Guernsey
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
Capital: Saint Peter Port
Type of Government: NA-
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
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 15.4% (male 5,084/female 4,937)
Agriculture: tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Airports: 2 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 2-
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 78 sq km.
about one-half the size of Washington, DC
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.
Birth rate: 9.01 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $539.2 million
Coastline: 50 km-
Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
Communications:
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Currency: British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound-
Current account balance:
Death rate: 9.95 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $NA-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (British crown dependency)
Disputes - international: none-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor: -
Economic aid - recipient:
Economy - overview: 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.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Environment - current issues: NA-
Environment - International Agreements:
Ethnic groups: UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries
Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.54 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005)
Exports: $NA
Exports - partners: UK (regarded as internal trade) (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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
GDP (official exchange rate): NA
GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.59 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $40,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W
Geography - note: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%-
Illicit drugs:
Imports: $NA
Imports - partners: UK (regarded as internal trade) (2004)
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Industries: tourism, banking
Infant mortality rate: total: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9% (2004 est.)
International organization participation: UPU
Internet country code: .gg-
Internet hosts:
Internet users: NA-
Investment (gross fixed):
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Judicial branch: Royal Court
Labor force: 32,290 (2001)-
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: 0 km
Land use: arable land: NA%
Languages: English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Legal system: English law and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.3 years
Literacy: definition: NA
Location: Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France-
Major infectious diseases: -
Manpower available for military service: -
Manpower fit for military service: -
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Map references: Europe
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm
Median age: total: 40.99 years-
Merchant marine: -
Military - note: -
Military branches: -
Military expenditures - dollar figure: -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: -
Military service age and obligation:
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Nationality: noun: Channel Islander(s)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: -
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Natural hazards: NA
Natural resources: cropland
Net migration rate: 3.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)-
Oil - consumption: -
Oil - exports: -
Oil - imports: -
Oil - production: -
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
Population: 65,228 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 0.29% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson-
Public debt:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist-
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: -
Roadways:
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
Telephones - main lines in use: 55,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 31,500 (2001)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest
Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1999 est.)-
Waterways: