Guadeloupe

Overseas department of France

Guadeloupe

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

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 nine inhabited islands, of which Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, and Marie-Galante are the three largest

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
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,467 m

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

Population

407,768 (July 1996 est.)
402,815 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

26% (male 53,118; female 51,219) (July 1996 est.)
26% (male 52,922; female 51,069) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

66% (male 132,846; female 136,147) (July 1996 est.)
66% (male 130,875; female 134,328) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

8% (male 14,617; female 19,821) (July 1996 est.)
8% (male 14,303; female 19,318) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.2% (1996 est.)
1.24% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

17.78 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
18.15 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

5.59 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
5.58 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

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: 0.74 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
8.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 77.4 years (1996 est.); 77.2 years (1995 est.)
Male: 74.37 years (1996 est.); 74.16 years (1995 est.)
Female: 80.58 years (1996 est.); 80.38 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.92 children born/woman (1996 est.)
1.95 children born/woman (1995 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%

Languages

French, creole patois

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1982)

Total population: 90%
Male: 90%
Female: 90%

Labor Force

129,700

By occupation:

Services 65%
Industry 20%
Agriculture 15% (1993)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
Conventional short form: Guadeloupe
Local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
Local short form: Guadeloupe

Digraph

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 (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Michel DIEFENBACHER (since NA March 1995), who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior
Head of government: President of the General Council Dominique LARIFLA (since NA); 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 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (43 total) FRUI.G 13, RPR/DUD 13, PPDG 8, FGPS 3, PCG 3, UPLG 1, PSG 1, independent 1

Regional Council

Elections last held on 31 January 1993 (next to be held by 16 March 1998); results - RPR/DUD 48.30%, FGPS 17.09%, FRUI.G 7.44%, PPDG 8.90%, UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats - (41 total) seats by party NA

French Senate

Elections last held in September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) PPDG 1, FGPS 1

French National Assembly

Elections last held on 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held March 1998); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) FGPS 1, RPR 1, PPDG 1, independent 1

Judicial Branch

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

Political Parties and Leaders

Rally for the Republic (RPR), Daniel BEAUBRUN; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (FGPS), Georges LOUISOR; Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), Claude MAKOUKE; FGPS Dissidents (FRUI.G), Dominique LARIFLA; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Marcel ESDRAS; Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Henri BANGOU

Other Political or Pressure Groups

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)

Member of

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Flag

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 five-pointed gold star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions
Back to flag of Guadeloupe

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 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 - purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1995 est.); $3.8 billion (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

National Product Per Capita

$9,200 (1995 est.)
$9,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

3.7% (1990)

Unemployment Rate

31.3% (1995)
31.3% (1990)

Budget

Revenues: $395 million (1995); $400 million (1989)
Expenditures: $407 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995); $671 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)

Exports

$130 million (f.o.b., 1993)
$130 million (f.o.b., 1992)

Commodities:

Bananas
Sugar
Rum

Partners:

France 70%
Martinique 17% (1991)

Imports

$1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

Commodities:

Foodstuffs
Fuels
Vehicles
Clothing and other consumer goods
Construction materials

Partners:

France 60%
EU
U.S.
Japan (1991)

External Debt

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

Recipient: U.S. commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $8.235 billion

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange Rates

French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Total: NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines

Highways

Total: 2,082 km (national 329 km, regional 582 km, community/local 1171 km)
Paved: 1,742 km
Unpaved: 340 km (1985 est.)

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

Telephone System

64,916 telephones (1984 est.); 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: 100,000 (1993 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 150,000 (1993 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

French Forces, Gendarmerie

Note: Defense is responsibility of France

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 3 january 1998

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