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Geography
Location: Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references: Europe
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
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 50 km
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%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment—current issues: NA
Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography—note: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
People
Population: 65,386 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 6,012; female 5,875)
15-64 years: 66% (male 21,287; female 22,165)
65 years and over: 16% (male 4,069; female 5,978) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.27% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 14.16 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.44 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 8.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.72 years
male: 75.78 years
female: 81.77 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (1999 est.)
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: NA
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey
Data code: GK
Dependency status: British crown dependency
Government type: NA
Capital: Saint Peter Port
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
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 Sir John COWARD (since NA 1994) and Bailiff Sir Graham Martyn DOREY (since NA February 1992)
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 (60 seats—33 elected by popular vote; members serve six-year terms)
elections: last held 20 April 1994 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: percent of vote—NA; seats—all independents
Judicial branch: Royal Court
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
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
Economy
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: $NA
GDP—real growth rate: NA%
GDP—per capita: $NA
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: 3%-4% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $277.9 million
expenditures: $248.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 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: $NA
Exports—commodities: tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Exports—partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)
Imports: $NA
Imports—commodities: coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment
Imports—partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)
Debt—external: $NA
Economic aid—recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Guernsey (ÂŁG) pound = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (£G) per US$1—0.6057 (January 1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994); note—the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 41,850 (1983 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: none
*Information obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Fact Book.
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