# The World Factbook (1982)/Guadeloupe
## GUADELOUPEGUADELOUPE

* (See reference map III)

### LANDLAND

1,779 km$^2$; 24% cropland, 9% pasture, 4% potential cropland, 16% forest, 47% wasteland, built on; area consists of two islands

### WATERWATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)
Coastline: 306 km

### PEOPLEPEOPLE

Population: 305,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate -0.7%
Nationality: noun—Guadeloupian(s); adjective—Guadeloupe
Ethnic divisions: 90% Negro or mulatto, 5% Caucasian, less than 5% East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu and pagan African
Language: French, Creole patois
Literacy: over 70%
Labor force: 120,000; 25% agriculture, 25% unemployed
Organized labor: 11% of labor force

### GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT

Official name: Department of Guadeloupe
Type: overseas department and region of France; represented by three deputies in the French National Assembly and two senators in the Senate; last deputy election, 21 June 1981
Capital: Basse-Terre
Political subdivisions: 3 arrondissements; 34 communes, each with a locally elected municipal council
Legal system: French legal system; highest court is a court of appeal based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
​Branches: executive, Prefect appointed by Paris; legislative, popularly elected General Council of 36 members and a Regional Council composed of members of the local General Council and the locally elected deputies and senators to the French parliament; judicial, under jurisdiction of French judicial system
Government leader: Commissioner of the Republic Robert MIGUET
Suffrage: universal over age 18
Elections: General Council elections are normally held every five years; last General Council election took place in June 1981
Political parties and leaders: Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR), Gabriel Lisette; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Henri Bangou; Socialist Party (MSG), leader unknown; Progressive Party of Guadeloupe (PPG), Henri Rodes; Independent Republicans; Federation of the Left; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union for a New Majority (UNM)
Voting strength: MSG, 1 seat in French National Assembly; PCG, 1 seat; UDF, 1 seat (1981 election)
Communists: 3,000 est.
Other political or pressure groups: Guadeloupe Liberation Army (GLA)

### ECONOMYECONOMY

GNP: $864 million (1977), $2,630 per capita; real growth rate (1977) 8%
Agriculture: main crops, sugarcane and bananas
Major industries: agricultural processing, sugar milling, rum distillation, and tourism
Electric power: 80,000 kW capacity (1981); 260 million kWh produced (1981), 817 kWh per capita
Exports: $119 million (f.o.b., 1978); sugar, fruits and vegetables, bananas
Imports: $455 million (c.i.f., 1978); foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, raw materials and supplies, and petroleum products
Major trade partners: exports—95% metropolitan France and rest of franc zone; imports—75% metropolitan France and rest of franc zone (1977)
Aid: economic—bilateral ODA and OOF commitments (1970-79) from Western (non-US) countries, $2.4 billion; no military aid Monetary conversion rate: 4.21 French francs=US$1 (1980)
Fiscal year: calendar year

### COMMUNICATIONSCOMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Highways: 1,110 km total; 770 km paved, 340 km gravel and earth
Ports: 1 major (Pointe-a-Pitre), 3 minor
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airfields: 8 total, 8 usable, 8 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities inadequate; 39,100 telephones (12.4 per 100 popl.); interisland radio-relay links; 2 AM, 2 FM, and 3 TV stations

### DEFENSE FORCESDEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 80,000; 50,000 fit for military service