Guernsey

Internet country code

.gg

Internet hosts

156 (2008)

Internet users

36,000 (2005)

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

45,100 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

43,800 (2004)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $563.6 million expenditures: $530.9 million (2005)

Currency (code)

Guernsey pound note: the British pound is also legal tender

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - overview

Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 23% of employment and about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have been growing. 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 pound 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003) 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; note - regarded as internal trade (2006)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$44,600 (2005)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2005 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; note - regarded as internal trade (2006)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (June 2006)

Labor force

31,470 (March 2006)

Unemployment rate

0.9% (March 2006 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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA

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

Capital

name: Saint Peter Port geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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 Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005) head of government: Chief Minister Lyndon TROTT (since 1 May 2008) 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 Deliberation election results: Lyndon TROTT 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

parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Legal system

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Legislative branch

unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have parliaments elections: last held 23 April 2008 (next to be held in 2012) 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

Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; No More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 379 female: 353 (2008 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.6% (male 4,849/female 4,727) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 22,013/female 22,380) 65 years and over: 17.9% (male 4,988/female 6,769) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

8.57 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

10.09 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

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: 4.53 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.65 years male: 77.64 years female: 83.76 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

NA

Median age

total: 42.1 years male: 41 years female: 43 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander

Net migration rate

3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

65,726 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

0.228% (2008 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: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson