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. Guernsey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK.

Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N 2 35 W

Area
Land: 78 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
Comparative: about one-half the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 50 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 3 nm
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 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%
Other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: large deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Population: 65,409 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.26% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Channel Islander
Adjective: Channel Islander

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

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

Religions: Anglican Roman Catholic Presbyterian Baptist Congregational Methodist

Age structure
0-14 years: 15% (male 4,998/female 4,842)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 21,752/female 22,170)
65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,926/female 6,721) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.3 years
Male: 40.4 years
Female: 42.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.26% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 8.81 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 10.01 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.82 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.65 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5.19 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.08 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.42 years
Male: 77.41 years
Female: 83.53 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

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

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: Saint Peter Port
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 including Castel Forest Saint Andrew Saint Martin Saint Peter Port Saint Pierre du Bois Saint Sampson Saint Saviour Torteval Vale

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 statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2004)
Head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)
Cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation
Elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion
Election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch: Royal Court

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

Economy overview: Financial services - banking fund management insurance - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny prosperous 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 environment under which Guernsey operates.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.59 billion (2003 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $40,000 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
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: 32,290 (2001)

Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $539.2 million
Expenditures: $448.3 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.9% (2004 est.)

Exports: $N/A
Commodities: tomatoes flowers and ferns sweet peppers eggplant other vegetables
Partners: UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Imports: $N/A
Commodities: coal gasoline oil machinery and equipment
Partners: UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Debt external: $N/A

Exchange rates
Note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 55,100 (2004)
Mobile cellular: 43,800 (2004)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: 1 submarine cable

Internet
Country code: .gg
Hosts: 1245 (2004)
Users: 36,000 (2004)

Airports: 2 (one on Alderney) (2004)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2004)

Roadways
Total: NA

Ports and terminals: Saint Peter Port Saint Sampson

Disputes international: none