 Nationality:
British and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries
Languages:
English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Religions:
Protestant (Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist), Roman Catholic
Population:
65,849 (July 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Age structure:
0.36% (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Birth rate:
9.89 births/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Death rate:
8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Net migration rate:
2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Urbanization:
1.55 children born/woman (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Literacy:
NA |
Country name:
British crown dependency
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes: Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale
Independence:
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice
Legal system:
customary legal system based on Norman customary law, and includes elements of the French Civil Code and English common law
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; note - there are also 10 Douzaine representatives - one from each parish, 2 representatives from Alderney and the appointed attorney general and soliciter general); note - Alderney and Sark have parliaments elections:last held on 18 April 2012 (next to be held in 2016) election results:percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch:
none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS No More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]
International organization participation:
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)
| | Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)
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 red cross represents the old ties with England and the fact that Guernsey is a British Crown dependency; the gold cross is a replica of the one used by Duke William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings
National symbol(s):
Guernsey cow; donkey
National anthem:
Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 23% of employment and about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. In January 2013, Guernsey signed a tax agreement with Jersey and the Isle of Man, in order to enable the islands' authorities to end tax avoidance and evasion. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.742 billion (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.742 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$44,600 (2005) country comparison to the world: 16
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Industries:
tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Labor force:
31,470 (March 2006) country comparison to the world: 204
Unemployment rate:
0.9% (March 2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
20.6% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 158
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
1.2% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 25
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (June 2006) country comparison to the world: 123
Exports:
$NA
Exports - commodities:
tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Imports:
$NA
Imports - commodities:
coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Guernsey pound per US dollar 0.6307 (2014) 0.6391 (2013) 0.6472 (2010) 0.6175 (2009) 0.5302 (2008) |