Guernsey

Official name Bailiwick of Guernsey
Political status crown dependency (United Kingdom) with one legislative house (States of Deliberation [451, 2, 3])
Head of state British Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Lieutenant Governor: Peter Walker
Head of government Chief Minister: Lyndon Trott 4, assisted by the Policy Council
Capital St. Peter Port
Official language English
Official religion none
Monetary unit Guernsey pound5
Population (2013 est.) 66,000
Total area (sq mi) 30
Total area (sq km) 79
Urban-rural population Urban: (2005) 30.9%
Rural: (2005) 69.1%
Life expectancy at birth Male: (2012) 79.6 years
Female: (2012) 85 years
Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate Male: 100%
Female: 100%
GNI per capita (U.S.$) (2012) 50,488

1The States of Deliberation was reorganized in 2004.

2Includes 3 ex officio members (2 of whom have no voting rights) and 2 representatives from Alderney.

3Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments. The States of Alderney has a president and 10 elected members; Sark’s feudal system of government ended with the election of a 28-member assembly in December 2008.

4The first Chief Minister was elected by the States of Deliberation in May 2004.

5Equivalent in value to pound sterling (£); the Guernsey government issues both paper money and coins.

About Guernsey

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. Guernsey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK or of the European Union. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Guernsey, second largest of the Channel Islands. It is 30 miles (48 km) west of Normandy, Fr., and roughly triangular in shape. With Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, and associated islets, it forms the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Its capital is St. Peter Port.

In the south, Guernsey rises in a plateau to about 300 feet (90 metres), with ragged coastal cliffs. It descends in steps and is drained mainly by streams flowing northward in deeply incised valleys. Northern Guernsey is low-lying, although small outcrops of resistant rock form hills (hougues). The soil on lower ground is of blown sand, raised beach deposits, and the fills of old lagoons. The climate is maritime; snow and severe frost are rare, and the annual temperature range is only about 17 °F (9 °C). Annual rainfall varies from 30 to 35 inches (750–900 mm). The somewhat scanty water supplies are supplemented by seawater distillation.

mbly, the States of Deliberation, ultimately grew. In the 19th century the States of Deliberation emerged as a legislative assembly administering the island through executive committees. The assembly is presided over by the bailiff of Guernsey. The lieutenant governor is the personal representative of the British sovereign. Governmental and judicial proceedings on Guernsey are conducted in English, even though many of the island’s inhabitants speak Norman French as their first language.

Guernsey was never dominated by any one great landowning family, and the early growth of commerce in St. Peter Port, with later smuggling and privateering and 19th-century industrial development, weakened what remained of the feudal landlords’ power. During World War II many of Guernsey’s inhabitants were evacuated to England before the Germans occupied the island (July 1940–May 1945)

The population is mainly of Norman descent with an admixture of Breton. St. Peter Port and St. Sampson are the main towns. Dairy farming with the famous Guernsey breed of cattle (see photograph) is largely confined to the high land in the south. Market gardening is concentrated chiefly in the north, where greenhouses produce tomatoes, flowers, and grapes, mostly exported to England. Tourism has become an important part of Guernsey’s economy in the 20th century. The house in St. Peter Port in which the French author Victor Hugo resided from 1855 to 1870 is now a museum. The island relies increasingly on airline services and is served by an airport at La Villaize. There are shipping links with Jersey, Alderney, and Sark; London and Weymouth, Eng.; and Saint-Malo, Fr. Area Guernsey, 24 square miles (62 square km); Bailiwick of Guernsey, 30 square miles (78 square km). Pop. (2001) Guernsey, 59,710; Bailiwick of Guernsey, 62,692.

The Geography of Guernsey

Total Size: 78 square km

Size Comparison: about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Geographical Coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W

World Region or Continent: Europe

General Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest

Geographical Low Point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Geographical High Point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

The People of Guernsey

Type of Government: NA

Languages Spoken: English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Independence: none (British crown dependency)

ational Holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Nationality: Channel Islander(s)

Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist

National Symbol:v Guernsey cow; donkey

National Anthem or Song: Sarnia Cherie (Guernsey Dear)

Economy of Guernsey

A spirit of enterprise, entrepreneurial skills and a flair for commerce have made Guernsey a centre of excellence for a number of industries over many hundreds of years.

In the last 50 years, finance has become the mainstay of the Guernsey economy so that today, of the 31,000 people employed in the Island, 6,500 (21%) work in financial services. Finance (37%) is the largest single direct contributor to the Island's Gross Domestic Product which stands at £2.2 billion (£35,000 per head of population).

The success of the financial services industry has helped sustain a stable economy within an unemployment rate of around 1%. In October 2014, the international credit rating agency, Standard & Poor's, assigned Guernsey a high grade AA+ credit rating and confirmed the Guernsey's outlook as stable.

As well as financial services, the Island boasts buoyant light industrial and services sectors. In addition, with its naturally beautiful landscape Guernsey remains a popular tourist destination where traditional industries such as horticulture, agriculture and fishing play an important part in the Island's economy.

Guernsey's Commerce and Employment Department is committed to encouraging further business development that will contribute to a diverse and sustainable economy and is exploring opportunities in the burgeoning areas of Intellectual Property, renewable energy and ICT, such as FinTech.

The States of Guernsey Policy and Research Unit can provide further statistics, information and facts and figures on the island.

Major Industries: tourism, banking

Agricultural Products: tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Natural Resources: cropland

Major Exports: tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables

Major Imports: coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Currency: British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound

National GDP: $2,742,000,000

Disclaimer

This is not the official site of this country. Most of the information in this site were taken from the U.S. Department of State, The Central Intelligence Agency, The United Nations, [1],[2], [3], [4], [5],[6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14],[15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24],[25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30],[31], [32], [33], [34], and the [35].

Other sources of information will be mentioned as they are posted.