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  Guernsey
(British crown dependency)
 
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 Geography
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 Economy
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This page was last updated on 16 May, 2006


Map of Guernsey



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Guernsey Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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. Guernsey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK.
   Geography    Guernsey Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Europe
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about one-half the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
50 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly level with low hills in southwest
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
cropland
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA%
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
   People    Guernsey Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
65,409 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 15% (male 4,998/female 4,842)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 21,752/female 22,170)
65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,926/female 6,721) (2006 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 41.3 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.26% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.81 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10.01 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
3.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
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: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 4.65 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 80.42 years
male: 77.41 years
female: 83.53 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
   Government    Guernsey Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
British crown dependency
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Peter Port
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
English law and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)
cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion
election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Royal Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Guernsey Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous 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 environment under which Guernsey operates.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.59 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
NA
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$40,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
32,290 (2001)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.5% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.9% (2004 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $539.2 million
expenditures: $448.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2002)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Guernsey Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
55,100 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
43,800 (2004)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.gg
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,168 (2005)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
36,000 (2005)
   Transportation    Guernsey Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2005)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: NA
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
   Military    Guernsey Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK
   Transnational Issues    Guernsey Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 16 May, 2006


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