Guadeloupe




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (overseas department of France)


                                 Geography


Location:
     Caribbean, in the Caribbean Sea, 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references:
     Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
     1,780 sq km
land area:
     1,760 sq km
comparative area:
     10 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     306 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity
Terrain:
     Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre
     is low limestone formation
Natural resources:
     cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
Land use:
arable land:
     18%
permanent crops:
     5%
meadows and pastures:
     13%
forest and woodland:
     40%
other:
     24%
Irrigated land:
     30 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     NA




natural hazards:
     subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active
     volcano
international agreements:
     NA


                                  People


Population:
     428,947 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     1.55% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     17.68 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     5.94 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     3.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     76.97 years
male:
     73.91 years
female:
     80.14 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.04 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Guadeloupian(s)
adjective:
Ethnic divisions:
     black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less
     than 5%
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Languages:
     French, creole patois
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
total population:
     90%
male:
     90%
female:
     91%
Labor force:
     120,000
by occupation:
     services, government, and commerce 53.0%, industry 25.8%, agriculture
     21.2%




                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Departement de la Guadeloupe
local short form:
Digraph:
     GP
Type:
     overseas department of France
Capital:
     Basse-Terre
Administrative divisions:
     none (overseas department of France)
Independence:
     none (overseas department of France)
National holiday:
     National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
     28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
     French legal system
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
head of government:
     Prefect Franck PERRIEZ (since NA 1992); President of the General
     Council Dominique LARIFA (since NA); President of the Regional Council
     Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
     unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
General Council:
     elections last held NA March 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996);
     results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (43 total) FRUI.G 13,
     RPR/DUD 13, PPDG 8, FGPS 3, PCG 3 UPLG 1, PSG 1, independent 1
Regional Council:
     elections last held on 31 January 1993 (next to be held by 16 March
     1998); results - RPR/DUD 48.30%, FGPS 17.09%, FRUI.G 7.44%, PPDG
     8.90%, UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats - (41 total) seats by party NA
French Senate:
     elections last held in September 1986 (next to be held September
     1995); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results - percent of
     vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) PCG 1, PS 1




French National Assembly:
     elections last held on 21 and 28 March1993 (next to be held March
     1998); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results - percent of
     vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) PS 1, RPR 1, PCG 1, independent 1
Judicial branch:
     Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe,
     French Guiana, and Martinique
Political parties and leaders:
     Rally for the Republic (RPR), Aldo BLAISE; Communist Party of
     Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (FGPS),
     Georges LOUISOR; Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe
     (UPLG), Lucien PERATIN; FGPS Dissidents (FRUI.G); Union for French
     Democracy (UDF), Simon BARLAGNE; Union for the Center Rally (URC;
     coalition of the FGPS, RPR, and UDF); Guadeloupe Objective (OG),
     Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY; Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Henri
     BANGOU
Other political or pressure groups:
     Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular
     Movement for Independent Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union of
     Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers
     (CGT-G); Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)
Member of:
     FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in US:
     none (overseas department of France)
US diplomatic representation:
     none (overseas department of France)
Flag:
     the flag of France is used


                                  Economy


Overview:
     The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and
     services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and
     imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US. In
     addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the
     islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being
     replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50%
     of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root
     crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is
     still dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France.
     Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most
     manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially
     high among the young.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.9 billion (1991)
National product real growth rate:
     NA%
National product per capita:
     $8,400 (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     3.7% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
     31.3% (1990)




Budget:
revenues:
     $333 million
expenditures:
     $671 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
     $168 million (f.o.b., 1988)
commodities:
     bananas, sugar, rum
partners:
     France 68%, Martinique 22% (1987)
Imports:
     $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
commodities:
     vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction
     materials, petroleum products
partners:
     France 64%, Italy, FRG, US (1987)
External debt:
     $NA
Industrial production:
     growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
     171,500 kW
production:
     441 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     1,080 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Agriculture:
     cash crops - bananas, sugarcane; other products include tropical
     fruits and vegetables; livestock - cattle, pigs, goats; not
     self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4 million;  Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
     $8.235 billion
Currency:
     1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9205 (January 1994), 5.6632 (1993),
     5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Highways:
total:
     1,940 km




paved:
     1,600 km
unpaved:
     gravel, earth 340 km
Ports:
     Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
Airports:
total:
     9
usable:
     9
with permanent-surface runways:
     8
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     1
Telecommunications:
     domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland
     microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and
     Martinique; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations
     licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground
     station


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     French Forces, Gendarmerie
Note:
     defense is responsibility of France