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

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Background: 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. Guernsey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK or of the European Union. However the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.


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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

Area
Rank: 228
Land: 78 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about one-half the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 50 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 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 highest point: unnamed elevation on Sark 114 m

Natural resources: cropland

Land use
Permanent crops: NA
Other: NA

Irrigated land: NA

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: 65,849 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 205
Growth rate: 0.36% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 164
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups: British and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries

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

Religions: Protestant (Anglican Presbyterian Baptist Congregational Methodist) Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 11.9% (male 3,993/female 3,854)
25-54 years: 42.2% (male 13,991/female 13,800)
55-64 years: 12.9% (male 4,229/female 4,249)
65 years and over: 17.9% (male 5,469/female 6,668) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 21.7 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 24.7 %
Potential support ratio: 4

Median age
Male: 41.9 years
Female: 44.2 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.36% (2014 est.)
Rank: 164

Birth rate: 9.89 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 196

Death rate: 8.69 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 73

Net migration rate: 2.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 41

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.63% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 208
Male: 3.77 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.15 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 9
Male: 79.72 years
Female: 85.2 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.55 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 186

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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 short form: Guernsey

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 49 27 N 2 32 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government but there are 10 parishes: Castel Forest Saint Andrew Saint Martin Saint Peter Port Saint Pierre du Bois Saint Sampson Saint Saviour Torteval Vale

Dependent areas

Independence: none (British crown dependency)

National holiday: Liberation Day 9 May (1945)

Constitution: unwritten; includes royal charters statutes and common law and practice

Legal system: customary legal system based on Norman customary law and includes elements of the French Civil Code and English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Chief Minister Jonathan LE TOCQ (since 12 March 2014); Bailiff Richard COLLAS (since 23 March 2012) note - Chief Minister Peter HARWOOD resigned 25 February 2014
Cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch; chief minister elected by States of Deliberation
Election results: Peter HARWOOD elected chief minister percent of vote NA

Legislative branch: unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; note - there are also 10 Douzaine representatives - one from each parish 2 representatives from Alderney and the appointed attorney general and soliciter general); note - Alderney and Sark have parliaments
Elections: last held on 18 April 2012 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Royal Court Balliff Deputy Balliff and Court of Appeal justices appointed by the British Crown and hold office at Her Majesty's pleasure; jurats elected by the States of Election a body chaired by the Balliff and a number of jurats
Subordinate courts: Court of Alderney; Court of the Seneschal of Sark; Magistrate's Court (includes Juvenile Court); Contracts Court; Ecclesiastical Court; Court of Chief Pleas

Political parties and leaders: none; all independents

International organization participation: UPU

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 and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross; the red cross represents the old ties with England and the fact that Guernsey is a British Crown dependency; the gold cross is a replica of the one used by Duke William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings

National symbols: Guernsey cow; donkey

National anthem
Lyrics and music: George DEIGHTON/Domencio SANTANGELO

National heritage


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Economy overview: Financial services - banking fund management insurance - account for about 23% of employment and about 55% of total income in this tiny prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism manufacturing and horticulture mainly tomatoes and cut flowers have been declining. Financial services construction retail and the public sector have been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. In January 2013 Guernsey signed a tax agreement with Jersey and the Isle of Man in order to enable the islands' authorities to end tax avoidance and evasion. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.742 billion (2005 est.)
Rank: 185

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2005 est.)
Rank: 117

Real gdp per capita: $44,600 (2005)
Rank: 16

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 10%
Services: 87% (2000)

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

Industries: tourism banking

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 31,470 (March 2006)
Rank: 204

Unemployment rate: 0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Rank: 4

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $530.9 million (2005)
Surplus or deficit: 1.2% of GDP (2005)
Surplus or deficit rank: 25

Taxes and other revenues: 20.6% of GDP (2005)
Rank: 158

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.4% (June 2006)
Rank: 123

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: $N/A
Commodities: tomatoes flowers and ferns sweet peppers eggplant other vegetables

Imports: $N/A
Commodities: coal gasoline oil machinery and equipment

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 45,100 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 165
Mobile cellular: 43,800 (2004)
Mobile cellular rank: 203

Telephone system
International: country code - 44; 1 submarine cable (2011)

Broadcast media: multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey with relays in Jersey Guernsey and Alderney; satellite packages are available; BBC Radio Guernsey and 1 other radio station operating (2009)

Internet
Country code: .gg
Hosts: 239 (2012)
Hosts rank: 196
Users: 48,300 (2009)
Users rank: 175

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 (2013)
Rank: 200
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs