Map of Guadeloupe | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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).


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Location: Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates: 16 15 N, 61 35 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 1,780 km²
Land: 1,706 km²
Water: 74 km²
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
Comparative: 10 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 10.2 km
Border countries: (0) Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km

Coastline: 306 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Soufriere 1,467 m

Natural resources: cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism

Land use
Arable land: 14%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 14%
Forests and woodland: 39%
Other: 29% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes (June to October; La Soufriere is an active volcano

Geography


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Population: 411,823 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.13% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Guadeloupian(s)
Adjective: Guadeloupe

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

Languages: French (official) 99%, Creole patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant sects 1%

Demographic profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.13% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 17.09 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.6 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

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.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.6 years
Male: 74.57 years
Female: 80.77 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 90%
Male: 90%
Female: 90% (1982 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
Conventional short form: Guadeloupe
Local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
Local short form: Guadeloupe

Government type: NA

Capital: Basse-Terre

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

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

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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

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

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas department of France)
From the us: none (overseas department of France)

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6%
Industry: 9%
Services: 85% (1993 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats

Industries: construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Total: 128,000
By occupation agriculture: 15%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 65% (1993)

Unemployment rate: 31.3% (1995)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $300 million
Expenditures: $460 million, including capital expenditures of $90 million (1995)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $145 million (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities: bananas, sugar, rum
Partners: France 70%, Martinique 17% (1991)

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)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 950 million kWh (1994)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: NA kWh

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

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

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 9 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 9
Over 3047 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 2
Under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: total:NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs