*Guadeloupe, Geography

Location:
  in the Caribbean Sea, 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
 total area:
  1,780 km2  land area:
  1,760 km2
 comparative area:
  10 times the size of Washington, DC
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
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 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano

*Guadeloupe, People

Population:
  422,114 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.67% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  18.18 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.94 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  4.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  9.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:   76.72 years
 male:
  73.67 years
 female:
  79.9 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.08 children born/woman (1993 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 can read and write (1982)
 total population:
  90%
 male:
  90%
 female:
  91%
Labor force:
  120,000
 by occupation:
  services, government, and commerce 53.0%, industry 25.8%, agriculture 21.2%

*Guadeloupe, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Department of Guadeloupe
 conventional short form:
  Guadeloupe
 local long form:
  Departement de la Guadeloupe
 local short form:
  Guadeloupe
Digraph:
  GP
Type:
  overseas department of France
Capital:
  Basse-Terre
Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas department of France)
Independence:
  none (overseas department of France)
Constitution:
  28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
  French legal system
National holiday:
  National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders:
  Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene CAPTANT; Communist Party of Guadeloupe
  (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (PS), Dominique LARIFLA;
  Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Independent
  Republicans; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union for the Center Rally
  (URC coalition of the PS, RPR, and UDF); Guadeloupe Objective (OG), Lucette
  MICHAUX-CHEVRY
Other political or pressure groups:
  Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular 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)
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 French National Assembly:
  last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held March 1993); Guadeloupe
  elects four representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
  (4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
 French Senate:
  last held in September 1986 (next to be held September 1995); Guadeloupe
  elects two representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
  (2 total) PCG 1, PS 1
 General Council:
  last held 25 September and 8 October 1988 (next to be held by NA 1992);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (42 total) PS 26, URC 16
 Regional Council:
  last held on 22 March 1992 (next to be held by 16 March 1998); results - OG
  33.1%, PSG 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, other 3.7%; seats - (41 total) OG
  15, PSG 12, PCG 10, UDF 4
Executive branch:
  government commissioner
Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council

*Guadeloupe, Government

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French
  Guiana, and Martinique
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
 Head of Government:
  Prefect Franck PERRIEZ (since NA 1992)
Member of:
  FZ, WCL
Diplomatic representation in US:
  as an overseas department of France, the interests of Guadeloupe are
  represented in the US by France
US diplomatic representation:
  none (overseas department of France)
Flag:
  the flag of France is used

*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 - exchange rate conversion - $1.5 billion (1989)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $4,700 (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.7% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
  31.3% (1990)
Budget:
  revenues $333 million; expenditures $671 million, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
  $168 million (f.o.b., 1988)
 commodities:
  bananas, sugar, rum
 partners:
  France 68%, Martinique 22% (1987)
Imports:
  $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
 commodities:
  vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction
  materials, petroleum products
 partners:
  France 64%, Italy, FRG, US (1987)
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
  171,500 kW capacity; 441 million kWh produced, 1,080 kWh per capita (1992)
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:
  US 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 - 5.4812 (January 1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421
  (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Guadeloupe, Communications

Railroads:
  privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Highways:
  1,940 km total; 1,600 km paved, 340 km gravel and earth
Ports:
  Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
Airports:
 total:
  9
 usable:
  9
 with permanent-surface runways:
  8
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland microwave
  radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique; broadcast
  stations - 2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV;
  1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station

*Guadeloupe, Defense Forces

Branches:
  French Forces, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 98,069; fit for military service NA (1993 est.)
Note:
  defense is responsibility of France