Guernsey
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.
Geography Guernsey
Location:
Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 78 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other
smaller islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 78 sq km
Area - comparative:
about one-half the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
50 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are
overcast
Terrain:
mostly level with low hills in southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m
Natural resources:
cropland
Land use:
arable land: NA
permanent crops: NA
other: NA (2001)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
People Guernsey
Population:
65,031 (July 2004 est.)
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.)
Median age:
total: 40.6 years
male: 39.6 years
female: 41.5 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.31% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
9.16 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.17 years
male: 77.17 years
female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups:
UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other
European countries
Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational,
Methodist
Languages:
English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Government Guernsey
Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Saint Peter Port
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
Independence:
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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)
election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of
vote of the States of Deliberation