2003 Edition

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: 15.8% (male 5,216; female 5,061) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 21,433; female 21,835) 65 years and over: 17.4% (male 4,705; female 6,568) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

2 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m

1 (2002) Military Guernsey

Area

land

78 sq km

note

includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

total

78 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

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. Geography Guernsey

Birth rate

9.43 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$381.3 million

Capital

Saint Peter Port

Climate

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

Coastline

50 km

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Country name

conventional long form

Bailiwick of Guernsey

conventional short form

Guernsey

Currency

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

Currency code

GBP

Death rate

9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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 rules of the game under which Guernsey operates.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

0%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0%

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location on Sark 114 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

UK and Norman-French descent

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

Executive branch

cabinet

Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch

head of government

Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY (since NA 1999)

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

UK (regarded as internal trade)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Guernsey

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 Economy Guernsey

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.)

Geographic coordinates

49 28 N, 2 35 W

Geography - note

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port People Guernsey

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

NA km

total

NA km

unpaved

NA km

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners

UK (regarded as internal trade)

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking

Infant mortality rate

female

4.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

5.43 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.85 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.99% (2000 est.)

International organization participation

none

Internet country code

.gg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Internet users

NA Transportation Guernsey

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Royal Court

Labor force

31,322 (2000)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

NA%

other

NA%

permanent crops

NA%

Languages

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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments

election results

percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents

elections

last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.14 years (2003 est.)

male

77.04 years

total population

80.04 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA% Government Guernsey

male

NA%

total population

NA%

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 NM

territorial sea

3 NM

Median age

female

41.1 years (2002)

male

39.3 years

total

40.2 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Guernsey

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Nationality

adjective

Channel Islander

noun

Channel Islander(s)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

cropland

Net migration rate

3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Political parties and leaders

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Population

64,818 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.34% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

NA

Railways

5 km

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

NA

international

1 submarine cable

Telephones - main lines in use

44,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular

12,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

NA

Terrain

mostly level with low hills in southwest

Total fertility rate

1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

0.5% (1999 est.)

Waterways

none