World Facts Index
Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands;
its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its
northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe.
Geography of Guadeloupe
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, islands between
the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico |
|
Coordinates:
|
16 15 N, 61 35 W |
|
Area:
|
total: 1,780 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)
water: 74 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
10 times the size of
Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km |
|
Coastline:
|
306 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
Climate:
|
subtropical tempered by
trade winds; moderately high humidity |
|
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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
cultivable land, beaches
and climate that foster tourism |
|
Natural hazards:
|
hurricanes (June to
October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano |
|
Geography - note:
|
a narrow channel, the
Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger,
western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre
|
Population of Guadeloupe
|
Population:
|
452,776 (July 2006 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 23.6% (male 54,725/female 52,348)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 150,934/female 153,094)
65 years and over: 9.2% (male 17,353/female 24,322) |
|
Median age:
|
32.2 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
0.88% |
|
Infant mortality:
|
8.41 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 78.06 years
male: 74.91 years
female: 81.37 years |
|
Fertility rate:
|
1.9 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East
Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% |
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African
4%, Protestant 1% |
|
Languages:
|
French (official) 99%, Creole patois |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 90%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Department
of Guadeloupe
local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe |
|
Dependency status:
|
overseas department of France |
|
Capital:
|
Basse-Terre |
|
National holiday:
|
Bastille Day, 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 of France |
|
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) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with
jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique |
Economy
This Caribbean 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.
|
GDP:
|
$3.513 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1997
est.) |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 15%
industry: 17%
services: 68% (1997 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
125,900 (1997) |
|
Unemployment:
|
27.8% (1998) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Industries:
|
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism |
|
Agriculture:
|
bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and
vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats |
|
Exports:
|
bananas, sugar, rum |
|
Export partners:
|
France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and
other consumer goods, construction materials |
|
Import partners:
|
France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands
Antilles 2% (2004) |
|
Currency:
|
euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |