2000 Edition

Background

Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint-Martin is divided with the Netherlands (whose southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles).

Area

land

1,706 sq km

note

Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin

total

1,780 sq km

water

74 sq km

Area - comparative

10 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity

Coastline

306 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Soufriere 1,467 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

16 15 N, 61 35 W

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km

total

10.2 km

Land use

arable land

14%

forests and woodland

39%

other

29% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

4%

permanent pastures

14%

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); 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

Age structure

0-14 years: 25% (male 54,603; female 52,339) 15-64 years: 66% (male 139,640; female 142,706) 65 years and over: 9% (male 15,647; female 21,558) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

17.25 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.01 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%

Infant mortality rate

9.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

French (official) 99%, Creole patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.3 years (2000 est.)

male

73.82 years

total population

76.99 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

90% (1982 est.)

male

90%

total population

90%

Nationality

adjective

Guadeloupe

noun

Guadeloupian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

426,493 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.11% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 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: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France)

Capital

Basse-Terre

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

cabinet

NA

chief of state

President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean FEDINI (since NA 1996)

election results

NA

elections

French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president 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

head of government

President of the General Council Marcellin LUBETH (since NA March 1998); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992)

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 gold five-pointed 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 (42 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)

election results

General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - diverse left parties 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, diverse right parties 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - RPR 48.03%, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 24.49%, PCG 5.29%, diverse right parties 5.73%; seats by party - RPR 25, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 12, PCG 2, diverse right parties 2

elections

General Council - last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)

note

Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FGPS 2, RPR 1, PPDG 1

National holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Christian CELESTE]; diverse left parties ; diverse right parties ; FGPS Dissidents or FRUI.G ; Movement for an Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI ; Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or UPLG ; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG ; Rally for the Republic or RPR ; Socialist Party or PS ; Union for French Democracy or UDF

Political pressure groups and leaders

Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats

Budget

expenditures

$390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)

revenues

$225 million

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - recipient

$NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies

Economy - overview

The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional 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, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.

Electricity - consumption

1.135 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

1.22 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155(1996), 4.9915 (1995)

Exports

$140 million (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports - commodities

bananas, sugar, rum

Exports - partners

France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

9%

services

85% (1993 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials

Imports - partners

France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA

Labor force

125,900 (1997)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 15%, industry 17%, services 68% (1997)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

27.8% (1998)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

113,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

159,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

814 (1990)

Television broadcast stations

5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

118,000 (1997)

Airports

9 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

8 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

note

in 1996 there were a total of 3,200 km of roads

paved

1,742 km

total

2,082 km

unpaved

340 km (1985 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

passenger 1 (1999 est.)

total

1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,240 GRT/109 DWT

Ports and harbors

Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on Saint Barthelemy), Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre

Railways

total

NA km; privately-owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military branches

French Forces, Gendarmerie

Disputes - international

none

GUAM