2001 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2001 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24.99% (male 55,030; female 52,722) 15-64 years: 66.22% (male 141,294; female 144,232) 65 years and over: 8.79% (male 15,901; female 21,991) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products
bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats
Airports
9 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) Guadeloupe Military
Area
total: 1,780 sq km land: 1,706 sq km water: 74 sq km note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin
Area - comparative
10 times the size of Washington, DC
Background
Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint-Martin is divided with the Netherlands (whose southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles). Guadeloupe Geography
Birth rate
16.91 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget
revenues: $225 million expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)
Capital
Basse-Terre
Climate
subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
Coastline
306 km
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe conventional short form: Guadeloupe local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe local short form: Guadeloupe
Currency
French franc (FRF); euro (EUR)
Currency code
FRF; EUR
Death rate
6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external
$NA
Dependency status
overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas department of France)
Disputes - international
none
Economic aid - recipient
$NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies
Economy - overview
The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional 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, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.
Electricity - consumption
1.209 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production
1.3 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,467 m
Environment - current issues
NA Guadeloupe People
Ethnic groups
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Exchange rates
Euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean FEDINI (since NA 1996) head of government: President of the General Council Marcellin LUBETH (since NA March 1998); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils election results: NA
Exports
$140 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities
bananas, sugar, rum
Exports - partners
France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year Guadeloupe Communications
Flag description
three horizontal bands, a narrow green band (top), a wide red band, and a narrow green band; the green bands are separated from the red band by two narrow white stripes; a gold five-pointed star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions Guadeloupe Economy
GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1997 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 15% industry: 17% services: 68% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1997 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Geographic coordinates
16 15 N, 61 35 W
Government type
NA
Highways
total: 2,560 km paved: 965 km unpaved: 1,595 km (1996)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners
France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2% (1997)
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Infant mortality rate
9.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA
International organization participation
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Internet country code
.gp
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (2000)
Internet users
4,000 (2000) Guadeloupe Transportation
Irrigated land
30 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Labor force
125,900 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation
NA
Land boundaries
total: 10.2 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km
Land use
arable land: 14% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 14% forests and woodland: 39% other: 29% (1993 est.)
Languages
French (official) 99%, Creole patois
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: General Council - last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - diverse left parties 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, diverse right parties 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - RPR 48.03%, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 24.49%, PCG 5.29%, diverse right parties 5.73%; seats by party - RPR 25, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 12, PCG 2, diverse right parties 2 note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FGPS 2, RPR 1, PPDG 1
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.16 years male: 74.01 years female: 80.48 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90% (1982 est.) Guadeloupe Government
Location
Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,240 GRT/109 DWT ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France Guadeloupe Transnational Issues
Military branches
French Forces, Gendarmerie
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality
noun: Guadeloupian(s) adjective: Guadeloupe
Natural hazards
hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere is an active volcano
Natural resources
cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
Net migration rate
-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders
Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Christian CELESTE]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Aldo BLAISE]; Socialist Party or PS [Georges LOUISOR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI
Population
431,170 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Population growth rate
1.07% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors
Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on Saint Barthelemy), Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
113,000 (1997)
Railways
total: NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Telephone system
general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique
Telephones - main lines in use
171,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular
NA
Television broadcast stations
5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
118,000 (1997)
Terrain
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin
Total fertility rate
1.93 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
27.8% (1998)
Waterways
none