Guernsey

Broadcast media

multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey with relays in Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney; satellite packages are available; BBC Radio Guernsey and 1 other radio station operating (2009)

Internet country code

.gg

Internet users

total: 55,050 | percent of population: 83.3% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185

Telephone system

domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available | international: country code - 44; 1 submarine cable (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 36,547 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 71,249 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $563.6 million | expenditures: $530.9 million (2005 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.2% of GDP (2005) | country comparison to the world: 20

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - overview

Financial services account for about 40% 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. In October 2014, Guernsey signed an OECD agreement to automatically exchange some financial account information to limit tax avoidance and evasion.

Exchange rates

Guernsey pound per US dollar | 0.738 (2016) | 0.738 (2015) | 0.6542 (2014) | 0.607 (2013) | 0.63 (2012)

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.742 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$3.465 billion (2015 est.) | $3.451 billion (2014 est.) | $3.42 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 dollars | country comparison to the world: 181

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

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

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$52,500 (2014 est.) | $52,500 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

GDP - real growth rate

0.4% (2015 est.) | 1.2% (2014 est.) | 4.2% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

coal, gasoline, oil, machinery, and equipment

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (June 2006 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Labor force

31,470 (March 2006) | country comparison to the world: 204

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

20.6% of GDP (2005) | country comparison to the world: 147

Unemployment rate

1.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Area

total: 78 sq km | land: 78 sq km | water: 0 sq km | note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands | country comparison to the world: 228

Area - comparative

about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

50 km

Elevation

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: English Channel 0 m | highest point: Le Moulin on Sark 114 m

Environment - current issues

coastal erosion, coastal flooding; declining biodiversity due to land abandonment and succession to scrub or woodland

Geographic coordinates

49 28 N, 2 35 W

Geography - note

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Location

Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm | exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Natural hazards

very large tidal variation and fast currents can make local waters dangerous

Natural resources

cropland

Terrain

mostly flat with low hills in southwest

Administrative divisions

none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes: Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale | note: two additional parishes for Guernsey are sometimes listed - the parish of Saint Anne on the island of Alderney and the parish of Saint Peter on the island of Sark - but they are generally not included in the enumeration of parishes

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

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

history: unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice | amendments: new laws or changes to existing laws are initiated by the States of Deliberation; passage requires majority vote (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey | conventional short form: Guernsey | etymology: the name is of Old Norse origin, but the meaning of the root "Guern(s)" is uncertain; the "-ey" ending means "island"

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Vice Admiral Ian CORDER (since 14 March 2016) | head of government: Chief Minister Gavin ST.PIER (since 6 May 2016); Bailiff Sir Richard COLLAS (since 23 March 2012); note - the chief minister is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee and is the de facto head of government; the Policy and Resources Committee, elected by the States of Deliberation, functions as the executive; the 5 members all have equal voting rights | cabinet: none | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch; chief minister, who is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee indirectly elected by the States of Deliberation for a 4-year term; last held on 6 May 2016 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: Gavin ST.PIER (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister

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; the red cross represents the old ties with England and the fact that Guernsey is a British Crown dependency; the gold cross is a replica of the one used by Duke William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings

Government type

parliamentary democracy (States of Deliberation); a Crown dependency of the UK

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest resident court(s): Guernsey Court of Appeal (consists of the Bailiff of Guernsey, who is the ex-officio president of the Guernsey Court of Appeal, and at least 12 judges); Royal Court (organized into 3 divisions - Full Court sits with 1 judge and 7 to 12 jurats acting as judges of fact, Ordinary Court sits with 1 judge and normally 3 jurats, and Matrimonial Causes Division sits with 1 judge and 4 jurats); note - appeals beyond Guernsey courts are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) | judge selection and term of office: Royal Court Bailiff, Deputy Bailiff, and Court of Appeal justices appointed by the British Crown and hold office at Her Majesty's pleasure; jurats elected by the States of Election, a body chaired by the Bailiff and a number of jurats | subordinate courts: Court of Alderney; Court of the Seneschal of Sark; Magistrate's Court (includes Juvenile Court); Contracts Court; Ecclesiastical Court; Court of Chief Pleas

Legal system

customary legal system based on Norman customary law, and includes elements of the French civil code and English common law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral States of Deliberation (40 seats; 38 People's Deputies and 2 representatives of the States of Alderney; members directly elected by majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - non-voting members include the bailiff (presiding officer), attorney-general, and solicitor-general | elections: last held on 27 April 2016 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 38

National anthem

name: "Sarnia Cherie" (Guernsey Dear) | lyrics/music: George DEIGHTON/Domencio SANTANGELO | note: adopted 1911; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, "God Save the Queen" remains official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

National symbol(s)

Guernsey cow, donkey; national colors: red, white, yellow

Political parties and leaders

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

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. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK or of the EU. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of the main island of Guernsey and a number of smaller islands including Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.51% (male 4,984/female 4,665) | 15-24 years: 11.13% (male 3,780/female 3,620) | 25-54 years: 41.67% (male 13,995/female 13,719) | 55-64 years: 13.11% (male 4,332/female 4,387) | 65 years and over: 19.58% (male 5,929/female 7,091) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

9.8 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Death rate

9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 47.1 | youth dependency ratio: 21.6 | elderly dependency ratio: 25.4 | potential support ratio: 3.9 | note: data represent the Guernsey and Jersey (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

British and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.6 years | male: 79.9 years | female: 85.4 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Median age

total: 43.8 years | male: 42.5 years | female: 45.1 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Nationality

noun: Channel Islander(s) | adjective: Channel Islander

Net migration rate

2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Population

66,502 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Population growth rate

0.3% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Religions

Protestant (Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist), Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.56 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Urbanization

urban population: 31.7% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.86% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | note: data are for Guernsey and Jersey

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 200

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | under 914 m: 1 (2017)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (registered in UK) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 11 (registered in UK) (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Braye Bay, Saint Peter Port