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  Guernsey
(British crown dependency)
 
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 People
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This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


Map of Guernsey



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Guernsey Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
   Geography    Guernsey Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Europe
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about one-half the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
50 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly level with low hills in southwest
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
cropland
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: NA
permanent crops: NA
other: NA
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
   People    Guernsey Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
65,726 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 14.6% (male 4,849/female 4,727)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 22,013/female 22,380)
65 years and over: 17.9% (male 4,988/female 6,769) (2008 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 42.1 years
male: 41 years
female: 43 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.228% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.57 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10.09 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 4.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 80.65 years
male: 77.64 years
female: 83.76 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Education expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Government    Guernsey Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
British crown dependency
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Lyndon TROTT (since 1 May 2008)
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 Deliberation
election results: Lyndon TROTT elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have parliaments
elections: last held 23 April 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; No More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.742 billion (2005)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$2.742 billion (2005)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$44,600 (2005)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
31,470 (March 2006)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $563.6 million
expenditures: $530.9 million (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.4% (June 2006)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2006)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Guernsey pound
note: the British pound is also legal tender
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Guernsey pound 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)
note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
   Communications    Guernsey Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
45,100 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
43,800 (2004)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.gg
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
156 (2008)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
36,000 (2005)
   Transportation    Guernsey Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
   Military    Guernsey Top of Page
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Definition Field Listing
male: 379
female: 353 (2008 est.)
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK
   Transnational Issues    Guernsey Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


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