Guernsey

Airport

1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (La Villiaze)

Ports

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Telecommunications

stations--1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 41,900 telephones; 1 submarine cable

Note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Agriculture

tomatoes, flowers (mostly grown in greenhouses), sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables and fruit; Guernsey cattle

Budget

revenues $208.9 million; expenditures $173.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)

Currency

Guernsey pound (plural--pounds); 1 Guernsey (5G) pound = 100 pence

Economic aid

none

Electricity

173,000 kW capacity; 525 million kWh produced, 9,340 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Guernsey pounds (5G) per US$1--0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Exports

$NA; commodities--tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables; partners--UK (regarded as internal trade)

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 9% (1987)

Imports

$NA; commodities--coal, gasoline and oil; partners--UK (regarded as internal trade)

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tourism, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7% (1988)

Overview

Tourism is a major source of revenue. Other economic activity includes financial services, breeding the world-famous Guernsey cattle, and growing tomatoes and flowers for export.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Climate

temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Coastline

50 km Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm

Comparative area

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Environment

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; cultivated about 50%

Natural resources

cropland

Note

52 km west of France

Terrain

mostly level with low hills in southwest

Total area

194 km2; land area: 194 km2; includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

Administrative divisions

none (British crown dependency)

Capital

Saint Peter Port

Communists

none

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Diplomatic representation

none (British crown dependency)

Executive branch

British monarch, lieutenant governor, bailiff, deputy bailiff

Flag

white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

Judicial branch

Royal Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Head of Government--Lieutenant Governor Lt. Gen. Sir Michael WILKINS (since 1990); Bailiff Sir Charles FROSSARD (since 1982)

Legal system

English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the States

Long-form name

Bailiwick of Guernsey

Member of

none

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Political parties and leaders

none; all independents

Suffrage

universal at age 18 Assembly of the States--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(60 total, 33 elected), all independents

Type

British crown dependency

Birth rate

12 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate

11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic divisions

UK and Norman-French descent

Infant mortality rate

6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force

NA

Language

English, French; Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Life expectancy at birth

72 years male, 78 years female (1991)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 16

Nationality

noun--Channel Islander(s); adjective--Channel Islander

Net migration rate

5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor

NA

Population

57,596 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)

Religion

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (1991)