Guernsey

Geography

Affiliation: (British crown dependency)

Location: Western Europe, in the English Channel, 52 km west of France between UK and 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: 63,719 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.01% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 13.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 9.97 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population 78.15 years
male 75.45 years
female 80.88 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.68 children born/woman (1994 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:
total population NA%
male NA%
female 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 Lt. Gen. Sir Michael WILKINS (since NA 1990); 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 from 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.

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 - 0.6699 (January 1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Highways:
total NA
paved NA
unpaved NA

Ports: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Airports:
total 2
usable 2
with permanent-surface runways 2
with runways over 3,659 m 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m 0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m 1

Telecommunications: broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 41,900 telephones; 1 submarine cable

Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK