Jersey
Bailiwick of Jersey
NAIndependence none (British crown dependency)
Jersey as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 97 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
17 fieldsLand useshare of 116 sq km
Geography - note
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
People
19 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)
Male · female(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.)
Ethnic groups
Jersey 51.1%, British 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%, Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)
Government
NA; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14 June 2006)
18 fieldsLegislature, 55 seats, elected NAone dot, one seat
Capital
- name:
- Saint Helier
- geographic coordinates:
- 49 12 N, 2 07 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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
- head of government:
- Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14 June 2006); 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
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's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism.
28 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1996)
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.
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals
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
Communications
8 fieldsTransportation
4 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Military
1 fieldTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Jersey.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/jersey/2006.