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| Jersey Main Page · World Factbook Main Page |
INTRODUCTION
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 or of the European Union. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. |
GEOGRAPHY
Location: | |
| Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France | |
Geographic Coordinates: | |
| 49 15 N, 2 10 W | |
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 (Rank: 173) | |
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 elevation 143 m | |
Natural Resources: | |
| Arable land | |
Land Use: | |
| Arable land: 0% Permanent crops: 0% Other: 100% (2005) | |
Geography - Note: | |
| Largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier | |
Nationality: | |
| Noun: Channel Islander(s) Adjective: Channel Islander | |
Ethnic Groups: | |
| Jersey 51.1%, Britons 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%, Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census) | |
Languages: | |
| English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census) | |
Religions: | |
| Protestant (Anglican, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian), Roman Catholic | |
Population: | |
| 94,161 (July 2011 est.) | |
Age Structure: | |
| 0-14 years: 16.5% (male 8,067/female 7,507) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 32,187/female 32,485) 65 years and over: 14.8% (male 5,953/female 7,962) (2011 est.) | |
Median Age: | |
| Total: 40.1 years Male: 38.3 years Female: 41.3 years (2011 est.) | |
Population Growth Rate: | |
| 0.841% (2011 est.) | |
Birth Rate: | |
| 10.9 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) | |
Death Rate: | |
| 7.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) | |
Net Migration Rate: | |
| 5.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) | |
Urbanization: | |
| Urban population: 31% of total population (2010) Rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) | |
Sex Ratio: | |
| At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female Under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.) | |
Infant Mortality Rate: | |
| Total: 3.98 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 3.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) | |
Life Expectancy At Birth: | |
| Total population: 81.38 years Male: 78.96 years Female: 83.94 years (2011 est.) | |
Total Fertility Rate: | |
| 1.66 children born/woman (2011 est.) | |
Country Name: | |
| Conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey Conventional short form: Jersey | |
Government Type: | |
| Parliamentary democracy | |
Capital: | |
| Name: Saint Helier Geographic coordinates: 49 11 N, 2 06 W Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October | |
Administrative Divisions: | |
| None (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 12 parishes: Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Ouen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, and Trinity | |
Dependency Status: | |
| 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: | |
| The laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; local statutes | |
Suffrage: | |
| 16 years of age; universal | |
Executive Branch: | |
| Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir John MCCOLL (since 26 September 2011) Head of government: Chief Minister Ian GORST (18 December 2011); Bailiff Michael BIRT (since 9 July 2009) Cabinet: Cabinet (since December 2005) Elections: ministers of the Cabinet including the chief minister are elected by the Assembly of States; the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch | |
Legislative Branch: | |
| Unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (58 seats; 53 are voting members, of which 12 are senators elected for six-year terms, 12 are constables or heads of parishes elected for three-year terms, 29 are deputies elected for three-year terms; the 5 non-voting members include the bailiff and the deputy bailiff, the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General appointed by the monarch) Elections: last held on 27 April 2011 (next to be held in 2014) Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 51; note - starting with the 2014 elections, the number of Senators will be reduced to 8 | |
Judicial Branch: | |
| Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff); Court of Appeal of Jersey | |
Political Parties and Leaders: | |
| Two declared parties: Centre Party; Jersey Democratic Alliance Note: all senators and deputies elected in 2008 were independents | |
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: | |
| Institute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides business support); Jersey Hospitality Association [Robert JONES] (trade association); Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM] (human rights); La Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group); Progress Jersey [Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI] (human rights); Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or RJA&HS (development and management of the Jersey breed of cattle); Save Jersey's Heritage (protects heritage through building preservation) | |
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 three lions in yellow; according to tradition, the ships of Jersey - in an attempt to differentiate themselves from English ships flying the horizontal cross of St. George - rotated the cross to the "X" (saltire) configuration; because this arrangement still resembled the Irish cross of St. Patrick, the yellow Plantagenet crown and Jersey coat of arms were added | |
National Symbols: | |
| Jersey cow | |
National Anthem: | |
| Name: "Isle de Siez Nous" (Island Home) Lyrics/music: Gerard LE FEUVRE Note: adopted 2008; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) | |
Affiliation: | |
| (British crown dependency) | |
Economy - Overview: | |
| Jersey's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. In 2005 the finance sector accounted for about 50% 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 one-quarter of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey with the result that an electronics industry has developed, displacing more traditional industries. 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): | |
| $5.1 billion (2005 est.) | |
GDP (Official Exchange Rate): | |
| $5.1 billion (2005 est.) | |
GDP - Real Growth Rate: | |
| NA% | |
GDP - Per Capita (PPP): | |
| $57,000 (2005 est.) | |
GDP - Composition By Sector: | |
| Agriculture: 1% Industry: 2% Services: 97% (2005) | |
Labor Force: | |
| 53,560 (June 2006) | |
Unemployment Rate: | |
| 2.2% (2006 est.) | |
Population Below Poverty Line: | |
| NA% | |
Household Income / Consumption By Share: | |
| Lowest 10%: NA% Highest 10%: NA% | |
Budget: | |
| Revenues: $829 million Expenditures: $851 million (2005) | |
Taxes and Other Revenues: | |
| 16.3% of GDP (2005) | |
Budget Surplus / Deficit: | |
| -0.4% of GDP (2005) | |
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices): | |
| 3.7% (2006) | |
Agriculture - Products: | |
| Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products | |
Industries: | |
| Tourism, banking and finance, dairy, electronics | |
Industrial Production Growth Rate: | |
| NA% | |
Electricity - Consumption: | |
| 630.1 million kWh (2004 est.) | |
Electricity - Imports: | |
| NA kWh note - electricity supplied by France | |
Exports - Commodities: | |
| Light industrial and electrical goods, dairy cattle, foodstuffs, textiles, flowers | |
Imports - Commodities: | |
| Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals | |
Exchange Rates: | |
| Convert British Pound to Any Currency Jersey pounds per US dollar | |
Telephones - Main Lines In Use: | |
| 73,800 (2010) | |
Telephones - Cellular: | |
| 83,900 (2004) | |
Telephone System: | |
| General assessment: state-owned, partially-competitive market; increasingly modern, with some broadband access Domestic: digital telephone system launch announced in 2006 and currently being implemented; fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available; combined fixed and mobile-cellular density exceeds 100 per 100 persons International: country code - 44; submarine cable connectivity to Guernsey, the UK, and France (2008) | |
Broadcast Media: | |
| Multiple UK terrestrial television broadcasts - received via a transmitter in Jersey with relays in Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney - will begin switching from analog to digital broadcasts in November 2010; satellite packages available; BBC Radio Jersey and 1 other radio station operating (2009) | |
Radio Broadcast Stations: | |
| AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (UK radio broadcasts carried via local relays) (2008) | |
Television Broadcast Stations: | |
| 2 (UK television carried by local relays with a switch to digital broadcasts scheduled for 2010) (2008) | |
Internet Country Code: | |
| .je | |
Internet Hosts: | |
| 237 (2010) | |
Internet Users: | |
| 29,500 (2009) | |
Airports: | |
| 1 (2010) | |
Airports - With Paved Runways: | |
| Total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010) | |
Roadways: | |
| Total: 576 km (2010) | |
Merchant Marine: | |
| Registered in other countries: 11 (Gibraltar 1, India 1, Marshall Islands 9) (2010) | |
Ports and Terminals: | |
| Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier | |
Manpower Fit For Military Service: | |
| Males age 16-49: 18,688 Females age 16-49: 18,615 (2010 est.) | |
Manpower Reaching Militarily Significant Age Annually: | |
| Male: 664 Female: 590 (2010 est.) | |
Military - Note: | |
| Defense is the responsibility of the UK | |
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