CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 8 (private stations licensed to broadcast FM 30), shortwave 0
Radios
100,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system
domestic facilities inadequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique
Telephones
64,916 (1984 est.)
Television broadcast stations
9
Televisions
150,000 (1993 est.)
◆ ECONOMY(22 fields)
Agriculture - products
bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats
Budget
revenues: $300 million expenditures: $460 million, including capital expenditures of $90 million (1995)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid
recipient : ODA, $NA note: substantial annual French subsidies
Economy - overview
The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France. Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.
Electricity - capacity
NA kW
Electricity - consumption per capita
NA kWh
Electricity - production
950 million kWh (1994)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155(1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992)
Exports
total value: $145 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities : bananas, sugar, rum partners: France 70%, Martinique 17% (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 6% industry: 9% services: 85% (1993 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $9,200 (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Imports
total value: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials partners : France 60%, EC, US, Japan (1991)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate - consumer price index
3.7% (1990)
Labor force
total: 128,000 by occupation: agriculture 15%, industry 20%, services 65% (1993)
Unemployment rate
31.3% (1995)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total: 1,780 sq km land: 1,706 sq km water: 74 sq km note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes, St. Barthelemy, and part of St. Martin
Area - comparative
10 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
Coastline
306 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,467 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Environment - international agreements
party to : NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates
16 15 N, 61 35 W
Irrigated land
30 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 10.2 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km
Land use
arable land: 14% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 14% forests and woodland: 39% other: 29% (1993 est.)
Location
Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano
Natural resources
cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
Terrain
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin
◆ GOVERNMENT(20 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name
conventional long form : Department of Guadeloupe conventional short form: Guadeloupe local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe local short form: Guadeloupe
Data code
GP
Dependency status
overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Michel DIEFENBACHER (since NA March 1995) head of government: President of the General Council Dominique LARIFLA (since NA); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992) cabinet : NA elections: prefect appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils election results: NA
Flag description
three horizontal bands, a narrow green band (top), a wide red band, and a narrow green band; the green bands are separated from the red band by two narrow white stripes; a five-pointed gold star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions
Government type
NA
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (43 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional(41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: General Council - last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); Regional Council - last held 31 January 1994 (next to be held 16 March 1998) election results : General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FRUI.G 13, RPR/DUD 13, PPDG 8, FGPS 3, PCG 3, UPLG 1, PSG 1, independent 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - RPR/FGPS-dissidents 48.30%, FGPS 17.09%, FRUI.G 7.44%, PPDG 8.90%, UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats by party - RPR/FGPS-dissidents 22, FGPS/FRUI.G 9, PPDG 5, PCG 3, UPLG 2 note : Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held in September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPDG 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held 25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FGPS 2, RPR 1, PCG 1
National capital
Basse-Terre
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Rally for the Republic or RPR [Daniel BEAUBRUN]; Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Christian Medard CELESTE]; Socialist Party or FGPS [Georges LOUISOR]; Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or UPLG [Claude MAKOUKE]; FGPS Dissidents or FRUI.G [Dominique LARIFLA]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ MILITARY(2 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches
French Forces, Gendarmerie
◆ PEOPLE(15 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years : 25% (male 52,974; female 51,051) 15-64 years: 66% (male 134,686; female 137,828) 65 years and over: 9% (male 14,948; female 20,336) (July 1997 est.)
Birth rate
17.09 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate
5.6 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Infant mortality rate
9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Languages
French (official) 99%, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.6 years male : 74.57 years female: 80.77 years (1997 est.)
Literacy
definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90% (1982 est.)
Nationality
noun: Guadeloupian(s) adjective: Guadeloupe
Net migration rate
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Population
411,823 (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate
1.13% (1997 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant sects 1%
Sex ratio
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.86 children born/woman (1997 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
none GUAM (territory of the US)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(6 fields)
Airports
9 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m : 6 (1996 est.)
Highways
total : 2,082 km (national 329 km, regional 582 km, community/local 1171 km) paved: 1,742 km unpaved: 340 km (1985 est.) note: in 1996 there were 3,200 km of roads
Merchant marine
none
Ports and harbors
Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on St. Barthelemy), Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre
Railways
total: NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines