 2 Alderney representatives, HM
Procureur (Attorney General), HM Comptroller (Solicitor
General) and HM Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar
General)
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be
held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats
- all independents |
| Judicial
branch: |
Royal Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none; all
independents |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
none |
| International
organization participation: |
none |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (British
crown dependency) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (British
crown dependency) |
| Flag
description: |
white with the
red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England)
extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed
cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint
George cross |
| Economy
- overview: |
Financial
services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. -
account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel
Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture,
mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light
tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The
evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing
the rules of the game under which Guernsey operates. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5.7% (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3.99% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
31,322 (2000) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
0.5% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
tourism, banking |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
NA kWh |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
NA kWh |
| Electricity
- exports: |
NA kWh |
| Electricity
- imports: |
NA kWh |
| Agriculture
- products: |
tomatoes,
greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey
cattle |
| Exports
- commodities: |
tomatoes, flowers
and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables |
| Exports
- partners: |
UK (regarded as
internal trade) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
coal, gasoline,
oil, machinery and equipment |
| Imports
- partners: |
UK (regarded as
internal trade) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
British pound (GBP);
note - there is also a Guernsey pound |
| Exchange
rates: |
Guernsey pounds
per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 0.6180 (1999),
0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the
Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
44,000 (1996) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
12,000 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 1,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gg |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
| Highways: |
total:
NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Saint Peter Port,
Saint Sampson |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
