Map of Guernsey | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 194 km²
Land: 194 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 50 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm

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

Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Natural resources: cropland

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: NA%
Other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port


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Population: 63,731 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.28% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Channel Islander(s)
Adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups: UK and Norman-French descent

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18% (male 5,703; female 5,584)
15-64 years: 67% (male 20,883; female 21,702)
65 years and over: 15% (male 3,959; female 5,900) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.28% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 13.54 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.65 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.94 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.9 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.38 years
Male: 75.44 years
Female: 81.43 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.62 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: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
Conventional short form: Guernsey

Government type: NA

Capital: Saint Peter Port

Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (British crown dependency)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952)
Head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Vice-Admiral Sir John COWARD (since NA 1994) and Bailiff Mr. Graham Martyn DOREY (since February 1992)
Cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee (other committees) appointed by the Assembly of the States
Elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; lieutenant governor appointed by the queen; bailiff appointed by the queen

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the States (60 seats, 33 popularly elected; members serve six-year terms)
Elections: last held 20 April 1994 (next to be held NA 2000)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch: Royal Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: none

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (British crown dependency)
From the us: none (British crown dependency)

Flag description: white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Financial services account for about 55% of total income. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Bank profits (1992) registered a record 26% growth. Fund management and insurance are the two other major income generators.

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: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Industries: tourism, banking

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 3%-4% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $257.9 million
Expenditures: $235.8 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1994 est.)

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: $NA
Commodities: tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)

Imports: $NA
Commodities: coal, gasoline, and oil
Partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (£G) per US$1 - 0.6023 (January 1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992; note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound


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Electricity access

Electricity production: NA kWh

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: NA
International: 1 submarine cable

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: 2 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

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

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs