Guernsey




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (British crown dependency)


                                 Geography


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:
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