Guadeloupe

Department of GuadeloupeDepartement de la Guadeloupe

overseas department of FranceIndependence none (overseas department of France)

Guadeloupe as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 17 editions from 1990 to 2006.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBasse-Terre

Area1,780 km2 land area:

Locationin the Caribbean Sea, 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico

1993

Every edition of Guadeloupe

Populationas each edition published it

422,114 people July 1993 est. · 342,175 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.67% 1993 est. · 0.88% in 2006

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

76.72 years 1993 est. · 78.06 yrs in 2006

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.08 children per woman 1993 est. · 2.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

9.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 17 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,700 1989 · $7,900 in 2006

Geography

In the Caribbean Sea, 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico

13 fields

Coastline

306km

land boundaries: 0 kmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Irrigated land

30km2

(1989 est.)

Location

in the Caribbean Sea, 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico

Area

total area:: 1,780 km2 land area: 1,760 km2
comparative area:: 10 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity

Terrain

Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is low limestone formation

Natural resources

cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism

Land use

arable land:: 18%
permanent crops:: 5%
meadows and pastures:: 13%
forest and woodland:: 40%
other:: 24%

Environment

subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano

People

14 fields

Population

422,114

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1.67% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

18.18Death

5.94Net migration

4.42

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years76.72

73.67 · 79.9

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy90%

90% · 91%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1982)

Labor force

120,000

by occupation: services, government, and commerce 53.0%, industry 25.8%, agriculture 21.2%

Infant mortality rate

9.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective:: Guadeloupe

Ethnic divisions

black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%

Government

Overseas department of France

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

33.1%

OG 33.1%PSG 28.7%PCG 23.8%UDF 10.7%other 3.7%

Names

conventional long form:: Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form:: Guadeloupe
local long form:: Departement de la Guadeloupe
local short form:: Guadeloupe

National holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene CAPTANT;
Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE;
Socialist Party (PS), Dominique LARIFLA;
Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG);
Independent Republicans;
Union for French Democracy (UDF);
Union for the Center Rally (URC coalition of the PS, RPR, and UDF);
Guadeloupe Objective (OG), Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY

Other political or pressure groups

Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG);
Popular Movement for Independent Guadeloupe (MPGI);
General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG);
General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G);
Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)

Elections

French National Assembly:: last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held March 1993);
Guadeloupe elects four representatives;
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
French Senate:: last held in September 1986 (next to be held September 1995);
Guadeloupe elects two representatives;
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (2 total) PCG 1, PS 1
General Council:: last held 25 September and 8 October 1988 (next to be held by NA 1992);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (42 total) PS 26, URC 16
Regional Council:: last held on 22 March 1992 (next to be held by 16 March 1998);
results - OG 33.1%, PSG 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, other 3.7%;
seats - (41 total) OG 15, PSG 12, PCG 10, UDF 4

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Head of Government:: Prefect Franck PERRIEZ (since NA 1992)

Diplomatic representation in US

as an overseas department of France, the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France

Economy

The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. | It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and imports.

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$4,700

(1989)

Inflation, consumer prices

3.7%

(1990)

Unemployment rate

31.3%

(1990)

Budget

Revenues

$333 millionExpenditures

$671 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers.

Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France. Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.5 billion (1989)

National product real growth rate

NA%

Exports

$168 million (f.o.b., 1988)

commodities:: bananas, sugar, rum
partners:: France 68%, Martinique 22% (1987)

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988)

commodities:: vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum products
partners:: France 64%, Italy, FRG, US (1987)

External debt

$NA

Electricity

171,500 kW capacity; 441 million kWh produced, 1,080 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Agriculture

cash crops - bananas, sugarcane;
other products include tropical fruits and vegetables;
livestock - cattle, pigs, goats;
not self-sufficient in food

Communications

5 fields

total:: 9
usable:: 9
with permanent-surface runways:: 8
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 1

Telecommunications

domestic facilities inadequate;
57,300 telephones;
interisland microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique;
broadcast stations - 2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station

Defense Forces

French Forces, Gendarmerie

4 fields

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