Map of Guadeloupe | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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).


top of page


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, Saint Barthelemy, and part of Saint 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; Soufriere is an active volcano

Geography


top of page


Population: 416,439 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.1% (1998 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 53,239; female 51,148)
15-64 years: 66% (male 136,439; female 139,555)
65 years and over: 9% (male 15,243; female 20,815) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.1% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 16.73 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.61 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: 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: 0.73 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.79 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.8 years
Male: 74.78 years
Female: 80.97 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.84 children born/woman (1998 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


top of page


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 Jean FEDINI (since NA): ead 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 (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)
Elections: General Council_last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); Regional Council_last held 16 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)
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 48.03%, PS/PPDG/DVG 24.49%, PCG 5.29%, DVD 5.73%; seats by party_RPR 25, PS/PPDG/DVG 12, PCG 2, DVD 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_RPR 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 25 May_1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); 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


top of page


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; 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $9,200 (1995 est.)

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)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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)
Commodoties: bananas, sugar, rum
Partners: France 75%, Martinique 13% (1994)

Imports: total value:$1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials
Partners: France 64%, EU 13%, Martinique 4%, US, Japan (1994)

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_6.0836 (January 1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155(1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993)


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 388,000 kW (1995)
Production: 1 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 2,483 kWh (1995)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones: 64,916 (1984 est.)

Telephone system: domestic facilities inadequate
Domestic: NA

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 9 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs