CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(8 fields)
Branches
French Forces, Gendarmerie
Defense note
defense is the responsibility of France
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 8 (private stations licensed to broadcast FM 30), shortwave 0
Radios
100,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system
domestic facilities inadequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique
Telephones
64,916 (1984 est.)
Television broadcast stations
9
Televisions
150,000 (1993 est.) Defense
◆ ECONOMY(20 fields)
Agriculture
bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats
Budget
revenues: $395 million expenditures: $407 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA note: substantial annual French subsidies
Economic 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.
Electricity
capacity: 320,000 kW production: 650 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,421 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991)
Exports
$130 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: bananas, sugar, rum partners: France 70%, Martinique 17% (1991)
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector
agriculture: 6% industry: 9% services: 85% (1993 est.)
GDP per capita
$9,200 (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate
NA%
Imports
$1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials partners: France 60%, EC, US, Japan (1991)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.7% (1990)
Labor force
129,700 by occupation: agriculture 15%, industry 20%, services 65% (1993)
Unemployment rate
31.3% (1995)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(14 fields)
Area
total area: 1,780 sq km land area: 1,706 sq km comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, of which Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, and Marie-Galante are the three largest
Climate
subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
Coastline
306 km
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano international agreements: NA
Geographic coordinates
16 15 N, 61 35 W
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, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, 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; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,467 m
◆ GOVERNMENT(23 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Basse-Terre
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Data code
GP
Diplomatic representation in US
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Michel DIEFENBACHER (since NA March 1995), who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior head of government: President of the General Council Dominique LARIFLA (since NA); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992)
Flag
three horizontal bands, a narrow green band (top), a wide red band, and a narrow green band; the green bands are separated from the red band by two narrow white stripes; a five-pointed gold star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions
French National Assembly
elections last held on 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1998); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) FGPS 1, RPR 1, PPDG 1, independent 1
French Senate
elections last held in September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) PPDG 1, FGPS 1
General Council
elections last held 22 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)
International organization participation
FZ, WCL, WFTU
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
Name of country
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
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), Daniel BEAUBRUN; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (FGPS), Georges LOUISOR; Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), Claude MAKOUKE; FGPS Dissidents (FRUI.G), Dominique LARIFLA; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Marcel ESDRAS; Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Henri BANGOU
Regional Council
elections last held 31 January 1994 (next to be held by 16 March 1998); results - RPR/FGPS-dissadents 48.30%, FGPS 17.09%, FRUI.G 7.44%, PPDG 8.90%, UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats - (41 total) RPR/FGPS-dissadents 22, FGPS/FRUI.G 9, PPDG 5, PCG 3, UPLG 2
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type of government
overseas department of France
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas department of France)
◆ PEOPLE(15 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 26% (male 53,118; female 51,219) 15-64 years: 66% (male 132,846; female 136,147) 65 years and over: 8% (male 14,617; female 19,821) (July 1996 est.)
Birth rate
17.78 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate
5.59 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Infant mortality rate
8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Languages
French (official) 99%, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.4 years male: 74.37 years female: 80.58 years (1996 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.) total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90%
Nationality
noun: Guadeloupian(s) adjective: Guadeloupe
Net migration rate
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Population
407,768 (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate
1.2% (1996 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant sects 1%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.92 children born/woman (1996 est.)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(5 fields)
Airports
total: 9 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1995 est.)
Highways
total: 2,082 km (national 329 km, regional 582 km, community/local 1171 km) paved: 1,742 km unpaved: 340 km (1985 est.)
Merchant marine
none
Ports
Basse-Terre, Gustavia, Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre
Railways
total: NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines