Guernsey

(British crown dependency)

Geography

Location: Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France

Map references: Europe

Area:
total area: 194 sq km
land area: 194 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 50 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest

Natural resources: cropland

Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
meadows and pastures: NA%
forest and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA

Note: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

People

Population: 64,353 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (female 5,664; male 5,892)
15-64 years: 66% (female 21,574; male 21,030)
65 years and over: 16% (female 6,059; male 4,134) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.98% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 13.29 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 9.93 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.34 years
male: 75.63 years
female: 81.07 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French descent

Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist

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

Literacy: NA%

Labor force: NA

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey

Digraph: GK

Type: British crown dependency

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 and Commander in Chief Vice-Admiral Sir John COWARD (since NA 1994); Bailiff Mr. Graham Martyn DOREY (since February 1992)
cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee (other committees); appointed by the States

Legislative branch: unicameral
Assembly of the States: elections last held NA (next to be held NA); results - no percent of vote by party since all are independents; seats - (60 total, 33 elected), all independents

Judicial branch: Royal Court

Political parties and leaders: none; all independents

Member of: none

Diplomatic representation in US: none (British crown dependency)

US diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)

Flag: white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag

Economy

Overview: Financial services account for more than 50% of total income. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Bank profits (1992) registered a record 26% growth. Fund management and insurance are the two other major income generators. Per capita output and living standards are somewhat lower than the levels of the less affluent EU countries.

National product: GDP $NA

National product real growth rate: 9% (1987)

National product per capita: $NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $208.9 million
expenditures: $173.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)

Exports: $NA
commodities: tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)

Imports: $NA
commodities: coal, gasoline, and oil
partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 173,000 kW
production: 525 million kWh
consumption per capita: 9,060 kWh (1992)

Industries: tourism, banking

Agriculture: tomatoes, flowers (mostly grown in greenhouses), sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Economic aid: none

Currency: 1 Guernsey (#G) pound = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (#G) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: NA
paved: NA
unpaved: NA

Ports: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1

Communications

Telephone system: 41,900 telephones
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 submarine cable

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 1
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK