CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(7 fields)
Internet country code
.gp
Internet users
20,000 (2002)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)
Telephone system
general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate domestic: NA international: country code - 590; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique
Telephones - main lines in use
210,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular
323,500 (2002)
Television broadcast stations
5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)
◆ ECONOMY(34 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 (code)
euro (EUR)
Debt - external
$NA (yearend 2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies (2004)
Economy - overview
The Caribbean 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
1.079 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production
1.16 billion kWh (2002)
Exchange rates
euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 j(2001), 1.0854 (2000)
Exports
$140 million f.o.b. (1997)
Exports - commodities
bananas, sugar, rum
Exports - partners
France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1999)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.513 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 15% industry: 17% services: 68% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $7,900 (2003 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% (1999)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Labor force
125,900 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation
NA
Oil - consumption
13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports
NA
Oil - imports
NA
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
27.8% (1998)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total: 1,780 sq km land: 1,706 sq km water: 74 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)
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: 11.24% permanent crops: 3.55% other: 85.21% (2001)
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe conventional short form: Guadeloupe local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe local short form: 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 Paul GIROT DE LANGLADE (since 17 August 2004) head of government: President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Victorin LUREL (since 2 April 2004) cabinet: 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 election results: NA
Flag description
the flag of France is used
Government type
NA
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation
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 March 2004 (next to be held by NA 2010); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2010) 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 (second round) - percent of vote by party - PS 58.4%, UMP 41.6%; seats by party - PS 29, UMP 12 note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held September 2004 (next to be held September 2013); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA, Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1, different right parties 1
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Mona CADOCE]; FGPS [Dominique LARIFLA]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Flavien FERRANT]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Socialist Party or PS [Marlene MELISSE and Favrot DAVRAIN]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including RPR) [Robert JOYEUX]
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; The Socialist Renewal Movement
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 military forces
◆ PEOPLE(19 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (male 55,072/female 52,677) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 148,880/female 151,238) 65 years and over: 9.1% (male 17,032/female 23,814) (2005 est.)
Birth rate
15.42 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate
6.06 deaths/1,000 population (2005 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
total: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Languages
French (official) 99%, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.9 years male: 74.74 years female: 81.21 years (2005 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90% (1982 est.)
Median age
total: 31.81 years male: 30.91 years female: 32.73 years (2005 est.)
Nationality
noun: Guadeloupian(s) adjective: Guadeloupe
Net migration rate
-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Population
448,713 (July 2005 est.)
Population growth rate
0.92% (2005 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 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 (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
none
◆ TRANSPORTATION(6 fields)
Airports
9 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Highways
total: 947 km (2002)
Merchant marine
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,240 GRT/109 DWT by type: passenger 1 foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2005)
Ports and harbors
Basse-Terre, Gustavia, Pointe-a-Pitre