Guernsey (2004) | Trinidad and Tobago (2001) | |
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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 | 8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria |
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:
24.1% (male 143,730; female 138,160) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 415,898; female 393,551) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 34,785; female 43,558) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle | cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 6 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
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:
5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about one-half the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Delaware |
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. | The islands came under British control in the 19th century; independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. |
Birth rate | 9.16 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 13.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
revenues:
$1.54 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (1998) |
Capital | Saint Peter Port | Port-of-Spain |
Climate | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast | tropical; rainy season (June to December) |
Coastline | 50 km | 362 km |
Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | 1 August 1976 |
Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
conventional long form:
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound | Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD) |
Death rate | 9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | NA | $2.8 billion (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward E. SHUMAKER, III (until April, 2001) embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376, 6176 FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (British crown dependency) | chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $121.4 million (1995) |
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. | Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful economic reforms were implemented in 1995, and foreign investment and trade are flourishing. Persistently high unemployment remains one of the chief challenges of the government. The petrochemical sector has spurred growth in other related sectors, reinforcing the government's commitment to economic diversification. Tourism is growing, especially in the pleasure boat sector. New investment and construction also will continue to drive the economy. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 4.557 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 4.9 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
99.59% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0.41% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries | black 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2% |
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 | Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2688 (January 2001), 6.2998 (2000), 6.2989 (1999), 6.2983 (1998), 6.2517 (1997), 6.0051 (1996) |
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:
President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19 March 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term; election last held 11 December 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005); prime minister appointed from among the members of Parliament; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is usually appointed prime minister election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 69% |
Exports | NA | $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables | petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers |
Exports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | US 39.3%, Caricom countries 26.1%, Latin America 9.5%, EU 5.7% (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 October - 30 September |
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 | red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11.2 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
agriculture:
2% industry: 44% services: 54% (1998 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $9,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.7% (1999 est.) | 5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 49 28 N, 2 35 W | 11 00 N, 61 00 W |
Geography - note | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port | - |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total:
8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis |
Imports | NA | $3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment | machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals |
Imports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | US 39.8%, Venezuela 11.9%, EU 11%, Caricom 4.8% (1999) |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | 31 August 1962 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | 3.8% (2000) |
Industries | tourism, banking | petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles |
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.) |
24.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2000 est.) | 3.2% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | UPU | ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 17 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 220 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Royal Court | Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Court of Appeals; The Majistracy (hears minor civil cases and summary criminal cases) |
Labor force | 31,320 (2000) | 558,700 (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | construction and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: NA
permanent crops: NA other: NA (2001) |
arable land:
15% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 46% other: 28% (1993 est.) |
Languages | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts | English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese |
Legal system | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court | based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 11 December 2000 (next to be held by December 2005) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - UNC 58.1%, PNM 40.8%, NAR 1.1%; seats by party - UNC 19, PNM 16, NAR 1 note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.17 years
male: 77.17 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) |
total population:
68.27 years male: 65.74 years female: 70.92 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 98.8% female: 97% (1995 est.) |
Location | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none | total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,439 GRT/4,040 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | - | Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $83 million (FY94) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
346,043 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
247,297 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | Independence Day, 31 August (1962) |
Nationality | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
noun:
Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian |
Natural hazards | NA | outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms |
Natural resources | cropland | petroleum, natural gas, asphalt |
Net migration rate | 3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -9.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Hochay CHARLES]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leader NA]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Jamaat Al Musilmeen [Abu BAKR] |
Population | 65,031 (July 2004 est.) | 1,169,682 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 21% (1992 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.31% (2004 est.) | -0.51% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson | Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 680,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; railway service was discontinued in 1968 |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist | Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7% |
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.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
general assessment:
excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana |
Telephones - main lines in use | 55,000 (2001) | 243,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 31,500 (2001) | 17,411 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 4 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly level with low hills in southwest | mostly plains with some hills and low mountains |
Total fertility rate | 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 1.81 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.5% (1999 est.) | 12.8% (2000) |
Waterways | - | none |