236 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
236 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
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GUADELOUPE
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(overseas department of France)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 1,780 km2; land area: 1,760 km2
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Comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 306 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high
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humidity
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Terrain: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
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mountains; Grand-Terre is low limestone formation
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Natural resources: cultivable land, beaches, and climate that
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foster tourism
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Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and
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pastures 13%; forest and woodland 40%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
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Environment: subject to hurricanes (June to October); La
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Soufriere is an active volcano
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Note: located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
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PEOPLE
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Population: 344,897 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
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Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 77 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Guadeloupian(s); adjective--Guadeloupe
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Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 90%; white 5%; East Indian,
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Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
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Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
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Language: French, creole patois
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Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 91%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1982)
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Labor force: 120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce,
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25.8% industry, 21.2% agriculture
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Organized labor: 11% of labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Department of Guadeloupe
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Type: overseas department of France
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Capital: Basse-Terre
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Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
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Independence: none (overseas department of France)
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Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
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Legal system: French legal system
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National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
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Executive branch: government commissioner
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Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral
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Regional Council
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Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction
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over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since
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21 May 1981);
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Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST
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(since November 1989)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene CAPTANT;
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Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE;
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Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique LARIFLA;
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Independent Republicans;
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Union for French Democracy (UDF);
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Union for a New Majority (UNM)
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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General Council --last held NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(42 total) number of seats by party NA;
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Regional Council--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held
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by 16 March 1992);
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results--RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, other 3.7%;
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seats--(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4;
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French Senate--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be
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held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives;
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1;
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French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988
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(next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives;
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
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Communists: 3,000 est.
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Other political or pressure groups: Popular Union for the
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Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular Movement for Independent
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Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General
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Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G); Christian Movement for
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the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)
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Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU
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Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France,
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the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France
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Flag: the flag of France is used
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light
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industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large
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subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from
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the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit
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the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being
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replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of
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export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops
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are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still
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dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France. Light
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industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most manufactured
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goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the
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young.
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GDP: $1.1 billion, per capita $3,300; real growth rate NA% (1987)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1988)
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Unemployment rate: 38% (1987)
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Budget: revenues $254 million; expenditures $254 million, including
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capital expenditures of NA (1989)
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Exports: $153 million (f.o.b., 1988);
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commodities--bananas, sugar, rum;
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partners--France 68%, Martinique 22% (1987)
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Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
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commodities--vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer
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goods, construction materials, petroleum products;
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partners--France 64%, Italy, FRG, US (1987)
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External debt: $NA
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 171,500 kW capacity; 441 million kWh produced,
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1,290 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
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Agriculture: cash crops--bananas and sugarcane; other products
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include tropical fruits and vegetables; livestock--cattle, pigs, and
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goats; not self-sufficient in food
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $7.9 billion
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Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100
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centimes
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Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.1307 (January 1991),
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5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261
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(1986), 8.9852 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
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Highways: 1,940 km total; 1,600 km paved, 340 km gravel and earth
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Ports: Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
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Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 9 total, 9 usable, 8 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300
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telephones; interisland radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica,
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and Martinique; stations--2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to
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broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 98,069; NA fit for military
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service
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Note: defense is responsibility of France
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