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In general, information available as of 1 January 2003 was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003. This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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| Introduction | Guernsey | Top of Page
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.
| Geography | Guernsey | Top of Page
Location: | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: | 49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references: | Europe
Area: | total: 78 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands water: 0 sq km land: 78 sq km
Area - comparative: | about one-half the size of 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 highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m
Natural resources: | cropland
Land use: | arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% other: NA%
Irrigated land: | NA sq km
Natural hazards: | NA
Environment - current issues: | NA
Geography - note: | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
| People | Guernsey | Top of Page
Population: | 64,818 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 15.8% (male 5,216; female 5,061) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 21,433; female 21,835) 65 years and over: 17.4% (male 4,705; female 6,568) (2003 est.)
Median age: | total: 40.2 years male: 39.3 years female: 41.1 years (2002)
Population growth rate: | 0.34% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: | 9.43 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: | 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: | 3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 80.04 years male: 77.04 years female: 83.14 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups: | UK and Norman-French descent
Religions: | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist
Languages: | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy: | definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
| Government | Guernsey | Top of Page
Country name: | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey conventional short form: Guernsey
Dependency status: | British crown dependency
Government type: | NA
Capital: | Saint Peter Port
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 Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew
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
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY (since NA 1999) cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States
Legislative branch: | unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents
Judicial branch: | Royal Court
Political parties and leaders: | none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders: | none
International organization participation: | none
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation 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 | Guernsey | Top of Page
Economy - overview: | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny 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 rules of the game under which Guernsey operates.
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 5.7% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3% industry: 10% services: 87% (2000)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.99% (2000 est.)
Labor force: | 31,322 (2000)
Unemployment rate: | 0.5% (1999 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $381.3 million expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: | tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | NA kWh
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% other: 0% nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: | NA kWh
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2002)
Agriculture - products: | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Exports: | $NA
Exports - commodities: | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Exports - partners: | UK (regarded as internal trade)
Imports: | $NA
Imports - commodities: | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment
Imports - partners: | UK (regarded as internal trade)
Debt - external: | $NA
Economic aid - recipient: | $NA
Currency: | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound
Currency code: | GBP
Exchange rates: | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: | calendar year
| Communications | Guernsey | Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use: | 44,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 12,000 (1997)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (1997)
Internet country code: | .gg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | NA
Internet users: | NA
| Transportation | Guernsey | Top of Page
Railways: | 5 km
Highways: | total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Waterways: | none
Ports and harbors: | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
Merchant marine: | none (2002 est.)
Airports: | 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
| Military | Guernsey | Top of Page
Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the UK
| Transnational Issues | Guernsey | Top of Page
Disputes - international: | none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003