{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of the main island of Guernsey and a number of smaller islands including Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. The Bailiwick is a self-governing British Crown dependency that is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. " } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "49 28 N, 2 35 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "Europe" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "78 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "78 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "0 sq km" }, "note": "note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands" }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "about one-half the size of Washington, DC" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "0 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "50 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "exclusive fishing zone": { "text": "12 nm" } }, "Climate": { "text": "temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast" }, "Terrain": { "text": "mostly flat with low hills in southwest" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Le Moulin on Sark 114 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "English Channel 0 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "cropland" }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "NA" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "very large tidal variation and fast currents can make local waters dangerous" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port" }, "Map description": { "text": "
Guernsey map showing the islands that make up this British crown dependency in the English Channel.
" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "67,491 (2022 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Channel Islander(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Channel Islander" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Guernsey 53.1%, UK and Ireland 23.9%, Portugal 2.2%, Latvia 1.5%, other Europe 2.8%, other 4.4%, unspecified 11.4% (2020 est.)", "note": "note: data represent population by country of birth; the native population is of British and Norman-French descent" }, "Languages": { "text": "English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts" }, "Religions": { "text": "Protestant (Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist), Roman Catholic" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "14.5% (male 5,008/female 4,712)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "10.58% (male 3,616/female 3,476)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "40.73% (male 13,821/female 13,492)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "13.96% (male 4,635/female 4,728)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "20.23% (2020 est.) (male 6,229/female 7,335)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "49" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "22.3" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "26.7" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "3.7 (2020 est.)" }, "note": "note: data represent Guernsey and Jersey" }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "44.3 years" }, "male": { "text": "43 years" }, "female": { "text": "45.6 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.23% (2022 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "9.75 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "9.17 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "31.1% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" }, "note": "note: data include Guernsey and Jersey" }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "16,000 SAINT PETER PORT (capital) (2018)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.06 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "0.98 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.73 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.)" } }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "3.36 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "3.85 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "2.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "83.23 years" }, "male": { "text": "80.52 years" }, "female": { "text": "86.07 years (2022 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "1.58 children born/woman (2022 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "NA" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: total": { "text": "total: 94.2% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 5.9% of population (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: includes data for Jersey" }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "NA" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: NA" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: NA" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 98% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: NA" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: NA" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 1.2% of population (2017)" }, "note": "note: data represent Guernsey and Jersey" }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "NA" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "NA" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { "text": "NA" }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "NA" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "NA" }, "Literacy": { "total population": { "text": "NA" }, "male": { "text": "NA" }, "female": { "text": "NA" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "coastal erosion, coastal flooding; declining biodiversity due to land abandonment and succession to scrub or woodland" }, "Climate": { "text": "temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "31.1% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" }, "note": "note: data include Guernsey and Jersey" }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "178,933 tons (2016 est.)" }, "municipal solid waste recycled annually": { "text": "50,871 tons (2016 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "28.4% (2016 est.)" }, "note": "note: data include combined totals for Guernsey and Jersey." } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Bailiwick of Guernsey" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Guernsey" }, "former": { "text": "Norman Isles" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name is of Old Norse origin, but the meaning of the root \"Guern(s)\" is uncertain; the \"-ey\" ending means \"island\"" } }, "Government type": { "text": "parliamentary democracy (States of Deliberation)" }, "Dependency status": { "text": "British crown dependency" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Saint Peter Port" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "49 27 N, 2 32 W" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "daylight saving time": { "text": "+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October" }, "etymology": { "text": "Saint Peter Port is the name of the town and its surrounding parish; the \"port\" distinguishes this parish from that of Saint Peter on the other side of the island" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "none (British Crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes: Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale", "note": "note: two additional parishes for Guernsey are sometimes listed - Saint Anne on the island of Alderney and Saint Peter on the island of Sark - but they are generally not included in the enumeration of parishes" }, "Independence": { "text": "none (British Crown dependency)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice" }, "amendments": { "text": "new laws or changes to existing laws are initiated by the States of Deliberation; passage requires majority vote; many laws have been passed; in 2019, 60 laws were passed" } }, "Legal system": { "text": "customary legal system based on Norman customary law; includes elements of the French civil code and English common law" }, "Citizenship": { "text": "see United Kingdom" }, "Suffrage": { "text": "16 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant-Governor Vice Admiral Ian CORDER (since 14 March 2016)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Chief Minister Peter FERBRACHE (since 16 October 2020); Bailiff Richard McMAHON (since 11 May 2020); note - the chief minister is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee and is the de facto head of government; the Policy and Resources Committee, elected by the States of Deliberation, functions as the executive; the 5 members all have equal voting rights" }, "cabinet": { "text": "none" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch; chief minister, who is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee indirectly elected by the States of Deliberation for a 4-year term; last held on 6 May 2016 (next to be held in June 2020)" }, "election results": { "text": "2020: Peter FERBRACHE (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister: percent of States of Guernsey vote - 57.5%
NA
" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables" }, "Imports": { "text": "NA
" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "coal, gasoline, oil, machinery, and equipment" }, "Debt - external": { "text": "NA
" }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "Guernsey pound per US dollar" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "0.7836 (2017 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2016": { "text": "0.738 (2016 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2015": { "text": "0.738 (2015)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "0.6542 (2014)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "0.607 (2013)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "33,940 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "54 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "43,824 (2009 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "79 (2009 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "high performance global connections with quality service; connections to major cities around the world to rival and attract future investment and future needs of islanders and businesses (2018)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line 54 per 100 and mobile-cellular 114 per 100 persons (2020)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 44; landing points for Guernsey-Jersey, HUGO, INGRID, Channel Islands -9 Liberty and UK-Channel Islands-7 submarine cable to UK and France (2019)" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey with relays in Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney; satellite packages are available; BBC Radio Guernsey and 1 other radio station operating" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".gg" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "54,726 (2019 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "84% (2019 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "25,336 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "40 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "1 (2020) (registered in UK)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "9 (registered in UK)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "2" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "2 (2021)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "2" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "1" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "1 (2021)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "260 km (2017)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Braye Bay, Saint Peter Port" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military - note": { "text": "defense is the responsibility of the UK" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "none
" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "NA" } } }