Guernsey
Bailiwick of Guernsey
NAIndependence none (British crown dependency)
Guernsey as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 104 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
17 fieldsPeople
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2003 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 15.8% (male 5,216; female 5,061)
- 15-64 years:
- 66.8% (male 21,433; female 21,835)
- 65 years and over:
- 17.4% (male 4,705; female 6,568) (2003 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.04 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 (2003 est.)
Government
NA; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY (since NA 1999)
19 fieldsAdministrative 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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
- elections:
- none;
- the monarch is hereditary;
- lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch;
- bailiff appointed by the monarch
- head of government:
- Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY (since NA 1999)
- cabinet:
- Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States
Legislative branch
- unicameral Assembly of the States;
- consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General);
- note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
- elections:
- last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
- election results:
- percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents
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
Economy
Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island economy.
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2000)
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 rules of the game under which Guernsey operates.
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
Communications
8 fieldsTransportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Military
1 fieldTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Guernsey.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guernsey/2003.