Guernsey (2004) | Coral Sea Islands (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 Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew | - |
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.) |
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Agriculture - products | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle | - |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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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: less than 3 sq km
land: less than 3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most important |
Area - comparative | about one-half the size of Washington, DC | NA |
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. | Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on Willis Island. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. |
Birth rate | 9.16 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
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Capital | Saint Peter Port | - |
Climate | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast | tropical |
Coastline | 50 km | 3,095 km |
Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound | - |
Death rate | 9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Debt - external | NA | - |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
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 | - |
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. | no economic activity |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | no permanent fresh water resources |
Ethnic groups | UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries | - |
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 | - |
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 |
administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
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 | 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.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.7% (1999 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 49 28 N, 2 35 W | 18 00 S, 152 00 E |
Geography - note | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port | important nesting area for birds and turtles |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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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 | 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.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2000 est.) | - |
International organization participation | UPU | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Royal Court | - |
Labor force | 31,320 (2000) | - |
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% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (1998 est.) |
Languages | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts | - |
Legal system | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court | the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply |
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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.17 years
male: 77.17 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
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Location | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France | Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia |
Map references | Europe | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | none | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | - |
Nationality | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
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Natural hazards | NA | occasional tropical cyclones |
Natural resources | cropland | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 65,031 (July 2004 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | - |
Population growth rate | 0.31% (2004 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist | - |
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.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 55,000 (2001) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 31,500 (2001) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | - |
Terrain | mostly level with low hills in southwest | sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays) |
Total fertility rate | 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 0.5% (1999 est.) | - |
Waterways | - | none |