Bassas da India (2001) | Guernsey (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including St. Peter Port, St. Sampson, Vale, Castel, St. Saviour, St. Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, St. Martin, St. Andrew |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 16% (male 5,250; female 5,101)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 21,356; female 21,728) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 4,622; female 6,530) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle |
Airports | - | 2 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total:
0.2 sq km land: 0.2 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
Area - comparative | about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly larger than Washington, DC |
Background | This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was placed under the administration of a commissioner residing in Reunion in 1968. | The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. |
Birth rate | - | 9.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | - | St. Peter Port |
Climate | tropical | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast |
Coastline | 35.2 km | 50 km |
Constitution | - | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Bassas da India |
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
Currency | - | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound |
Death rate | - | 9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | claimed by Madagascar | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the rules of the game under which Guernsey operates. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - imports | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | UK and Norman-French descent |
Exchange rates | - | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6944 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff De Vic G. CAREY (since NA) cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch |
Exports | - | $NA |
Exports - commodities | - | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables |
Exports - partners | - | UK (regarded as internal trade) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 5.7% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 30 S, 39 50 E | 49 28 N, 2 35 W |
Geography - note | - | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port |
Highways | - | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $NA |
Imports - commodities | - | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment |
Imports - partners | - | UK (regarded as internal trade) |
Independence | - | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism, banking |
Infant mortality rate | - | 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3.99% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | - | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1993) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Royal Court |
Labor force | - | 31,322 (2000) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all rock) |
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% (1998 est.) |
Languages | - | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 79.9 years
male: 76.91 years female: 83.01 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | - | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
Nationality | - | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
Natural hazards | maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones | NA |
Natural resources | none | cropland |
Net migration rate | - | 3.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | none; all independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | uninhabited (July 2001 est.) | 64,587 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 0.37% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | St. Peter Port, Saint Sampson |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | NA |
Railways | - | 5 km |
Religions | - | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 44,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 12,000 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | volcanic rock | mostly level with low hills in southwest |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.36 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 0.5% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |