CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(10 fields)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (2000)
Internet country code
.gp
Internet users
4,000 (2000)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
113,000 (1997)
Telephone system
general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique
Telephones - main lines in use
171,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular
NA
Television broadcast stations
5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
118,000 (1997)
◆ ECONOMY(32 fields)
Agriculture - products
bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats
Budget
revenues: $225 million expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)
Currency
euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Currency code
EUR; FRF
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies
Economy - overview
The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional 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, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.
Electricity - consumption
1.293 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production
1.39 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Exchange rates
Euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)
Exports
$140 million f.o.b. (1997)
Exports - commodities
bananas, sugar, rum
Exports - partners
France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1997 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 15% industry: 17% services: 68% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1997 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$1.7 billion c.i.f. (1997)
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners
France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Labor force
125,900 (1997) (1997)
Labor force - by occupation
NA
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
27.8% (1998) (1998)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total: 1,780 sq km note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin) water: 74 sq km land: 1,706 sq km
Area - comparative
10 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
Coastline
306 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Geographic coordinates
16 15 N, 61 35 W
Geography - note
a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre
Irrigated land
20 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 10.2 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km
Land use
arable land: 10.65% permanent crops: 4.14% other: 85.21% (1998 est.)
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 hazards
hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano
Natural resources
cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
Terrain
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin
◆ GOVERNMENT(19 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Basse-Terre
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe conventional short form: Guadeloupe local short form: Guadeloupe local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
Dependency status
overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since 6 August 2002) election results: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils head of government: President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA
Flag description
the flag of France is used
Government type
NA
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: General Council - last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1, PS 2, PC 1 election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - left-wing candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - RPR 48.03%, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 24.49%, PCG 5.29%, diverse right parties 5.73%; seats by party - RPR 25, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 12, PCG 2, diverse right parties 2
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Christian CELESTE]; FGPS [Dominique LARIFLA]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Aldo BLAISE]; Socialist Party or PS [Georges LOUISOR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe
◆ MILITARY(2 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches
no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces, Gendarmerie
◆ PEOPLE(18 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 55,393; female 53,047) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 142,945; female 145,757) 65 years and over: 8.9% (male 16,168; female 22,429) (2002 est.)
Birth rate
16.53 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate
6.03 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Ethnic groups
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Languages
French (official) 99%, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.35 years female: 80.66 years (2002 est.) male: 74.19 years
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90% (1982 est.)
Nationality
noun: Guadeloupian(s) adjective: Guadeloupe
Net migration rate
-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Population
435,739 (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
1.04% (2002 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 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: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.92 children born/woman (2002 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
none
◆ TRANSPORTATION(8 fields)
Airports
9 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 1 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Highways
total: 2,560 km paved: 965 km unpaved: 1,595 km (1996)
Merchant marine
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,240 GRT/109 DWT ships by type: passenger 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: France 1 (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors
Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on Saint Barthelemy), Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre
Railways
total: NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Waterways
none