Guernsey Fact File
 

Introduction

Guernsey
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. Guernsey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK.

Geography

Guernsey
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
land: 78 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

Area - comparative:

about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

50 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 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

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

People

Guernsey
Population:

65,409 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 15% (male 4,998/female 4,842)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 21,752/female 22,170)
65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,926/female 6,721) (2006 est.)

Median age:

total: 41.3 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.26% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:

8.81 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:

10.01 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:

3.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.65 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.42 years
male: 77.41 years
female: 83.53 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.39 children born/woman (2006 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 with small percentages from other European countries

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
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 Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale

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 statutes; 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), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)
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 Delibertion
election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA

Legislative branch:

unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
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:

UPU

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
Economy - overview:

Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous 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 environment under which Guernsey operates.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.59 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

NA

GDP - real growth rate:

3% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$40,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000)

Labor force:

32,290 (2001)

Unemployment rate:

0.5% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.9% (2004 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $539.2 million
expenditures: $448.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2002)

Agriculture - products:

tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle

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:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2002)

Exports:

$NA

Exports - commodities:

tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables

Exports - partners:

UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Imports:

$NA

Imports - commodities:

coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners:

UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Debt - external:

$NA

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Currency (code):

British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound

Currency code:

GBP

Exchange rates:

Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications

Guernsey
Telephones - main lines in use:

55,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

43,800 (2004)

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA
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 country code:

.gg

Internet hosts:

1,168 (2005)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

NA

Internet users:

36,000 (2005)

Transportation

Guernsey
Airports:

2 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:

total: NA

Ports and terminals:

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Military

Guernsey
Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

Guernsey
Disputes - international:

none

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