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Channel Islands

49 43 '04 "N 2 22' 07" W / 49.7178, -2.36861

Channel Islands

Official name of the Channel Islands (in French of Jersey ) in a passport Jersey

The Channel Islands or the Channel Islands (in English are a group of islands located in the English Channel to the west of the Cotentin Peninsula. Formerly known as Norman archipelago, are the island portion of the historic province of Normandy.

They depend directly on the British Crown , but do not yet part of the UK : they are under the sovereignty of the Duke of Normandy , the title held by the English monarchy since the conquest of England by William the Conqueror after the Battle Hastings in 1066. Their high level of autonomy guaranteed by the statute because, unlike the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands are outside the European Union.

Summary

/ / Geography

Chart of the ^eighteenth century showing the Channel Islands.

The main islands and their dependencies are:

Jersey
- The Minquiers
- The crhou
Guernsey

To this we must add a large number of islets and reefs that are exposed at low tide.

History

Lenur islands called the High Middle Ages , the Channel Islands were occupied by the Britons during their exodus to the Armorica ^(eV - VI ^centuries).^In the tenth century. In 933, after William Longsword was received from the king of France County Coutances , they became Normandy, to the detriment of the Vikings settled in Brittany in Nantes.

Although very close to France , these islands are not French ^Culture

The regional languages (from Norman Island) are now spoken by only a minority of people, but the Jersey , the Guernsey and sercquiais part of the heritage of the islands. With more or less faithfully, the place names have kept track of their origin Norman , although the English increasingly supplants the French and indigenous languages. What gives examples such as tasty Goodnight Bay, the Corbiere lighthouse , etc..

English speaking islands, however, has adopted words like: What coastal Bachini, true, brancage.

Political Administration

The bailiwicks

Each of these islands is a possession of the British crown. The islands and their dependencies mentioned above are shared between two bailiwicks :

the Bailiwick of Jersey (the island of Jersey with its uninhabited rocks);
the Bailiwick of Guernsey (the islands of Guernsey, Sark, Alderney and their dependencies).

As part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Sark and Alderney are themselves independent, each having its own parliament and local government.

Both bailiwicks enjoy internal autonomy except in defense and diplomacy. An Act of the United Kingdom does not apply to a bailiwick that on request of a government island.

States

There are 53 members in the states of Jersey.

The civil parishes

Both bailiwicks are administratively divided into parishes : twelve in Jersey, Guernsey ten, those of Alderney and Sark. They were originally parishes who depended on the bishops of Coutances , through the "dean of the Islands." In Jersey and Guernsey, the parishes are also parishes Anglican current. Catholic parishes today have very different territorial divisions.

In Jersey, the Constable of each civil parish is the equivalent of mayor and city official states. Among the elected officials in the parishes: Although Public Counsel, the Centeniers the Vingteniers , the officers of constable. There is also a Vingteniers to Sark.
In Guernsey, the civil parish is administered by the Dozen and two Constables. Since 2004, representatives no longer sit Dozens of states.
In Alderney, Bailiwick of Guernsey, the parish is administered directly by the government of "States".
In Sark, Bailiwick of Guernsey, the parish was administered by "Chief Pleas" government of the island and the steward, appointed by the lord.

Personnel Policy

In Jersey

The Lieutenant-Governor, Commander in Chief, representing the British crown: he was appointed by the Duke of Normandy ( Queen Elizabeth ) on the advice of British government.

The Bailiff of Jersey:

12 Senators
29 Members
12 constables

In Guernsey

Lieutenant Governor
The Bailiff of Guernsey

45 members, among which are:
- The Chief Minister
- Ministers

Economy

The two main islands have a policy to encourage banking and agricultural purposes and tourism. Guernsey supports light manufacturing in a more meaningful measure than Jersey.

For small islands, the main economic activity is tourism. Autonomy in monetary and postal subsidies provided by some collectors stamps and currency.

Symbols

Each island has its own flag and coat of arms official - there is no "flag of the Channel Islands."

Flag of Jersey

Flag of Guernsey

Flag of Sark

Transport

There are ferry connections between the archipelago and Granville , Barneville-Carteret , Dielette (port Flamanville ) and Cherbourg in Normandy continental Saint-Malo in Brittany , Poole , Portsmouth and Weymouth in the UK.

There are airports in Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney. In addition, Jersey, Guernsey and Sark each have a network of public transport.

Post

The station has long been a responsibility of the Crown since the opening in 1894 , the first post office in Jersey and therefore used the stamps British, since their inception in May 1840. There it is added during the German occupation of 1940 to 1945 stamps apparently local, but in fact issued by the postmasters of the two islands, on behalf of the British Post Office to cope with the impossibility of s supplies of stamps in England.

But since 1969 , the postal authority is transferred by the United Kingdom to the bailiwick of Jersey and Guernsey. Therefore these two bailiwicks issued their own stamps each. The figures have since replaced Guernsey stamps English in this island, but also in Alderney, Sark and Herm.

Numerous studies Philatelic focused on postmarks and stamps postmarked English in these islands before 1969, including during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945.

References

Website of the International Court of Justice - Decision islets Ecrehos and Minquiers - accessed May 6, 2008

Internal Links

External Links

Channel Islands
Bailiwick of Jersey	Jersey The crhou Minquiers Stones Lecq Dirouilles
Bailiwick of Guernsey	Guernsey Alderney Herm Sark Brecqhou Burhou Caskets Jethou Lihou Crevichon Houmet

British Isles
Sovereign states	Ireland United Kingdom
British Crown Dependencies	Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey
Constituent nations of the United Kingdom	Northern Ireland Scotland Wales England
Political Cooperation	British-Irish Council British-Irish Interparliamentary Body Common Travel Area
Islands	Channel Islands Britain Hebrides Ireland Isle of Man Orkney Shetland Isle of Wight
List of islands	England Ireland Isle of Man Scotland Wales
History	British Isles England Ireland Isle of Man Jersey Scotland UK Wales
State Historical	Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of England Principality of Wales Kingdom of Ireland United Kingdom of Great Britain UK Irish Free State Kingdom of Man and the Isles
Modern Languages	BSL Cornish English French Guernsey Irish ISL Jersey NISL Manx Scots Ulster Scots Scottish Welsh
Peoples	British Celts Cornish English Irish Travellers Manx Scottish Ulster Scots Welsh