GUADELOUPE (overseas department of France) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 1,780 km2; land area: 1,760 km2 Comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 306 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm 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%; includes irrigated 1% Environment: subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano Note: located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea PEOPLE Population: 344,897 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991) Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 77 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Guadeloupian(s); adjective--Guadeloupe Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 90%; white 5%; East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5% Language: French, creole patois Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 91%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982) Labor force: 120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce, 25.8% industry, 21.2% agriculture Organized labor: 11% of labor force GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Department of Guadeloupe 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: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789) Executive branch: government commissioner Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council 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--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST (since November 1989) Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene CAPTANT; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique LARIFLA; Independent Republicans; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union for a New Majority (UNM) Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: General Council --last held NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(42 total) number of seats by party NA; Regional Council--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by 16 March 1992); results--RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, other 3.7%; seats--(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4; French Senate--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1; French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat Communists: 3,000 est. 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) Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France Flag: the flag of France is used 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. GDP: $1.1 billion, per capita $3,300; real growth rate NA% (1987) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1988) Unemployment rate: 38% (1987) Budget: revenues $254 million; expenditures $254 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989) Exports: $153 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, 1,290 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism Agriculture: cash crops--bananas and sugarcane; other products include tropical fruits and vegetables; livestock--cattle, pigs, and 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 (1970-88), $7.9 billion Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year 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 Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft Airports: 9 total, 9 usable, 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique; stations--2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie Manpower availability: males 15-49, 98,069; NA fit for military service Note: defense is responsibility of France