Guernsey

Internet country code

.gg

Internet users

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable

Telephones - main lines in use

55,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

31,500 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Agriculture - products

tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Budget

revenues: $381.3 million expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)

Currency

British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound

Currency code

GBP

Debt - external

NA

Economic aid - recipient

NA

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 environment under which Guernsey operates.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Exchange rates

Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Exports

NA

Exports - commodities

tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables

Exports - partners

UK (regarded as internal trade)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3% industry: 10% services: 87% (2000)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.7% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

NA

Imports - commodities

coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners

UK (regarded as internal trade)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

tourism, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (2000 est.)

Labor force

31,320 (2000)

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

0.5% (1999 est.)

Area

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

about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Climate

temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Coastline

50 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

49 28 N, 2 35 W

Geography - note

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA (2001)

Location

Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

cropland

Terrain

mostly level with low hills in southwest

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 Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew

Capital

Saint Peter Port

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Country name

conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey conventional short form: Guernsey

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) 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

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

Government type

NA

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

Royal Court

Legal system

English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Legislative branch

unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for 4 years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Political parties and leaders

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.6% (male 5,161; female 5,013) 15-64 years: 66.7% (male 21,497; female 21,897) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 4,812; female 6,651) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

9.16 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.17 years male: 77.17 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Median age

total: 40.6 years male: 39.6 years female: 41.5 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander

Net migration rate

3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

65,031 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

0.31% (2004 est.)

Religions

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson