OFFICIAL NAME

GUADELOUPE
(overseas department of France)

CAPITAL CITY
Basse-Terre
GEOGRAPHY Location:
Caribbean islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 1,780 sq km land area: 1,706 sq km comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of eight inhabited islands, of which Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, and Marie-Galante are the 3 largest.
The 8 islands are:
* Basse-Terre
* Grande-Terre
which constitue GUADELOUPE
* La Désirade
* Les Saintes which is itself a small Archipelago, with 2 inhabited Islands: TERRE DE HAUT and TERRE DE BAS
* Marie-Galante
* Saint-Barthélemy
* Saint-Martin, the French side of the Island.

Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 306 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
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; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin
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% Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano international agreements: NA

PEOPLE

People Population: 402,815 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26% (female 51,069; male 52,922) 15-64 years: 66% (female 134,328; male 130,875) 65 years and over: 8% (female 19,318; male 14,303) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.24% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 18.15 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.58 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.2 years male: 74.16 years female: 80.38 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
Noun(and adjective): Guadeloupian(s)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%
Languages: French, creole patois
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90%
Labor force: 120,000 by occupation: services, government, and commerce 53.0%, industry 25.8%, agriculture 21.2%

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation Railroads: total: NA km;
privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Highways: total: 1,940 km paved: 1,600 km unpaved: gravel, earth 340 km
Ports: Basse-Terre, Gustavia, Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre.
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 9 with paved runways over 3,047 m; 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m; 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 6

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications Telephone system: 57,300 telephones;
domestic facilities inadequate local: NA
intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; interisland microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 8 (private stations licensed to broadcast FM 30), shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 9 televisions: NA

DEFENSE FORCES

Defense Forces Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie Note: defense is responsibility of France

 
GOVERNMENT
Government Names: Department of Guadeloupe (conventional long form) Guadeloupe (conventional short form) Departement de la Guadeloupe (local long form) Guadeloupe( local short form)
Diagraph: GP
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Basse-Terre
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age;
Universal Executive branch (chief of state): President Jacques CHIRAC (since 21 May 1995)
Head of government: Prefect Jean- François CARENCO
President of the General Council :Jacques GILLOT
President of the Regional Council :Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992) cabinet:
Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council General Council:
Elections: last held NA March 2000 (next to be held by NA 2004); results: percent of vote by party ,
Regional Council: elections last held on 31 January 1998 ;
French Senate: elections last held in September 1995 ; Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA;
Assembly: elections last held on 1998 ; Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA;
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas department of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used

ECONOMY

Overview:
Economy Overview: 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 visits 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:
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.8 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $9,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 31.3% (1990)
Budget: revenues: $400 million
Expenditures: $671 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $130 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: bananas, sugar,
rum partners: France 70%, Martinique 17% (1991)
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities: foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods,
construction materials partners: France 60%, EC, US, Japan (1991)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%;
Electricity: capacity: 320,000 kW, production: 650 million kWh, consumption per capita: 1,421 kWh (1993)
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

Economic aid and recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $8.235 billion

Currency:
Currency: €Uro
Exchange rates: 1€uro =US$1,20 (January 2004) ,

Fiscal year: calendar year