CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
Airports
9 total, 9 usable, 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
Highways
1,940 km total; 1,600 km paved, 340 km gravel and earth
Ports
Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
Railroads
privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Telecommunications
domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique; stations--2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
◆ DEFENSE FORCES(1 fields)
Note
defense is responsibility of France
◆ ECONOMY(16 fields)
Agriculture
cash crops--bananas and sugarcane; other products include tropical fruits and vegetables; livestock--cattle, pigs, and goats; not self-sufficient in food
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
Budget
revenues $251 million; expenditures $251 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
Currency
French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Electricity
103,000 kW capacity; 315 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1--5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Exports
$109 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--bananas, sugar, rum; partners--France 72%, Martinique 16% (1984)
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$1.1 billion, per capita $3,300; real growth rate NA% (1987)
Imports
$792 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum products; partners--France 59% (1984)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.0% (1987)
Overview
The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and income and social transfers. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France. Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.
Unemployment rate
25% (1983)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(13 fields)
Climate
subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity
Coastline
306 km
Comparative area
10 times the size of Washington, DC
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Environment
subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
18% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 24% other; includes 1% irrigated
Natural resources
cultivable land, beaches, and climate that foster tourism
Note
located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
Terrain
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is low limestone formation
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
1,780 km2; land area: 1,760 km2
◆ GOVERNMENT(18 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Basse-Terre
Communists
3,000 est.
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Diplomatic representation
as an overseas department of France, the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France
Executive branch
government commissioner
Flag
the flag of France is used
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST (since November 1989)
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
Long-form name
Department of Guadeloupe
Member of
WFTU
National holiday
Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Other political or pressure groups
Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular Movement for Independent Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G); Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)
Political parties and leaders
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene Captant; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard Celeste; Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique Larifla; Independent Republicans; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union for a New Majority (UNM)
Suffrage
universal at age 18 General Council --last held NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(42 total) number of seats by party NA; Regional Council--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by 16 March 1992); results--RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, others 3.8%; seats--(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4; French Senate--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1; French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
Type
overseas department of France
◆ PEOPLE(14 fields)
Birth rate
20 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
90% black or mulatto; 5% white; less than 5% East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese
Infant mortality rate
17 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce, 25.8% industry, 21.2% agriculture
Language
French, creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
70 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Literacy
over 70%
Nationality
noun--Guadeloupian(s); adjective--Guadeloupe
Net migration rate
- 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
11% of labor force
Population
342,175 (July 1990), growth rate 0.8% (1990)
Religion
95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu and pagan African
Total fertility rate
2.1 children born/woman (1990)