Guernsey (British crown dependency) |
![]() |
Geography |
Location: Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references: Europe
Area:
total:
194 sq km
land:
194 sq km
water:
0 sq km
note:
includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
Area - comparative: slightly larger than 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%
permanent pastures:
NA%
forests and woodland:
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 |
Population: 64,080 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
16% (male 5,302; female 5,167)
15-64 years:
67% (male 21,171; female 21,523)
65 years and over:
17% (male 4,480; female 6,437) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.42% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 10.17 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 9.85 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 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:
0.7 male(s)/female
total population:
0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
79.65 years
male:
76.65 years
female:
82.75 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2000 est.)
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 |
Country name:
conventional long form:
Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form:
Guernsey
Data code: GK
Dependency status: British crown dependency
Government type: NA
Capital: Saint Peter Port
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
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)
head of government:
Lieutenant Governor Sir John COWARD (since NA 1994) and Bailiff De Vic G. CAREY (since NA)
cabinet:
Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the States (59 voting members - 12 councilors serving six-year terms, half elected every three years; 33 deputies elected from multi- or single-member districts every four years; 10 representatives from parish authorities; 2 representatives from Aldenay; the bailiff and deputy bailiff; and 2 non-voting members - the Attorney General and the Solicitor General both appointed by the monarch
elections:
last held 20 April 1994 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results:
percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch: Royal Court
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
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 |
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 - $1.15 billion (1997 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.3% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,100 (1997 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:
4%
industry:
10%
services:
86% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.7% (1997 est.)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$300.8 million
expenditures:
$298.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
NA%
hydro:
NA%
nuclear:
NA%
other:
NA%
Electricity - consumption: NA kWh
Electricity - exports: NA kWh
Electricity - imports: NA kWh
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: 1 Guernsey pound = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds per US$1 - 0.6092 (January 2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications |
Telephones - main lines in use: 41,850 (1983)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system:
domestic:
NA
international:
1 submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Transportation |
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total:
NA km
paved:
NA km
unpaved:
NA km
Ports and harbors: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)
Airports: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
2
914 to 1,523 m:
1
under 914 m:
1 (1999 est.)
Military |
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues |
Disputes - international: none