r tourism

Land use:
arable land: 18%
permanent crops: 5%
meadows and pastures: 13%
forest and woodland: 40%
other: 24%

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an
active volcano
international agreements: NA

People
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Population: 407,768 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 53,118; female 51,219)
15-64 years: 66% (male 132,846; female 136,147)
65 years and over: 8% (male 14,617; female 19,821) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.2% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 17.78 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.59 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.4 years
male: 74.37 years
female: 80.58 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe

Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian,
Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%,
Protestant sects 1%

Languages: French (official) 99%, Creole patois

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.)
total population: 90%
male: 90%
female: 90%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form: Guadeloupe
local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
local short form: Guadeloupe

Data code: GP

Type of government: overseas department of France

Capital: Basse-Terre

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July
(1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French legal system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Michel DIEFENBACHER (since NA March
1995),