Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Saint Peter Port
Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 10 parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale,
Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint
Martin, Saint Andrew
Independence:
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor
appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt.
Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY
(since NA 1999)
cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of
the States
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10
Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies
elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her
Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller
(Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and
Registrar General); note - Alderney and Sark have their own
parliaments
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents
Judicial branch:
Royal Court
Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
none
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Flag description:
white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England)
extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of
William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross