English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy:
NA
Education expenditures:
NA
Government
Guernsey
Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey conventional short form: Guernsey
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Saint Peter Port geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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 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; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; 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 Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005) head of government: Chief Minister Lyndon TROTT (since 1 May 2008) 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 Deliberation election results: Lyndon TROTT elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have parliaments elections: last held 23 April 2008 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch:
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)
Political parties and leaders:
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
Economy
Guernsey
Economy - overview:
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. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.742 billion (2005)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.742 billion (2005)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$44,600 (2005)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3% industry: 10% services: 87% (2000)
Labor force:
31,470 (March 2006)
Unemployment rate:
0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $563.6 million expenditures: $530.9 million (2005)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (June 2006)
Agriculture - products:
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Industries:
tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
