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Guernsey

Introduction

Guernsey

Background:

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. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

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:

65,726 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.6% (male 4,849/female 4,727)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 22,013/female 22,380)
65 years and over: 17.9% (male 4,988/female 6,769) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 42.1 years
male: 41 years
female: 43 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.228% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

8.57 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

10.09 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.65 years
male: 77.64 years
female: 83.76 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.4 children born/woman (2008 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:

NA

Education expenditures:

NA

Government

Guernsey

Country name:

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

Dependency status:

British crown dependency

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Saint Peter Port
geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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:

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Suffrage:

16 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 Lyndon TROTT (since 1 May 2008)
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 Deliberation
election results: Lyndon TROTT 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 parliaments
elections: last held 23 April 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch:

Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; No More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]

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 23% of employment and about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have been growing. 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):

$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP - real growth rate:

3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$44,600 (2005)

GDP - composition by sector:

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

Labor force:

31,470 (March 2006)

Unemployment rate:

0.9% (March 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

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

Budget:

revenues: $563.6 million
expenditures: $530.9 million (2005)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.4% (June 2006)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

tourism, banking

Electricity - production:

NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:

NA kWh

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: NA
hydro: NA
nuclear: NA
other: NA

Exports:

$NA

Exports - commodities:

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

Imports:

$NA

Imports - commodities:

coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Debt - external:

$NA

Currency (code):

Guernsey pound
note: the British pound is also legal tender

Currency code:

GBP

Exchange rates:

Guernsey pound 0.5302 (2008 est.), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004)
note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Communications

Guernsey

Telephones - main lines in use:

45,100 (2005)

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:

156 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

NA

Internet users:

36,000 (2005)

Transportation

Guernsey

Airports:

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Military

Guernsey

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 379
female: 353 (2008 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

Guernsey

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 24 February, 2009