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This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit the Jersey article.

The island of 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.

[edit] Geography

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
water: 0 sq km
land: 116 sq km

Area - comparative 

about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

70 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 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: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

NA sq km

Natural hazards 

NA

Environment - current issues 

NA

Geography - note 

largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier

[edit] People

Population 

89,775 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 17.9% (male 8,287; female 7,729)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 30,099; female 30,347)
65 years and over: 14.8% (male 5,729; female 7,584) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.44% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

10.86 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

2.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

5.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 78.78 years
female: 81.4 years (2002 est.)
male: 76.34 years

Total fertility rate 

1.57 children born/woman (2002 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 

UK and Norman-French descent

Religions 

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian

Languages 

English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Literacy 

definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA

[edit] Government

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

Suffrage 

NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch 

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

Legislative branch 

unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators (elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes (elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 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)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 52

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 and in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield holding the three lions of England in yellow

[edit] Economy

Economy - overview 

The economy is based largely on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. 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. In 1996 the finance sector accounted for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of the economy, 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.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

NA%

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 5%
industry: 2%
services: 93% (1996)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

4.7% (1998)

Labor force 

57,050 (1996) (1996)

Unemployment rate 

0.7% (1998 est.)

Budget 

revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98 million (2000 est.)

Industries 

tourism, banking and finance, dairy

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - imports 

NA kWh
note: electricity supplied by France

Agriculture - products 

potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Exports 

$NA

Exports - commodities 

light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners 

UK

Imports 

$NA

Imports - commodities 

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners 

UK

Debt - external 

none

Economic aid - recipient 

none

Currency 

British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound

Currency code 

GBP

Exchange rates 

Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year 

1 April - 31 March

[edit] Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

65,500 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

4,400 (1997)

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 Service Providers (ISPs) 

NA

Internet users 

NA

[edit] Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 577 km (1995)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Merchant marine 

none (2002 est.)

Airports 

1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of the UK

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none