Guernsey

Guernsey: Travel tips, articles, photos, gallery, cities database, population, pics, flags, statistics, free maps online

Back to Countries, Click to read the whole article: Guernsey

Introduction - Guernsey:
Country	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.
Location - 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	65,573 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure	0-14 years: 14.8% (male 4,914/female 4,784) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 21,897/female 22,298) 65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,955/female 6,725) (2007 est.)
Dependency status	British crown dependency
Median age	total: 41.7 years male: 40.7 years female: 42.6 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate	0.239% (2007 est.)
Birth rate	8.65 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate	10.07 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate	3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.027 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.982 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.737 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate	total: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 80.53 years male: 77.53 years female: 83.64 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate	1.4 children born/woman (2007 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	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government - Guernsey:
Country name	conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey conventional short form: Guernsey
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	18 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 Michael W. TORODE (since 5 March 2007) 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: Laurie MORGAN 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 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch	Royal Court
Political parties and leaders	none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders	none
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 32% 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%
Inflation rate consumer prices	3.4% (June 2006)
Budget	revenues: $563.6 million expenditures: $530.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Agriculture products	tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Industries	tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate	NA%
Electricity production	NA kWh
Electricity consumption	NA kWh
Electricity exports	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity imports	0 kWh (2002)
Exports	$NA
Exports commodities	tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Exports partners	UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2006)
Imports	$NA
Imports commodities	coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment
Imports partners	UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2006)
Debt external	$NA
Economic aid recipient	$NA
Currency code	British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound
Exchange rates	Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002) note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
Communications - Guernsey:
Fiscal year	calendar year
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)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)
Internet country code	.gg
Internet hosts	1,245 (2006)
Internet users	36,000 (2005)
Transportation - Guernsey:
Airports	2 (one on Alderney) (2006)
Airports with paved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways	total: NA
Ports and terminals	Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
Military - Guernsey:
Military note	defense is the responsibility of the UK