CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(5 fields)
Airports
total: 9 usable: 9 with permanent-surface runways: 8 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Highways
total: 1,940 km paved: 1,600 km unpaved: gravel, earth 340 km
Ports
Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
Railroads
privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Telecommunications
domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
◆ DEFENSE FORCES(3 fields)
Affiliation
(territory of the US)
Branches
French Forces, Gendarmerie
Note
defense is responsibility of France
◆ ECONOMY(18 fields)
Agriculture
cash crops - bananas, sugarcane; other products include tropical fruits and vegetables; livestock - cattle, pigs, goats; not self-sufficient in food
Budget
revenues: $333 million expenditures: $671 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $8.235 billion
Electricity
capacity: 171,500 kW production: 441 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,080 kWh (1992)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9205 (January 1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989)
Exports
$168 million (f.o.b., 1988) commodities: bananas, sugar, rum partners: France 68%, Martinique 22% (1987)
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988) commodities: vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum products partners: France 64%, Italy, FRG, US (1987)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.7% (1990)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.9 billion (1991)
National product per capita
$8,400 (1991)
National product real growth rate
NA%
Overview
The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and imports. 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
31.3% (1990)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(13 fields)
Area
total area: 1,780 sq km land area: 1,760 sq km comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity
Coastline
306 km
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano international agreements: NA
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
30 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 18% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 13% forest and woodland: 40% other: 24%
Location
Caribbean, in the Caribbean Sea, 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
Terrain
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is low limestone formation
◆ GOVERNMENT(23 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Basse-Terre
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Digraph
GP
Diplomatic representation in US
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: Prefect Franck PERRIEZ (since NA 1992); President of the General Council Dominique LARIFA (since NA); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Flag
the flag of France is used
French National Assembly
elections last held on 21 and 28 March1993 (next to be held March 1998); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) PS 1, RPR 1, PCG 1, independent 1
French Senate
elections last held in September 1986 (next to be held September 1995); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) PCG 1, PS 1
General Council
elections last held NA March 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (43 total) FRUI.G 13, RPR/DUD 13, PPDG 8, FGPS 3, PCG 3 UPLG 1, PSG 1, independent 1
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
Member of
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Names
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe conventional short form: Guadeloupe local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe local short form: Guadeloupe
National holiday
National Day, 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), Aldo BLAISE; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (FGPS), Georges LOUISOR; Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), Lucien PERATIN; FGPS Dissidents (FRUI.G); Union for French Democracy (UDF), Simon BARLAGNE; Union for the Center Rally (URC; coalition of the FGPS, RPR, and UDF); Guadeloupe Objective (OG), Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY; Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Henri BANGOU
Regional Council
elections last held on 31 January 1993 (next to be held by 16 March 1998); results - RPR/DUD 48.30%, FGPS 17.09%, FRUI.G 7.44%, PPDG 8.90%, UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats - (41 total) seats by party NA
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
overseas department of France
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas department of France)
◆ PEOPLE(14 fields)
Birth rate
17.68 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate
5.94 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Ethnic divisions
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Infant mortality rate
8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Labor force
120,000 by occupation: services, government, and commerce 53.0%, industry 25.8%, agriculture 21.2%
Languages
French, creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.97 years male: 73.91 years female: 80.14 years (1994 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 90% male: 90% female: 91%
Nationality
noun: Guadeloupian(s) adjective: Guadeloupe
Net migration rate
3.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Population
428,947 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
1.55% (1994 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Total fertility rate
2.04 children born/woman (1994 est.)