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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. |
|
Location:
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Western Europe,
islands in the English Channel, northwest of France |
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Geographic coordinates:
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49 28 N, 2 35 W |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
|
total: 78
sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some
other smaller islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 78 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
about one-half
the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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50 km |
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Climate:
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temperate with
mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast |
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Terrain:
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mostly level with
low hills in southwest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
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Natural resources:
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cropland |
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Land use:
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arable land:
NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA% |
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Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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large, deepwater
harbor at Saint Peter Port |
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Population:
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65,031 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
15.6% (male 5,161; female 5,013)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 21,497; female 21,897)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 4,812; female 6,651)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
40.6 years
male: 39.6 years
female: 41.5 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.31% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.16 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.87 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.84 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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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: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
4.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 80.17 years
male: 77.17 years
female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
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Ethnic groups:
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UK and
Norman-French descent |
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Religions:
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Anglican,
Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational,
Methodist |
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Languages:
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English, French,
Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
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Literacy:
|
definition:
NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
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Dependency status:
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British crown
dependency |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Saint Peter Port |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (British
crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10
parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale,
Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest,
Saint Martin, Saint Andrew |
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Independence:
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none (British
crown dependency) |
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National holiday:
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Liberation Day, 9
May (1945) |
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Constitution:
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unwritten; partly
statutes, partly common law and practice |
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Legal system:
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English law and
local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant
governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the
monarch
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and
Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and
Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY (since NA 1999)
cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by
the Assembly of the States |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine
(parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected
by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her
Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's
Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier
(Court Recorder and Registrar General); note - Alderney and
Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA
2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all
independents |
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Judicial branch:
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Royal Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none; all
independents |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (British
crown dependency) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (British
crown dependency) |
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Economy - overview:
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Financial
services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account
for about 55% of total income in this tiny 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. |
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GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
|
5.7% (1999 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
3.99% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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31,322 (2000) |
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Unemployment rate:
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0.5% (1999 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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tourism, banking |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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NA kWh |
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Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
0%
hydro: 0%
other: 0%
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
|
NA kWh |
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Agriculture - products:
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tomatoes,
greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey
cattle |
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Exports:
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$NA |
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Exports - commodities:
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tomatoes, flowers
and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables |
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Exports - partners:
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UK (regarded as
internal trade) |
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Imports:
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$NA |
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Imports - commodities:
|
coal, gasoline,
oil, machinery and equipment |
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Imports - partners:
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UK (regarded as
internal trade) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA |
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Economic aid - recipient:
|
$NA |
|
Currency:
|
British pound (GBP);
note - there is also a Guernsey pound |
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Currency code:
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GBP |
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Exchange rates:
|
Guernsey pounds
per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000),
0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Guernsey pound is at
par with the British pound |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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55,000 (2001) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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31,500 (2001) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 1,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.gg |
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Internet users:
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NA |
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Railways:
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5 km |
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Highways:
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total: NA
km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Saint Peter Port,
Saint Sampson |
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Merchant marine:
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none |
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Airports:
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2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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