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Background:
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Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The
island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands;
its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part
of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is
named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe |
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 15 N,
61 35 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
1,780 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km
water: 74 sq km
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine
inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre,
Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2),
Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and
Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin)
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Area - comparative:
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10 times
the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint
Maarten) 10.2 km |
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Coastline:
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306 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high
humidity |
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Terrain:
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Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most
of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m |
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Natural resources:
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cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
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Land use:
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arable
land: 11.24%
permanent crops: 3.55%
other: 85.21% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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20 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is
an active volcano |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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a narrow
channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper
into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and
the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre |
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Population:
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448,713
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 24% (male 55,072/female 52,677)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 148,880/female 151,238)
65 years and over: 9.1% (male 17,032/female
23,814) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
31.81 years
male: 30.91 years
female: 32.73 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.92%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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15.42
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.06
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.15
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
8.6 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 77.9 years
male: 74.74 years
female: 81.21 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.91
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe |
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Ethnic groups:
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black or
mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese
less than 5% |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1%
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Languages:
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French
(official) 99%, Creole patois |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90%
male: 90%
female: 90% (1982 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form: Guadeloupe
local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
local short form: Guadeloupe |
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Dependency status:
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overseas
department of France |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Basse-Terre |
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Administrative divisions:
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none
(overseas department of France) |
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Independence:
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none
(overseas department of France) |
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National holiday:
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Bastille
Day, 14 July (1789) |
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Constitution:
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4 October
1958 (French Constitution) |
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Legal system:
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French
legal system |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since
17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Paul GIROT DE
LANGLADE (since 17 August 2004)
head of government: President of the General
Council Jacques GILLOT (since 26 March 2001); President
of the Regional Council Victorin LUREL (since 2 April
2004)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular
vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the
French president on the advice of the French Ministry of
Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional
Councils are elected by the members of those councils
election results: NA |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year
terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil
Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held March 2004
(next to be held by NA 2010); Regional Council - last
held 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2010)
election results: General Council - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - left-wing
candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, right-wing
candidates 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council (second
round) - percent of vote by party - PS 58.4%, UMP 41.6%;
seats by party - PS 29, UMP 12
note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to
the French Senate; elections last held September 2004
(next to be held September 2013); percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA, Guadeloupe elects four
representatives to the French National Assembly;
elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held
NA 2007); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- RPR 2, PS 1, different right parties 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of
Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over
Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Communist
Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Mona CADOCE]; FGPS
[Dominique LARIFLA]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Flavien
FERRANT]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri
BANGOU]; Socialist Party or PS [Marlene MELISSE and
Favrot DAVRAIN]; Union for French Democracy or UDF
[Marcel ESDRAS]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP
(including RPR) [Robert JOYEUX] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Christian
Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG;
General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G;
General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement
for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist
Renewal Movement |
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International organization participation:
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WCL, WFTU
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(overseas department of France) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none
(overseas department of France) |
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Flag description:
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the flag
of France is used |
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Economy - overview:
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The
Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light
industry, and services. It also depends on France for
large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry,
with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large
number of cruise ships visit the islands. The
traditional 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, mainly from France. Light industry
features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured
goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially
high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate
the economy. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$3.513
billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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NA% |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $7,900 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 15%
industry: 17%
services: 68% (1997 est.) |
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Labor force:
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125,900
(1997) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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27.8%
(1998) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital
expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas,
sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs,
goats |
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Industries:
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construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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1.16
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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1.079
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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13,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$140
million f.o.b. (1997) |
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Exports - commodities:
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bananas,
sugar, rum |
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Exports - partners:
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France
60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1999) |
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Imports:
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$1.7
billion c.i.f. (1997) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer
goods, construction materials |
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Imports - partners:
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France
63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles
2% (1999) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA
(yearend 2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA; note
- substantial annual French subsidies (2004) |
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Currency (code):
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euro
(EUR) |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per
US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 j(2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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210,000
(2001) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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323,500
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 590; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave
radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and
Martinique |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
17, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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113,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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5 (plus
several low-power repeaters) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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118,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.gp |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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3 (2000)
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Internet users:
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20,000
(2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
947 km (2002) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Basse-Terre, Gustavia, Pointe-a-Pitre |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,240 GRT/109 DWT
by type: passenger 1
foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2005) |
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Airports:
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9 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
8
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no
regular military forces |
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Military - note:
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defense
is the responsibility of France |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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