| Guadeloupe (overseas department of France) |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Guadeloupe | Introduction | 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).

Guadeloupe | Geography | Top of Page

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

Geographic coordinates: | 16 15 N, 61 35 W

Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean

Area: | total: 1,780 sq km land: 1,706 sq km water: 74 sq km note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin

Area - comparative: | 10 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: | total: 10.2 km border countries: 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 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 sq km (1993 est.)

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

Environment - current issues: | NA

Guadeloupe | People | Top of Page

Population: | 431,170 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 24.99% (male 55,030; female 52,722) 15-64 years: 66.22% (male 141,294; female 144,232) 65 years and over: 8.79% (male 15,901; female 21,991) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.07% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 16.91 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | -0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

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: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 9.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.16 years male: 74.01 years female: 80.48 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 1.93 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Guadeloupian(s) adjective: Guadeloupe

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

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

Languages: | French (official) 99%, Creole patois

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90% (1982 est.)

Guadeloupe | Government | 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

Dependency status: | overseas department of France

Government type: | NA

Capital: | Basse-Terre

Administrative divisions: | none (overseas department of France)

Independence: | none (overseas department of France)

National holiday: | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: | French legal system

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean FEDINI (since NA 1996) head of government: President of the General Council Marcellin LUBETH (since NA March 1998); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president 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 1998 (next to be held by NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - diverse left parties 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, diverse right parties 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - RPR 48.03%, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 24.49%, PCG 5.29%, diverse right parties 5.73%; seats by party - RPR 25, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 12, PCG 2, diverse right parties 2 note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA 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 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FGPS 2, RPR 1, PPDG 1

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

Political parties and leaders: | Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Christian CELESTE]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Aldo BLAISE]; Socialist Party or PS [Georges LOUISOR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI

International organization participation: | FZ, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas department of France)

Diplomatic representation 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 gold five-pointed star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions

Guadeloupe | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on 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. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | NA%

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 15% industry: 17% services: 68% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | NA

Labor force: | 125,900 (1997)

Labor force - by occupation: | NA

Unemployment rate: | 27.8% (1998)

Budget: | revenues: $225 million expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)

Industries: | construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 1.3 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 1.209 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

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

Exports: | $140 million (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports - commodities: | bananas, sugar, rum

Exports - partners: | France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1997)

Imports: | $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials

Imports - partners: | France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2% (1997)

Debt - external: | $NA

Economic aid - recipient: | $NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies

Currency: | French franc (FRF); euro (EUR)

Currency code: | FRF; EUR

Exchange rates: | Euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Guadeloupe | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 171,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | NA

Telephone system: | general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | 113,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: | 118,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .gp

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (2000)

Internet users: | 4,000 (2000)

Guadeloupe | Transportation | Top of Page

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

Highways: | total: 2,560 km paved: 965 km unpaved: 1,595 km (1996)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on Saint Barthelemy), Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre

Merchant marine: | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,240 GRT/109 DWT ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 9 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Guadeloupe | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | French Forces, Gendarmerie

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of France

Guadeloupe | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none