Guadeloupe (2006) | French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas department of France) | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 23.6% (male 54,725/female 52,348)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 150,934/female 153,094) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 17,353/female 24,322) (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats | - |
Airports | 9 (2006) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
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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) |
total: 7,829 sq km
land: 7,829 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Area - comparative | 10 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware |
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 | The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840. |
Birth rate | 15.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $637.7 million
expenditures: $680.1 million; including capital expenditures of $112.5 million (2002) |
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Capital | name: Basse-Terre
geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 61 44 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity | antarctic |
Coastline | 306 km | 1,232 km |
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 |
conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises abbreviation: TAAF |
Death rate | 6.09 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | overseas department of France | overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON (since 20 December 2004), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas department of France) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas department of France) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | none | French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by the US |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies (2004) | - |
Economy - overview | This 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. | Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.084 billion kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 1.165 billion kWh (2003) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% | - |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 j(2001) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Jacques BROT (since 12 June 2006)
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 |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON |
Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | bananas, sugar, rum, melons, spring water | - |
Exports - partners | France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (2004) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
Flag description | unofficial, local flag based upon the arms of the city of Pointe-a-Pitre; the field is divided horizontally with a narrow, blue stripe along the top edge charged with three gold fleurs-de-lis; the wider, lower portion of the field is black and charged with green sugar cane leaves - representing one of Guadeloupe's main crops - surmounted by a gold radiant sun representing the tropical climate; the only official flag is the national flag of France | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15%
industry: 17% services: 68% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 16 15 N, 61 35 W | 43 00 S, 67 00 E |
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 | islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | NA bbl/day | - |
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% (2004) | - |
Independence | none (overseas department of France) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | - |
International organization participation | UPU, WCL, WFTU | - |
Irrigated land | 60 sq km (2003) | 0 sq km |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique | - |
Labor force | 191,400 (1999) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 15%
industry: 20% services: 65% (2002) |
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Land boundaries | total: 15 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 11.7%
permanent crops: 2.92% other: 85.38% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | French (official) 99%, Creole patois | - |
Legal system | French legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
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 in 2010); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2008 to elect half of the body) 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 June 2007); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1, different right parties 1 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.06 years
male: 74.91 years female: 81.37 years (2006 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90% (1982 est.) |
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Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico | southeast of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land" |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Antarctic Region |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen (does not include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands) |
Merchant marine | - | total: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,432,833 GRT/5,345,291 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, chemical tanker 27, container 18, liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 4 foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 6, Denmark 2, France 36, Germany 2, Hong Kong 2, Japan 4, Norway 12, Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | no regular military forces | - |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | - |
Nationality | noun: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe |
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Natural hazards | hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano | Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes |
Natural resources | cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism | fish, crayfish |
Net migration rate | -0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
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 [Jules OTTO]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Claudine LACAVE]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR) [Gabrielle LOUIS-CARABIN] | - |
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 | - |
Population | 452,776 (July 2006 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.88% (2006 est.) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
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: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
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 |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 210,000 (2001) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 314,700 (2004) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997) | - |
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 | volcanic |
Total fertility rate | 1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 26.9% (2003) | - |