offshore banking, and its position as an international conference
center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and
now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector
accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism (almost 6 million visitors in 1998),
shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate
revenue. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change
from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government
spending still have a major impact on the level of employment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1998)
Labor force: 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
Labor force - by occupation: services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture
NEGL%
Unemployment rate: 13.5% (1996)
Budget: revenues: $307 million expenditures: $284 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)
Industries: tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing;
tobacco, mineral water, beer
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 97 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 90.21 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: none
Exports: $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities: (principally reexports) petroleum 51%,
manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
Exports - partners: UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US,
Germany
Imports: $492 million (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports - commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Imports - partners: UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $NA; note - if an agreement between Spain
and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU
Currency: Gibraltar pound (GIP)
Currency code: GIP
Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002),
0.8977 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106
(1997); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Gibraltar
Telephones - main lines in use: 19,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,620 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic
system and adequate international facilities domestic: automatic exchange
facilities international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 37,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 10,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .gi
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation Gibraltar
Railways: total: NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only
(no longer used) (2001 est.)
Highways: total: 46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: 0 km
Ports and harbors: Gibraltar
Merchant marine: total: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 900,400
GRT/1,277,611 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here
as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55,
Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 35, chemical tanker 6, container 10,
multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 14,
roll on/roll off 2
Airports: 1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Military Gibraltar
Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; British Army,
Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Gibraltar
Disputes - international: Spain and UK are discussing "total shared
sovereignty" to resolve 300-year dispute over Gibraltar, but resolution
is subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have
largely expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Grenada
Introduction
Grenada
Background: One of the smallest independent countries in the western
hemisphere, Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October
1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of
six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and
their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the
following year.
Geography Grenada
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean,
north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 12 07 N, 61 40 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 344 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 344 sq km
Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 121 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point:
Mount Saint Catherine 840 m
Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Land use: arable land: 6% permanent crops: 26% other: 68% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts
from June to November
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the
selected agreements
Geography - note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines
group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
People Grenada
Population: 89,211 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.9% (male 16,213; female 15,863) 15-64
years: 60.3% (male 28,460; female 25,307) 65 years and over: 3.8%
(male 1,546; female 1,822) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.02% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 23.05 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 7.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -15.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 66.31 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.5 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Grenadian(s) adjective: Grenadian
Ethnic groups: black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and
East Indian 5% , and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian
Religions: Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%
Languages: English (official), French patois
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.)
Government Grenada
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Grenada
Government type: constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style
parliament
Capital: Saint George's
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and
Petit Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John,
Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Constitution: 19 December 1973
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August
1996) head of government: appointed by the governor general on the
advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
governor general appointed by the monarch; prime minister appointed by
the governor general from among the members of the House of Assembly
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a
13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and three by the leader
of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last
held on 18 January 1999 (next to be held by NA October 2004) election
results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - NNP 14, GULP 1
Judicial branch: West Indies Associate States Supreme Court (an associate
judge resides in Grenada)
Political parties and leaders: Grenada United Labor Party or GULP
[Herbert PREUDHOMME]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [leader vacant];
New National Party or NNP [George McGUIRE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW
(signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE
consulate(s) general: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: the ambassador
to Barbados is accredited to Grenada; Charge d'Affairs Nadia TONGOUR
embassy: Point Salines, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54,
Saint George's, Grenada, West Indies telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173
through 1176 FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820
Flag description: a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles
(top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with
a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars
with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom
red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag;
there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada
is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia);
the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions
Economy Grenada
Economy - overview: Despite government steadying of annual economic
growth in recent years through progress in fiscal reform and prudent
macroeconomic management, a downturn in tourist arrivals in 2001 threatens
government spending in 2002. Grenada relies on tourism as its main
source of foreign exchange, although it also supports a small agriculture
sector and a developing offshore financial industry. Short-term concerns
include a rising fiscal deficit and the deterioration in the external
account balance.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $424 million (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,750 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7.7% industry: 23.9% services:
68.4% (2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 42,300 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: services 62%, agriculture 24%, industry 14%
(1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.5% (1999)
Budget: revenues: $85.8 million expenditures: $102.1 million, including
capital expenditures of $28 million (1997)
Industries: food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations,
tourism, construction
Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 110 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 102.3 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados,
root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
Exports: $78 million (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables,
clothing, mace
Exports - partners: Caricom 32.3%, UK 20%, US 13%, Netherlands 8.8%
(1991)
Imports: $270 million (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals,
fuel (1989)
Imports - partners: US 31.2%, Caricom 23.6%, UK 13.8%, Japan 7.1% (1991)
Debt - external: $196 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $8.3 million (1995)
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code: XCD
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed
rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Grenada
Telephones - main lines in use: 27,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 976 (1997)
Telephone system: automatic, islandwide telephone system domestic:
radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and
UHF radio links to Trinidad
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 57,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 33,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .gd
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 14 (2000)
Internet users: 4,100 (2001)
Transportation Grenada
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,040 km paved: 638 km unpaved: 402 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Grenville, Saint George's
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Grenada
Military branches: Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues Grenada
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment
point for marijuana and cocaine to US
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Guernsey
Introduction
Guernsey
Background: The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands
represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom 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.
Geography Guernsey
Location: Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest
of France
Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 78 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark,
and some other smaller islands water: 0 sq km land: 78 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 50 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of
days are overcast
Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location on Sark 114 m
Natural resources: cropland
Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% other: NA% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
People Guernsey
Population: 64,587 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16% (male 5,250; female 5,101) 15-64 years:
66.7% (male 21,356; female 21,728) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 4,622;
female 6,530) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.37% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 9.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 83.01 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.36 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups: UK and Norman-French descent
Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Congregational, Methodist
Languages: English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country
districts
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Guernsey
Country name: Bailiwick of Guernsey conventional short form: Dependency
status: British crown dependency
Government type: NA
Capital: St. 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 St. Peter Port, St. Sampson, Vale,
Castel, St. Saviour, St. Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, St. Martin,
St. 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) elections:
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 G. CAREY (since NA) 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
Economy Guernsey
Economy - overview: Financial services - banking, fund management,
insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny
Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture,
mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and
death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic
integration of the EU nations is changing the rules of the game under
which Guernsey operates.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3% industry: 10% services: 87%
(2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.99% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 31,322 (2000)
Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues: $381.3 million expenditures: $368.8 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% other:
NA% nuclear: NA%
Electricity - consumption: NA kWh
Electricity - exports: NA kWh
Electricity - imports: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers,
eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Exports: $NA
Exports - commodities: tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers,
eggplant, other vegetables
Exports - partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)
Imports: $NA
Imports - commodities: coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment
Imports - partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound
Currency code: GBP
Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6944 (January 2002),
0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106
(1997); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Guernsey
Telephones - main lines in use: 44,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 12,000 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international:
1 submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .gg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Internet users: NA
Transportation Guernsey
Railways: 5 km
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: St. Peter Port, Saint Sampson
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m:
1 (2001)
Military Guernsey
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Guernsey
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Greenland
Introduction
Greenland
Background: The world's largest non-continental island, about 84%
ice-capped, Greenland was granted self-government in 1978 by the Danish
parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues
to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs.
Geography Greenland
Location: Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and
the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
Geographic coordinates: 72 00 N, 40 00 W
Map references: Arctic Region
Area: total: 2,166,086 sq km land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km
ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (est.)
Area - comparative: slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 44,087 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or
median line exclusive
200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line territorial sea:
Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Gunnbjorn 3,700 m
Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold,
platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of
the island
Environment - current issues: protection of the arctic environment;
preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling
and seal hunting