Guernsey (2004) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2002) | |
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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 Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 15.6% (male 5,161; female 5,013)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 21,497; female 21,897) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 4,812; female 6,651) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
Area - comparative | about one-half the size of Washington, DC | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William Keeling discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. |
Birth rate | 9.16 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | Saint Peter Port | West Island |
Climate | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Coastline | 50 km | 26 km |
Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | 9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | NA | $NA |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (British crown dependency) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $NA |
Economy - overview | 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 environment under which Guernsey operates. | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
Ethnic groups | UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000)
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004) cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | NA | $NA |
Exports - commodities | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables | copra |
Exports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | Australia |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.7% (1999 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 49 28 N, 2 35 W | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Geography - note | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 15 km (2001)
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $NA |
Imports - commodities | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment | foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | Australia |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | tourism, banking | copra products and tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
NA deaths/1,000 live births |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2000 est.) | NA% |
International organization participation | UPU | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Royal Court | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | 31,320 (2000) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | - | the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: NA
permanent crops: NA other: NA (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts | Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
Legal system | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
Legislative branch | unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for 4 years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.17 years
male: 77.17 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
- |
Location | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | Europe | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | NA |
Nationality | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
Natural hazards | NA | cyclone season is October to April |
Natural resources | cropland | fish |
Net migration rate | 3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | none |
Population | 65,031 (July 2004 est.) | 632 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.31% (2004 est.) | -0.22% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson | none; lagoon anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
Radios | - | 300 (1992) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
- |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 55,000 (2001) | 287 (1992) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 31,500 (2001) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA |
Terrain | mostly level with low hills in southwest | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.) | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | 0.5% (1999 est.) | 60% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |