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Introduction | Jersey

Background: | Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK.

Geography | Jersey

Location: | Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: | 49 15 N, 2 10 W
Map references: | Europe
Area: | total: 116 sq km land: 116 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: | about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 70 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate: | temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain: | gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 143 m
Natural resources: | arable land
Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land: | NA
Natural hazards: | NA
Environment - current issues: | NA
Geography - note: | largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier

People | Jersey

Population: | 91,084 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 17.2% (male 8,139/female 7,552) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 30,407/female 30,691) 65 years and over: 15.7% (male 6,299/female 7,996) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 41.4 years male: 40.7 years female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.28% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 9.3 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 9.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | 2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.38 years male: 76.89 years female: 82.05 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups: | Jersey 51.1%, British 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%, Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)
Religions: | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian
Languages: | English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)
Literacy: | definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Government | Jersey

Country name: | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey conventional short form: Jersey
Dependency status: | British crown dependency
Government type: | NA
Capital: | Saint Helier
Administrative divisions: | none (British crown dependency)
Independence: | none (British crown dependency)
National holiday: | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution: | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Suffrage: | NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:

unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators (elected for six-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes (elected for three-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for three-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and three non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA); note - on 23 November 2005, 29 deputies, independents, were elected
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55

Judicial branch: | Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)
Political parties and leaders: | none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders: | none
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (British crown dependency)
Flag description: | white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with the three lions of England in yellow

Economy | Jersey

Economy - overview:

Jersey's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. In 1996, the finance sector accounted for about 60% of the island's output. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. Tourism accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven. Living standards come close to those of the UK.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $3.6 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | NA
GDP - real growth rate: | NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $40,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 5% industry: 2% services: 93% (1996)
Labor force: | 52,790 (2004)
Unemployment rate: | 0.9% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 5.3% (2004)
Budget: | revenues: $601 million expenditures: $588 million; including capital expenditures of $98 million (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products: | potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products
Industries: | tourism, banking and finance, dairy
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - consumption: | 630.1 million kWh (2004 est.)
Electricity - imports: | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France
Exports: | $NA
Exports - commodities: | light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Exports - partners: | UK (2004)
Imports: | $NA
Imports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners: | UK (2004)
Debt - external: | $NA
Economic aid - recipient: | $0
Currency (code): | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound
Currency code: | GBP
Exchange rates: | Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001) note: the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

Communications | Jersey

Telephones - main lines in use: | 73,900 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 81,200 (2003)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: 3 submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations: | AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: | NA
Television broadcast stations: | 2 (1997)
Televisions: | NA
Internet country code: | .je
Internet hosts: | 1,162 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | NA
Internet users: | 27,000 (2005)

Transportation | Jersey

Airports: | 1 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Military | Jersey

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues | Jersey

Disputes - international: | none

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006