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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Western
Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of
France |
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Geographic coordinates:
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49 28 N,
2 35 W |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
78 sq km
land: 78 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark,
and some other smaller islands |
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Area - comparative:
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about
one-half the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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50 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
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Climate:
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temperate
with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days
are overcast |
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Terrain:
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mostly
level with low hills in southwest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m
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Natural resources:
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cropland
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Land use:
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arable
land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA% |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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large,
deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port |
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Population:
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65,228
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 15.4% (male 5,084/female 4,937)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 21,611/female 22,002)
65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,882/female
6,712) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
40.99 years
male: 40.03 years
female: 41.91 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.29%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.01
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.95
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.83
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
4.71 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 80.3 years
male: 77.3 years
female: 83.41 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.38
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:
Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
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Ethnic groups:
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UK and
Norman-French descent with small percentages from other
European countries |
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Religions:
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Anglican,
Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational,
Methodist |
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Languages:
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English,
French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country
districts |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
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Dependency status:
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British
crown dependency |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Saint
Peter Port |
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Administrative divisions:
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none
(British crown dependency); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are 10 parishes including Saint
Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour,
Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin,
Saint Andrew |
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Independence:
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none
(British crown dependency) |
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National holiday:
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Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
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Constitution:
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unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice |
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Legal system:
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English
law and local statutes; justice is administered by the
Royal Court |
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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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor and
Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA
2000)
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN
(since 1 May 2004)
cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of
Deliberation
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant
governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is
elected by States of Delibertion
election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief
minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation
NA% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are
elected by popular vote for 4 years); note - Alderney
and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be
held NA 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats -
all independents |
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Judicial branch:
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Royal
Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none; all
independents |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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International organization participation:
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UPU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(British crown dependency) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none
(British crown dependency) |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Financial
services - banking, fund management, insurance - account
for about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous
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 environment under which
Guernsey operates. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$2.59
billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3% (2003
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $40,000 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000) |
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Labor force:
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32,290
(2001) |
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Unemployment rate:
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0.5%
(1999 est.) |
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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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4.9%
(2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $539.2 million
expenditures: $448.3 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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tomatoes,
greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit;
Guernsey cattle |
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Industries:
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tourism,
banking |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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NA kWh
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: NA
hydro: NA
nuclear: NA
other: NA |
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Electricity - consumption:
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NA kWh
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Exports:
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$NA |
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Exports - commodities:
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tomatoes,
flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other
vegetables |
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Exports - partners:
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UK
(regarded as internal trade) |
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Imports:
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$NA |
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Imports - commodities:
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coal,
gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment |
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Imports - partners:
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UK
(regarded as internal trade) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA |
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Currency (code):
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British
pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound |
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Currency code:
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GBP |
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Exchange rates:
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Guernsey
pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003),
0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the
British pound |
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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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55,000
(2001) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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31,500
(2001) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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NA |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997)
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Televisions:
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NA |
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Internet country code:
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.gg |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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NA |
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Internet users:
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NA |
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Highways:
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total:
NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km |
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Ports and harbors:
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Saint
Peter Port, Saint Sampson |
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Airports:
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2 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military - note:
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defense
is the responsibility of the UK |
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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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