Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=
Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an
island country
An island country, island state or an island nation is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. Approximately 25% of all independent countries are island countries. Island countries are historically ...
and self-governing
Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France.
It is the largest of the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
and is from the
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...
in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
.
The
Bailiwick consists of the main island of Jersey and some surrounding uninhabited islands and rocks including
Les Dirouilles
Les Dirouilles ( nrf, label= Jèrriais, Les Dithouïl'yes) are a range of rocks to the North-East of Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrria ...
,
Les Écréhous,
Les Minquiers
The Minquiers (''Les Minquiers''; in Jèrriais: ''Les Mîntchièrs'' ; known as "the Minkies" in local English) are a group of islands and rocks, about south of Jersey. They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey.
They are administratively part ...
,
and
Les Pierres de Lecq.
Jersey was part of the
Duchy of Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans.
From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...
, whose dukes became kings of England from 1066. After Normandy was lost by the kings of England in the 13th century, and the ducal title surrendered to France, Jersey remained loyal to the
English Crown, though it never became part of the
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, ...
.
Jersey is a self-governing
parliamentary democracy
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
under a
constitutional monarchy
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
, with its own
financial,
legal
Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...
and
judicial
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
systems,
and the power of
self-determination.
The island's relationship with the
Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
is different from the other Crown Dependencies; the
Lieutenant Governor represents the King there. Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom,
and has an international identity separate from that of the UK,
but the UK is constitutionally responsible for the defence of Jersey.
The island has a large financial services industry, which generates 40% of its
GVA.
British cultural influence on the island is evident in its use of English as the main language and
Pound sterling
Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
as its primary currency. Additional British cultural similarities include: driving on the left, access to British television and newspapers, a school
curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
following that of England,
and the popularity of
British sports, including
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
.
The island also has a strong Norman-French culture, such as its historic dialect of the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
language,
Jèrriais, being one of only two places in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
with government status for the language (the other being
Guernsey), as well as the use of standard French in legal matters and officially in use as a government language, strong cultural ties to
mainland Normandy as a part of the
Normandy region, and place names with
French or Norman origins. The island has very close cultural links with its neighbouring islands in the
Bailiwick of Guernsey, and they share a good-natured rivalry. Jersey and
its people have been described as a
nation
A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective Identity (social science), identity of a group of people unde ...
.
Name
The
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
are mentioned in the
Antonine Itinerary as the following: ''Sarnia'', ''Caesarea'', ''Barsa'', ''Silia'' and ''Andium'', but Jersey cannot be identified specifically because none corresponds directly to the present names. The name has been used as the Latin name for Jersey (also in its French version ) since
William Camden
William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the ''Ann ...
's ''Britannia'',
and is used in titles of associations and institutions today. The Latin name was also applied to the colony of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
as .
''Andium'', ''Agna'' and ''Augia'' were used in antiquity.
Scholars variously surmise that ''Jersey'' and ''Jèrri'' derive from (
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...
for 'earth') or ('earl'), or perhaps the Norse personal name (thus , 'Geirr's Island'). The ending denotes an island
(as in
Guernsey or
Surtsey
Surtsey (" Surtr's island" in Icelandic, ) is a volcanic island located in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off the southern coast of Iceland. At Surtsey is the southernmost point of Iceland. It was formed in a volcanic eruption which began ...
).
History
![Assize d'Heritage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Assize_d%27Heritage.jpg)
Jersey has been an island for approximately 6,000 years.
Humans have lived on the island since at least 12000 BCE, with evidence of habitation in the
Palaeolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος '' lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone to ...
period (
La Cotte de St Brelade
La Cotte de St Brelade is a Paleolithic site of early habitation in Saint Brélade, Jersey. ''Cotte'' means "cave" in Jèrriais. The cave is also known as ''Lé Creux ès Fées'' (The Fairies' Cave).
Neanderthals lived there at various time ...
) and
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
dolmens, such as
La Hougue Bie
La Hougue Bie is a historic site, with museum, in the Jersey parish of Grouville. La Hougue Bie is depicted on the 2010 issue Jersey 1 pound note.
Toponymy
''Hougue'' is a Jèrriais/Cotentin variant form of the more common Norman form ''Ho ...
. Evidence of
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
and early
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
settlements can be found in many locations around the island.
Archaeological evidence of
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
influence has been found, in particular at
Les Landes
Les Landes is an area of coastal heathland in the north-west of Jersey. It has been designated as a ''Site of Special Interest'' (SSI) since 1996.
The site is the largest of its kind in Jersey at 160 ha.
Site of Special Interest
Les Landes ...
. Christianity was brought to the island by migrants from Brittany in c. fifth - sixth century CE.
In the sixth century, the island's patron saint
Helier
Saint Helier (died 555) was a 6th-century ascetic hermit. He is the patron saint of Jersey in the Channel Islands, and in particular of the town and parish of Saint Helier, the island's capital. He is also invoked as a healing saint for diseases ...
lived at the Hermitage on L'Islet (now
Elizabeth Castle
Elizabeth Castle () is a castle and tourist attraction, on a tidal island within the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey. Construction was started in the 16th century when the power of the cannon meant that the existing stronghold at Mont Orgueil wa ...
). Legend states that Helier was beheaded by raiders and subsequently lifted his head and walked to shore.
In the ninth century the island was raided by Vikings and in 933 it was annexed to
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
by
William Longsword
William Longsword (french: Guillaume Longue-Épée, nrf, Willâome de lon Espee, la, Willermus Longa Spata, on, Vilhjálmr Langaspjót; c. 893 – 17 December 942) was the second ruler of Normandy, from 927 until his assassination in 942.Det ...
.
When Duke
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
became King of England in 1066, the island remained part of the Norman possessions. However, in 1204, when Normandy was finally returned to the French king, the island remained a possession of the English crown, though never incorporated into England.
Traditionally it is said that Jersey's self-governance originates from the ''Constitutions of King John'', however this is disputed.
Nevertheless, the island continued to follow Norman customs and laws. The King also appointed a
Bailiff and a Warden (now
Lieutenant-Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...
). The period of English rule was marked by wars between England and France, as such a military fortress was built at
Mont Orgueil
Mont Orgueil (French for 'Mount Pride') is a castle in Jersey that overlooks the harbour of Gorey. It is also called Gorey Castle by English-speakers, and ''lé Vièr Châté'' (the Old Castle) by Jèrriais-speakers.The castle is first called 'M ...
.
During the
Tudor period
The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began wit ...
, the split between the Church of England and the Vatican led to islanders adopting the Protestant religion. During the reign of
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, French refugees brought strict Calvinism to the island, which remained the common religion until 1617.
In the late 16th century, islanders travelled across the North Atlantic to participate in the
Newfoundland fisheries. In recognition for help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s, King
Charles II of England gave Vice Admiral Sir
George Carteret
Vice Admiral Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet ( – 14 January 1680 N.S.) was a royalist statesman in Jersey and England, who served in the Clarendon Ministry as Treasurer of the Navy. He was also one of the original lords proprietor of the ...
, bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the
American colonies in between the
Hudson and
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
rivers, which he promptly named
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. It is now a state in the United States.
![Jour d'la Libéthâtion Jèrri 9 d'Mai 2012 81](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Jour_d%27la_Lib%C3%A9th%C3%A2tion_J%C3%A8rri_9_d%27Mai_2012_81.jpg)
In 1769, the island suffered food supply shortages, leading an insurrection on 28 September known as the Corn Riots. The States met at Elizabeth Castle and decided to request help from the King. However, in 1771 the Crown demanded reforms to the island's governance, leading to the Code of 1771 and removed the powers of the Royal Court to make laws without the
States.
In 1781, during the American Wars of Independence, the island was invaded by a French force which captured St Helier, but was defeated by
Major Peirson's army at the
Battle of Jersey.
The 19th century saw the improvement of the road network under General Don,
the construction of two railway lines, the improvement of transport links to England, and the construction of new piers and harbours in St Helier.
This grew a tourism industry in the island and led to the immigration of thousands of English residents, leading to a cultural shift towards a more anglicised island culture. Island politics was divisively split between the conservative Laurel party and the progressive Rose party, as the lie of power shifted increasingly to the States from the Crown.
In the 1850s, the French author Victor Hugo lived in Jersey, but was expelled for insulting the Queen, so he moved on to Guernsey.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, 6,500 Jersey residents were evacuated by their own choice to the UK out of a total population of 50,000.
Jersey was
occupied by Germany from 1 July 1940 until 9 May 1945, when Germany surrendered. During this time the Germans constructed many fortifications using
slave labour
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
imported onto the island from many different countries occupied or at war with Germany. After 1944, supplies from France were interrupted by the
D-Day landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
, and food on the island became scarce. The SS ''
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, a ...
'' was sent to the island carrying
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...
supplies and news of the success of the Allied advance in Europe. During the Nazi occupation, a resistance cell was created by communist activist
Norman Le Brocq
Norman Le Brocq (1922–1996) was a communist, trade union activist, and a leader of a Jersey resistance cell opposed to the German occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II. The resistance cell distributed anti-fascist propaganda t ...
and the
Jersey Communist Party
The Jersey Communist Party was a political party on the island of Jersey. The JCP seems to have had a semi-autonomous relation to the Communist Party of Great Britain.
During the Second World War, when Jersey was under Nazi occupation, the JCP- ...
, whose communist ideology of forming a 'United Front' led to the creation of the Jersey Democratic Movement. The Channel Islands were one of the last places in Europe to be liberated. 9 May is celebrated as the island's
Liberation Day
Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...
, where there are celebrations in Liberation Square. After Liberation, the States was reformed, becoming wholly democratically elected, and
universal franchise
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...
was implemented. Since liberation, the island has grown in population and adopted new industries, especially the finance industry.
Politics
![States Building in St Helier Jersey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/States_Building_in_St_Helier_Jersey.jpg)
Jersey is a
Crown Dependency and is not part of the United Kingdom – it is officially part of the
British Islands
The British Islands is a term within the law of the United Kingdom which refers collectively to the following four polities:
* the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (formerly the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ...
. As one of the Crown Dependencies, Jersey is autonomous and self-governing, with its own independent legal, administrative and fiscal systems. Jersey's government has described Jersey as a "self-governing,
democratic country with the power of
self-determination".
Because Jersey is a dependency of the
British Crown,
King Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...
reigns in Jersey. "The Crown" is defined by the Law Officers of the Crown as the "Crown in right of Jersey". The King's representative and adviser in the island is the
Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
The Lieutenant Governor of Jersey (, Jèrriais: ''Gouvèrneux d'Jèrri'') is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Jersey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown.
The Lieutenant Governor has his own flag in Jersey, ...
– Vice-Admiral
Jerry Kyd
Vice Admiral Jeremy Paul Kyd, (born 14 August 1967) is a former senior Royal Navy officer. He has served as the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey since October 2022. He formerly served as Fleet Commander from March 2019 to September 2021.
Early ...
since 8 October 2022. He is a point of contact between Jersey ministers and the UK Government and carries out some functions in relation to immigration control,
deportation
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
,
naturalisation
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
and the issue of passports.
![Jour d'la Libéthâtion Jèrri 9 d'Mai 2012 12](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Jour_d%27la_Lib%C3%A9th%C3%A2tion_J%C3%A8rri_9_d%27Mai_2012_12.jpg)
In 1973, the
Royal Commission on the Constitution set out the duties of the Crown as including: ultimate responsibility for the 'good government' of the Crown Dependencies; ratification of
island legislation by Order-in-Council (
royal assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...
); international representation, subject to consultation with the island authorities before concluding any agreement which would apply to them; ensuring the islands meet their international obligations; and defence.
Legislature and government
Jersey's
unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...
legislature is the
States Assembly
The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes.
The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...
. It includes 49
elected Elected may refer to:
* "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973
* ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008
*The Elected, an American indie rock band
See also
*Election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...
members: 8 senators (elected on an island-wide basis), 12
Connétables (often called 'constables', heads of
parishes) and 29 deputies (representing constituencies), all elected for four-year terms as from the
October 2011 elections. Jersey has one of the lowest voter turnouts internationally, with just 33% of the electorate voting in 2005, putting it well below the 77% European average for that year.
[Shaxson, N. (2011). Treasure islands: Tax havens and the men who stole the world. London: The Bodley Head.]
From the 2022 elections, the role of Senators will be abolished and the eight senators replaced with an increased number of deputies. The 37 deputies will be elected from nine super constituencies, rather than in individual parishes, as they are now. Although efforts were made the remove the Connétables, they will continue their historic role as States members.
There are also five non-voting members appointed by the Crown: the
Bailiff, the
Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
The Lieutenant Governor of Jersey (, Jèrriais: ''Gouvèrneux d'Jèrri'') is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Jersey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown.
The Lieutenant Governor has his own flag in Jersey, ...
, the
Dean of Jersey
The Dean of Jersey is the leader of the Church of England in Jersey. He is ex officio a member of the States of Jersey, although since the constitutional reforms of 1948 the Dean may not take part in parliamentary votes. The Dean acts as the cha ...
, the Attorney General and Solicitor General. The Bailiff is President (presiding officer) of the States Assembly, head of the
judiciary
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
and as civic head of the island carries out various ceremonial roles.
[Gindill, J. (n.d.]
''The Role of the Office of Bailiff: The Need for Reform''
University of Durham.
The
Council of Ministers
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...
, consisting of a
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
and nine ministers, makes up the leading body of the
Government of Jersey
, image =
, caption=Logos of the Government of Jersey in English and Jèrriais
, date =
, state = Jersey
, address = 19-21 Broad Street, Saint Helier
, appointed = Chief Minister, with approva ...
. Each minister may appoint up to two assistant ministers. A Chief Executive is head of the civil service. Some governmental functions are carried out in the island's
parishes.
[Legislation Committee (2001]
R.2001/120 - THE WORKING PARTY ON PARISH ASSEMBLIES: REPORT
Presented to the States: 4 December 2001. States Greffe (gov.je) ccessed: 18 March 2022
Law
Jersey is a distinct
jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels.
J ...
for the purposes of
conflict of laws
Conflict of laws (also called private international law) is the set of rules or laws a jurisdiction applies to a case, transaction, or other occurrence that has connections to more than one jurisdiction. This body of law deals with three broad t ...
, separate from the other Channel Islands, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Jersey law has been influenced by several different legal traditions, in particular
Norman customary law,
English common law
English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures.
Principal elements of English law
Although the common law has, historically, be ...
and modern
French civil law
The Law of France refers to the legal system in the French Republic, which is a civil law legal system primarily based on legal codes and statutes, with case law also playing an important role. The most influential of the French legal codes is ...
.
[See generally and ] Jersey's
legal system is therefore described as 'mixed' or '
pluralistic', and sources of law are in French and English languages, although since the 1950s the main
working language
A working language (also procedural language) is a language that is given a unique legal status in a supranational company, society, state or other body or organization as its primary means of communication. It is primarily the language of the dai ...
of the legal system is English.
The principal court is the
Royal Court
A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...
, with appeals to the
Jersey Court of Appeal
The Courts of Jersey are responsible for the administration of justice in the Bailiwick of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. They apply the law of the Island, which is a mixture of customary law and legislation passed by the legislature, the S ...
and, ultimately, to the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Aug ...
.
The
Bailiff is head of the judiciary; the Bailiff and the Deputy Bailiff are
appointed by the Crown. Other members of the island's
judiciary
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
are
appointed by the Bailiff.
External relations
![Jersey Airport signage in Jèrriais](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Jersey_Airport_signage_in_J%C3%A8rriais.jpg)
The external relations of Jersey are overseen by the External Relations Minister of the Government of Jersey. In 2007, the
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
and the UK
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...
signed an agreement that established a framework for the development of the international identity of Jersey.
Although
diplomatic representation is reserved to the Crown, Jersey has been developing its own international identity over recent years. It negotiates directly with foreign governments on various matters, for example
Tax information exchange agreements Tax information exchange agreements (TIEA) provide for the exchange of information on request relating to a specific criminal or civil tax investigation or civil tax matters under investigation.
A model TIEA was developed by the OECD Global Forum W ...
(TIEAs) have been signed directly by the island with several countries. The Government maintains offices (some in partnership with Guernsey) in
Caen,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
.
Jersey is a member of the
British-Irish Council, the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights.
In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head ...
and the
Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie
The ''Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonies'' (APF) is an association of the parliaments of Francophone countries.
History
It was established in Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: li ...
.
Jersey Independence has in the past been discussed in the States Assembly. Former External Relations Minister Sir
Philip Bailhache
Sir Philip Martin Bailhache KC ( ) is a Jersey politician and lawyer who has served as a Deputy for St Clement since 2022 and the leader of the Jersey Liberal Conservatives party.
He served as Bailiff of Jersey from 1995 to 2009, before ent ...
has at various times warned that the island may need to go independent. It is not Jersey Government policy to seek independence, but the island is prepared if it needed to do so.
Jersey is a third-party European country to the
EU. Since 1 January 2021, Jersey has been part of the
UK-EU Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement for the purposes of goods and fishing. Goods exported from the island into Europe are not subject to
tariff
A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and pol ...
s and Jersey is solely responsible for management of its
territorial waters
The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potent ...
, however permits may be granted to EU fishermen who have a history of fishing in the Bailiwick's waters. The management of this permit system has caused tension between the French and Jersey authorities, with the French threatening to cut off Jersey's electricity supply in May 2021. Before the end of the transition period after the UK withdrew from the EU in 2020, Jersey had a special relationship with the EU. It was part of the
EU customs union
The European Union Customs Union (EUCU), formally known as the Community Customs Union, is a customs union which consists of all the member states of the European Union (EU), Monaco, and the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekel ...
and there was
free movement of goods between Jersey and the EU but the single market in financial services and
free movement of people
Freedom of movement, mobility rights, or the right to travel is a human rights concept encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country,Jérémiee Gilbert, ''Nomadic Peoples and Human Rights' ...
did not apply to Jersey.
Administrative divisions
Jersey is divided into twelve parishes (which have civil and religious functions). They are all named after their parish church. The Connétable is the head of the parish. They are elected at island general elections and sit ''ex oficio'' in the States Assembly.
The parishes have various civil administrative functions, such as roads (managed by the Road Committee) and policing (through the
Honorary Police
There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid.
Honorary Police officers have ...
). Each parish is governed through direct democracy at Parish Assemblies, consisting of all eligible voters resident in the parish. The
''Procureurs du Bien Public'' are the legal and financial representatives of these parishes.
The parishes of Jersey are further divided into ''
vingtaine
A vingtaine (literally "group of twenty" in French) is a political subdivision of Jersey. They are subdivisions of the various parishes of Jersey, and one, La Vingtaine de la Ville (The Vingtaine of the town), in Saint Helier is further divided ...
s'' (or, in St. Ouen, ''cueillettes'').
Geography
![Jersey2021OSM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Jersey2021OSM.png)
Jersey is an island measuring (or 66,436
vergée
A vergée (, alternative spellings vergie, vrégie) is a unit of land area, a quarter of the old French ''arpent''. The term derives from Latin ''virga'' (rod). Compare French ''verge'' (yard).
In the Channel Islands, it is a standard measur ...
s),
including
reclaimed
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...
land and intertidal zone. It lies in the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
, about from the
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...
in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, France, and about south of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. It is the largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands and part of the British Isles, with a maximum land elevation of 143 m (469 ft) above sea level.
About 24% of the island is built-up. 52% of the land area is dedicated to cultivation and around 18% is the natural environment.
It lies within longitude
-2° W and latitude
49° N. It has a coastline that is long and a total area of . It measures roughly from west to east and north to south, which gives it the affectionate name among locals of "nine-by-five".
The island is divided into twelve parishes; the largest is St Ouen and the smallest is St Clement. The island is characterised by a number of valleys which generally run north-to-south, such as Waterworks Valley, Grands Vaux, Mont les Vaux, although a few run in other directions, such as Le Mourier Valley. The highest point on the island is Les Platons at .
There are several smaller island groups that are part of the Bailiwick of Jersey, such as Les Minquiers and Les Écrehous, however unlike the smaller islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, none of these are permanently inhabited.
Settlements
The largest settlement is the town of
St Helier, including the built-up area of southern St Helier and neighbouring areas such as Georgetown, which also plays host to the island's seat of government. The town is the central business district, hosting a large proportion of the island's retail and employment, such as the finance industry.
Outside of the town, many islanders live in suburban and rural settlements, especially along main roads leading out of town and even the more rural areas of the island have considerable amounts of development (St Ouen, the least densely populated parish still has 270 persons per square kilometre
). The south and east coasts from
St Aubin to
Gorey
Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the ''Gorey Guardian''.
As a growi ...
are largely urbanised. The second smaller urban area is the Les Quennevais area in St Brelade, which is home to a small precinct of shops,
a school, a park and a leisure centre.
Most people across Jersey regularly travel from the rural settlements to St Helier and from the town to the rural areas for work and leisure purposes.
Housing costs in Jersey are very high. The Jersey House Price Index has at least doubled between 2002 and 2020. The mix-adjusted house price for Jersey is £567,000, higher than any UK region (UK average: £249,000) including London (average: £497,000; highest of any UK region).
Climate
The climate is an oceanic climate with mild winters and mild to warm summers.
The highest temperature recorded was 37.9 °C (100.2 °F) on 18 July 2022, and the lowest temperature recorded was −10.3 °C (13.5 °F) on 5 January 1894. 2014 was the warmest year on record; the mean daily air temperature was 13.34 °C. For tourism advertising, Jersey often claims to be "the sunniest place in the British Isles", which is true as Jersey has 342 hours of sunlight more than any place in the UK. In 2011, Jersey received controversy for calling itself "the warmest place in Britain" during an advertising campaign. The Council of the Isles of Scilly argues that it is the warmest place in the UK, and that Jersey is not part of Britain.
The following table contains the official Jersey Airport averages for 1981–2010 for Jersey, being located from St. Helier –
Economy
![Jersey finance centre 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Jersey_finance_centre_2021.jpg)
Jersey's economy is highly developed and services-focused, with a
GDP per capita of £45,320
in 2019. It is a
mixed market economy, with
free market
In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any ot ...
principles and an advanced
social security
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...
infrastructure. 53,460 people were employed in Jersey : 24% in financial and legal services; 16% in wholesale and retail trades; 16% in the public sector; 10% in education, health and other private sector services; 10% in construction and quarrying; 9% in hotels, restaurants and bars.
Thanks to specialisation in a few high-return sectors, at
purchasing power parity Jersey has high economic output per capita, substantially ahead of all of the world's large developed economies.
Gross national income
The gross national income (GNI), previously known as gross national product (GNP), is the total domestic and foreign output claimed by residents of a country, consisting of gross domestic product (GDP), plus factor incomes earned by foreign ...
in 2009 was £3.7 billion (approximately £40,000 per head of population).
However, this is not indicative of each individual resident's purchasing power and the actual standard of living in Jersey is comparable to that in the UK outside central London.
Jersey is most notable for being one of the world's largest offshore finance centres. The UK acts as a conduit for financial services between European countries and the island. The growth of this sector however has not been without its controversies as Jersey has been characterised by critics and detractors as a place in which the "leadership has essentially been captured by global finance, and whose members will threaten and intimidate anyone who dissents."
Tourism is an important economic sector for the island, however travel to Jersey is very seasonal. Accommodation occupancy is much higher in the summer months, especially August, than in the winter months (with a low in November). The majority of visitors to the island arrive by
air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
from the UK.
On 18 February 2005, Jersey was granted
Fairtrade Island status.
![Aerial view of fields in St Clement, Jersey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Aerial_view_of_fields_in_St_Clement%2C_Jersey.jpg)
In 2017, 52% of the Island's area was agricultural land (a decrease since 2009).
Major agricultural products are
potato
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
es and dairy produce.
Jersey cattle
The Jersey is a British list of cattle breeds, breed of small dairy cattle from Jersey, in the British Channel Islands. It is one of three Channel Island cattle breeds, the others being the Alderney (cattle), Alderney – now extinct – and th ...
are a small breed of cow widely known for their rich milk and cream; the quality of their meat is also appreciated on a small scale. The herd total in 2009 was 5,090 animals.
Fisheries and aquaculture make use of Jersey's marine resources to a total value of over £6 million in 2009.
Along with
Guernsey, Jersey has its own lottery called the
Channel Islands Lottery
The Channel Island Lottery is the State lottery in the Channel Islands run jointly by the States of Jersey and States of Guernsey. The first draw was held in 1975.
History
The Channel Islands Lottery was founded in 1975 with the merger of the J ...
, which was launched in 1975.
Taxation
Jersey is not a tax-free jurisdiction. Taxes are levied on properties (known as 'rates') and a
Personal Income Tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Ta ...
,
Corporate Income Tax
A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax, is a direct tax imposed on the income or capital of corporations or analogous legal entities. Many countries impose such taxes at the national level, and a similar tax may be imposed at ...
and
goods and services tax exist.
Before 2008, Jersey had no value-added tax (VAT). Many companies, such as
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
and Play.com, took advantage of this and a loophole in European law, known as
low-value consignment relief
When goods are imported into a European Union country from a non-EU territory, those goods may be subject to customs duty, excise duty and value-added tax
A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a ...
, to establish a tax-free fulfilment industry from Jersey.
This loophole was closed by the European Union in 2012, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs.
There is a 20% standard rate for Income Tax and a 5% standard rate for GST. The island has a 0% default tax rate for corporations; however, higher rates apply to financial services, utility companies and large corporate retailers.
Jersey is considered to be a
tax haven
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
. The island, until March 2019, was on the
EU tax haven blacklist, but no longer features. In January 2021, the chair of the EU Tax Matters Subcommittee,
Paul Tang, criticised the list for not including such "renowned tax havens" as Jersey. In 2020,
Tax Justice ranked Jersey as the 16th on the
Financial Secrecy Index
The Financial Secrecy Index (FSI) is a report published by the advocacy organization Tax Justice Network (TJN) which ranks countries by ''financial secrecy indicators'', weighted by the economic flows of each country.
It looks at how wealthy ...
, below larger countries such as the UK, however still placing at the lower end of the 'extreme danger zone' for offshore secrecy'. The island accounts of 0.46% of the global offshore finance market, making a small player in the total market. In 2020, the Corporate Tax Haven Index ranked Jersey eighth for 2021 with an haven score (a measure of the jurisdiction's systems to be used for corporate tax abuse) of 100 out of 100; however, the island only has 0.51% on the Global Scale Weight ranking.
Transport
![Grouville Common Path](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Grouville_Common_Path.jpg)
The primary mode of transport on the island is the
motor vehicle. Jersey has a road network consisting of of roads and there are a total of 124,737 motor vehicles registered on the island as of 2016. Jersey has a large network of lanes, some of which are classified as green lanes, which have a 15 mph speed limit and where priority is afforded to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
The public bus network in Jersey has been regulated by the Government since 2002, replacing a de-regulated, commercial service. It is operated on a sole-operator
franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
model, currently contracted to LibertyBus, a company owned by
Kelsian Group
Kelsian Group, formerly SeaLink Travel Group, is an Australian public company that operates transport services in Australia, United Kingdom and Singapore.
History
In 1989, the business was founded with the purchase of the Kangaroo Island SeaLink ...
. LibertyBus also operate the school bus services. There is also a taxi network and an electronic bike scheme (EVie). Jersey has an
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
and a number of ports, which are operated by Ports of Jersey.
Currency
![Commemorative stamps for Mesny's 150th anniversary 1992](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Commemorative_stamps_for_Mesny%27s_150th_anniversary_1992.jpg)
Jersey's monetary policy is linked to the
Bank of England. The official currency of Jersey is the
pound sterling
Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
. Jersey issues its own
postage stamps
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...
, banknotes (including a £1 note which is not issued in the UK) and coins that circulate alongside all other sterling coinage. Jersey currency is not
legal tender
Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in ...
outside Jersey; however it is "acceptable tender" in the UK and can be surrendered at banks in exchange for UK currency.
In July 2014, the Jersey Financial Services Commission approved the establishment of the world's first regulated
Bitcoin fund, at a time when the
digital currency was being accepted by some local businesses.
Demography
![Mont Orgueil and Gorey harbour, Jersey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Mont_Orgueil_and_Gorey_harbour%2C_Jersey.jpg)
Censuses have been undertaken in Jersey since 1821. In the 2021 census, the total resident population was estimated to be 103,267, of whom 35% live in
Saint Helier
St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; french: Saint-Hélier) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St Helier has a population of 35,822 – over one-third of the total population of Jersey – ...
, the island's only town. Approximately half the island's population was born in Jersey; 29% of the population were born elsewhere in the British Isles, 8% in continental Portugal or Madeira, 9% in other European countries and 5% elsewhere.
Nationality and citizenship
Jersey people
The Jersey people (Jèrriais: ''Jèrriais''; french: Jersiais, links=no) also referred to as Islanders, are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands who share a common history, Norman ancestry and cultur ...
are the native nation on the island,
however do not form a majority of the population.
Jersey people are often called Islanders or, in individual terms, Jerseyman or Jerseywoman. Jersey people did not generally identify themselves as English prior to
the Union of Britain. Jersey was culturally and geographically much closer to Normandy and there were limited cross-Channel links. However, wars with France, including invasions of Jersey, grew loyalty to Britain over time and the French came more and more to be seen as a distinct people. By the start of the 19th century, Jersey people generally identified as British, which can be seen through the treatment of the Breton immigrants of the time as a distinct nation. Furthermore, the growth of the British migrant population strengthened the role of English and the British cultural influence. Finally, the introduction of compulsory education - which was exclusively in English - and the period of the Occupation reduced the traditional and Norman cultural influences and increased British cultural practices and pride in British nationhood among the island population.
Nationality law in Jersey is conferred by the British Nationality Act 1981 extended to the island by an Order in Council with the consent of the States of Jersey.
British nationality law
British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...
confers British citizenship onto those with suitable connections to Jersey.
The Lieutenant Governor's office issues
British passports
A British passport is a travel document issued by the United Kingdom or other British dependencies and territories to individuals holding any form of British nationality. It grants the bearer international passage in accordance with visa requ ...
(specifically the
Jersey variant) to British citizens with a connection to Jersey by residency or birth.
Immigration
Jersey is constitutionally entitled to restrict immigration by non-Jersey residents, but control of immigration at the point of entry cannot be introduced for British, certain Commonwealth and EEA nationals without change to existing international law.
Jersey is part of the
Common Travel Area
The Common Travel Area (CTA; ga, Comhlimistéar Taistil, ) is an open borders area comprising the United Kingdom, Ireland, Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. The British Overseas Territories are not included. Based on agreements that are no ...
(CTA), a
border control-free zone which encompasses the Crown Dependencies, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. This means a passport is not required to travel from Jersey to any of these territories (or vice versa) though the Government recommends all travellers bring photo ID since it may need to be checked by customs or police officers and is generally required by commercial transport providers into the island. Due to the CTA, Jersey-born British citizens in the rest of the CTA and British and Irish citizens in Jersey have the right to access social benefits, access healthcare, access social housing support and to vote in general elections.
For non-CTA travel, Jersey maintains its own immigration and border controls (although most travel into the Bailiwick is from the rest of the CTA), however UK immigration legislation may be extended to Jersey (subject to exceptions and adaptations) following consultation with Jersey and with Jersey's consent.
To control population, Jersey operates a system of registration which restricts the right to live and work in the island according to certain requirements. In order to move to Jersey or work in Jersey, everyone (including Jersey-born people) must be registered and have a registration card. There are a number of statuses:
History of immigration
Until the 19th centuries, there was generally limited immigration to the island, especially from English people. Jersey was a distant territory to the British mainland (taking days to travel between England and the islands) and culturally distinct (the locals predominantly speaking Norman French).
However, from the 16th to 19th centuries, Jersey became home to French religious refugees, particularly Protestants following the
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes () was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV and granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was in essence completely Catholic. In the edict, Henry aimed pr ...
.
From the early 19th century, the island's economic boom attracted economic migrants. By 1841, of the 47,544 population, 11,338 were born in the British Isles outside of Jersey. From the 1840s onwards, agricultural workers came from neighbouring Brittany and mainland Normandy, both due to the booming economy of Jersey and the economic situation in northern France. Furthermore, the new potato season coincided with the time of least agricultural activity in Brittany and Normandy. While many returned to France, some settled in the island.
Between 1851 and 1921, the Jersey population fell by 12.8% (possibly up to 18%). The economic boom ended in the 1850s leading to significant emigration, including on to British colonies. A 1901 report by the States concluded that by 1921, the number of births to foreign-born fathers would be equal to those to Jersey-born fathers, describing the immigration situation as a 'formidable invasion, although peaceful', and predicted this would have a large impact on the island's socio-political situation.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, when the island had only 55,244 residents, it saw a period of rapid population increase. By 1991, the population was 84,082. The booming tourism industry required a large volume of relatively low cost labour, so the island turned to Madeira for seasonal staff. Between 1961 and 1981, the Portuguese-born population grew 0.2% to 3.1% of the population. In 2021, this figure was 8%. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the new source of cheap labour for the island has been Polish people, whose population has grown from non-existent to 3%.
Immigration has helped give aspects of Jersey a distinct urban character, particularly in and around the parish of St Helier, which contributes much to ongoing debates between development and sustainability throughout the island.
Religion
![Saint Thomas Roman Catholic church, Victoria Street, Jersey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Saint_Thomas_Roman_Catholic_church%2C_Victoria_Street%2C_Jersey.jpg)
Jersey's patron saint is
St Helier, after whom the capital town is named. From the fifth century, the island was under the Bishop of Coutances, until being transferred to the Diocese of Winchester in 1568.
As of 2022, the island is planned to be transferred to the Diocese of Salisbury. The established church is the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
, presided over in the island by the
Dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
, who is ''ex officio'' a States Member, but has no vote.
The primary churches are the parish churches, which are 12 ancient Anglican churches in each of the parish centre, though other churches do exist.
According to a 2015 survey of islanders, 54% of adults have a religion. Christianity is the predominant religion in the island, with over half of islanders identifying as Christian in some form. The largest religious group is Anglicans, with 23% of the population.
Culture
Cultural events
The island is particularly famous for the
Battle of Flowers, a carnival held annually since 1902. Other festivals include (Christmas festival), (cidermaking festival), the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
air display, Weekender Music Festival, food festivals, and parish events.
Media
BBC Radio Jersey
BBC Radio Jersey (Jèrriais: ''BBC Radio Jèrri'') is the BBC's local radio station serving the Bailiwick of Jersey. It broadcasts on FM, AM, DAB+, Freeview and via BBC Sounds from studios on Parade Road in Saint Helier. Like other BBC enter ...
provides a radio service, and BBC
Channel Islands News provides a joint television news service with Guernsey.
ITV Channel Television
ITV Channel Television, previously Channel Television, is a British television station which has served as the ITV contractor for the Channel Islands since 1962. It is based in Jersey and broadcasts regional programme for insertion into the ...
is a regional
ITV franchise shared with the Bailiwick of Guernsey but with its headquarters in Jersey. Radio services are also provided by
Channel 103
Channel 103 is an independent local radio station broadcasting to the island of Jersey on 103.7 FM and DAB+ digital radio.
The station launched on 25 October 1992. Channel 103 is part of Tindle Radio, which also owns Island FM in Guernsey and ...
, among other companies.
Bailiwick Express is one of Jersey's digital online news sources. Jersey has only one newspaper, the ''
Jersey Evening Post
The ''Jersey Evening Post'' (''JEP'') is a local newspaper published six days a week in the Bailiwick of Jersey. It was printed in broadsheet format for 87 years, though it is now of compact ( tabloid) size. Its strapline is: "At the heart of ...
'', which is printed six days a week, and has been in publication since 1890.
Music
![Jersey Town Criterium 2011 07](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Jersey_Town_Criterium_2011_07.jpg)
Little is known of the history of music in the islands, though fieldwork has recorded
folk songs
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...
from the Channel Islands, mostly in French. The folk song is unique to the island.
In contemporary music,
Guru Josh
Paul Walden (6 June 1964 – 28 December 2015), better known as Guru Josh, was a Jersey musician, active in the British post-acid house scene, best known for his debut single "Infinity".
Biography Musical career
Walden was the son of a Jer ...
, who was born in Jersey, produced
house and
techno
Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...
music. He was most notable for his internationally successful debut hit
Infinity and its re-releases, reaching number one in numerous European countries.
Furthermore, rock and pop artist
Nerina Pallot
Nerina Natasha Georgina Pallot (born 26 April 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and producer, who has released six albums and over a dozen EPs. She was nominated for British Female Solo Artist at the 2007 BRIT Awards and nominated for an I ...
was raised on the island and has enjoyed international success, and has written songs for famous artists like
Kylie Minogue.
The island has a summer music festival scene stretching from mid-June to late September including Good Vibrations, Out-There, the Weekender (the largest festival in the Channel Islands) and Electric Park.
Theatre
![Lillie langtry](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Lillie_Langtry.jpg)
There are two theatres on the island: the
Jersey Opera House
The Jersey Opera House is a working theatre and opera house in La Vingtaine de la Ville, Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. The theatre building is administered by the States of Jersey but is managed by Jersey Opera House Limited. The curren ...
and the Jersey Arts Centre.
Lillie Langtry
Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer.
Born on the isla ...
is probably the most famous actress from the island. She was born in Jersey and became an actress on the
West End in the late 19th century. She was the first
socialite to appear on stage and the first celebrity to endorse a commercial product.
She was also famous for her relationships with notable figures, including the Prince of Wales, later
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
. She is buried in
St Saviour's Church graveyard.
Cinema
In 1909, T. J. West established the first cinema in the Royal Hall in St. Helier, which became known as West's Cinema in 1923 and was demolished in 1977. The first
talking picture
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decad ...
, ''The Perfect Alibi'', was shown on 30 December 1929 at the Picture House in St. Helier. The Jersey Film Society was founded on 11 December 1947 at the Café Bleu, West's Cinema. The large Art Deco Forum Cinema was opened in 1935 – during the German occupation this was used for German
propaganda films.
The
Odeon Cinema
Odeon, stylised as ODEON, is a cinema brand name operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway, which along with UCI Cinemas and Nordic Cinema Group is part of the Odeon Cinemas Group subsidiary of AMC Theatres. It uses the famous name ...
was opened 2 June 1952 and, was later rebranded in the early 21st century as the Forum cinema. Its owners, however, struggled to meet tough competition from the Cineworld Cinemas group, which opened a 10 screen multiplex on the waterfront centre in St. Helier on reclaimed land in December 2002 and the Odeon closed its doors in late 2008. The Odeon is now a
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
First held in 2008, the
Branchage Jersey International Film Festival attracts filmmakers from all over the world.
The 2001 movie
The Others was set on the island in 1945 shortly after liberation.
Food and drink
![Jersey wonders](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Jersey_wonders.jpg)
Seafood has traditionally been important to the cuisine of Jersey:
mussels (called in the island),
oyster
Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not ...
s,
lobster and crabs – especially
spider crabs –
ormers and
conger
''Conger'' ( ) is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 2 m (6 ft) or more in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during t ...
.
Jersey milk being very rich,
cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
and butter have played a large part in insular cooking.
Jersey Royal potatoes
The Jersey Royal is the marketing name of a type of potato grown in Jersey which has a Protected Designation of Origin. The potatoes are of the variety known as International Kidney and are typically grown as a new potato.
History
In around 18 ...
are the local variety of
new potato
The potato is a starch#Food, starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial plant, perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be fo ...
, and the island is famous for its early crop of Chats (small potatoes) from the south-facing côtils (steeply sloping fields). They were originally grown using
vraic
Seaweed fertiliser (or fertilizer) is organic fertilizer made from seaweed that is used in agriculture to increase soil fertility and plant growth. The use of seaweed fertilizer dates back to antiquity and has a broad array of benefits for soils. ...
as a natural fertiliser, giving them their own individual taste; only a small portion of those grown in the island still use this method. They are eaten in a variety of ways, often simply boiled and served with butter or when not as fresh fried in butter.
Apples historically were an important crop. are apple dumplings, but the most typical speciality is black butter (), a dark spicy spread prepared from apples, cider and spices.
Cider used to be an important export. After decline and near-disappearance in the late 20th century, apple production is being increased and promoted. Besides cider,
apple brandy
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
is produced. Other production of alcohol drinks includes wine, and in 2013 the first commercial
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...
s made from Jersey Royal potatoes were marketed.
Among other traditional dishes are cabbage loaf, Jersey wonders (), fliottes, bean crock (),
nettle
{{redirect, Nettle
Nettle refers to plants with stinging hairs, particularly those of the genus '' Urtica''. It can also refer to plants which resemble ''Urtica'' species in appearance but do not have stinging hairs. Plants called "nettle" includ ...
() soup, and vraic buns.
Sport
![Harry Vardon statue Grouville 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Harry_Vardon_statue_Grouville_3.jpg)
In its own right Jersey participates in the
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...
and in the biennial
Island Games
The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent d ...
, which it first hosted in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
and more recently in
2015.
The
Jersey Football Association
The Jersey Football Association (JFA) is the body which co-ordinates football in Jersey. The Jersey FA acts as a County football association of The Football Association, although in 2015 it applied to join UEFA as a full member. The Jersey Fo ...
supervises football in Jersey. As of 2022, the Jersey Football Combination has nine teams in its top division.
Jersey national football team plays in the annual
Muratti
The Muratti Vase is an annual men's and women's football competition, inaugurated in 1905, between teams representing the Channel Islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey. The larger islands of Guernsey and Jersey dominate the competition, wit ...
competition against the other Channel Islands.
Rugby union in Jersey
Rugby union is a popular sport in Jersey.
Governing body
Rugby union is played in Jersey under the auspices of the Jersey Rugby Association (JRA), which is affiliated to the Hampshire Rugby Football Union but is not a member of the Rugby Footba ...
comes under the auspices of the Jersey Rugby Association (JRA), which is a member of the
Rugby Football Union of England.
Jersey Reds
Jersey Reds is a rugby club based in Jersey, Channel Islands that currently competes at the RFU Championship, which is the second tier of English professional rugby.
Until season 2022/23, the professional arm of Jersey Reds was part of Jers ...
compete in the
English rugby union system
Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system.
Women's Rugby union in England cons ...
; after four promotions in five seasons, the last three of which were consecutive, they competed in the second-level
RFU Championship
The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men’s English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when ...
in 2012–13. Jersey is an associate member of the
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are 108 national associations, with 12 Full Members and 96 Associate Members. Founded in 1909 as the ' ...
(ICC). The
Jersey cricket team
The Jersey national cricket team is the team that represents the Bailiwick of Jersey, a Crown dependency in international cricket. They became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2005, and an associate member i ...
plays in the
Inter-insular match
Inter-Insular cricket refers to cricket contests between representative teams of Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands. An inter-insular match has been played annually between the two sides since 1950 and often attracts crowds above 1,000. It ...
, as well as in ICC tournaments around the world in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.
For Horse racing, Les Landes Racecourse can be found at Les Landes in St. Ouen next to the ruins of
Grosnez Castle
Grosnez Castle is a ruined 14th-century castle in Saint Ouen, situated in Grosnez in the north-west corner of the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands. Philippe de Carteret held it against the French when they held half of Jersey between 1461 ...
.
Jersey has two public indoor swimming pools: AquaSplash, St Helier and Les Quennevais, St Brelade. Swimming in the sea, windsurfing and other marine sports are practised. Jersey Swimming Club has organised an annual swim from Elizabeth Castle to Saint Helier Harbour for over 50 years. A round-island swim is a major challenge: the record for the swim is Ross Wisby, who circumnavigated the island in 9 hours 26 minutes in 2015. The Royal Channel Island Yacht Club is based in St Brelade.
Two professional
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
ers from Jersey have won
the Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later t ...
seven times between them;
Harry Vardon
Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...
won six times and
Ted Ray won once, both around the turn of the 20th century. Vardon and Ray also won the
U.S. Open once each. Harry Vardon's brother,
Tom Vardon
Thomas Alfred Vardon (11 October 1874 – 13 October 1938) was a professional golfer from Jersey, Channel Islands, and the brother of golfer Harry Vardon, whom he sometimes played against professionally. From 1892 to 1909 he played in 18 Open Cham ...
, had wins on various European tours.
Jersey Sport, an independent body that promotes sports in Jersey and support clubs, was launched in 2017
Languages
Until the 19th century, indigenous
Jèrriais – a
variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
of
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
– was the language of the island though French was used for official business. During the 20th century,
British cultural influence saw an intense
language shift
Language shift, also known as language transfer or language replacement or language assimilation, is the process whereby a speech community shifts to a different language, usually over an extended period of time. Often, languages that are percei ...
take place and Jersey today is predominantly
English-speaking
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest langua ...
.
Jèrriais nonetheless survives; around 2,600 islanders (three percent) are thought to be habitual speakers, and some 10,000 (12 percent) in all claim some knowledge of the language, particularly amongst the elderly in rural parishes. There have been efforts to revive Jèrriais in schools.
The
dialect
The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena:
One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...
s of Jèrriais differ in
phonology
Phonology is the branch of linguistics that studies how languages or dialects systematically organize their sounds or, for sign languages, their constituent parts of signs. The term can also refer specifically to the sound or sign system of a ...
and, to a lesser extent,
lexis between parishes, with the most marked differences to be heard between those of the west and east. Many place names are in Jèrriais, and French and English place names are also to be found.
Anglicisation of the
place names
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
increased apace with the migration of English people to the island.
Literature
Wace
Wace ( 1110 – after 1174), sometimes referred to as Robert Wace, was a Medieval Norman poet, who was born in Jersey and brought up in mainland Normandy (he tells us in the ''Roman de Rou'' that he was taken as a child to Caen), ending his car ...
was a 12th-century poet born in Jersey. He is the earliest known Jersey writer, authoring ''
Roman de Brut
The ''Brut'' or ''Roman de Brut'' (completed 1155) by the poet Wace is a loose and expanded translation in almost 15,000 lines of Norman-French verse of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin '' History of the Kings of Britain''. It was formerly known ...
'' and ''
Roman de Rou
''Roman de Rou'' is a verse chronicle by Wace in Norman covering the history of the Dukes of Normandy from the time of Rollo of Normandy to the battle of Tinchebray in 1106. It is a national epic of Normandy.
Following the success of his ''Ro ...
'', among others. Some believe him to be the earliest
Jèrriais writer and he is known as the founder of
Jersey literature, but the language in which he wrote is very different from modern Jèrriais.
As Jèrriais was not an official language in Jersey, it had no standard written form, which meant that Jersey literature is very varied, written in multiple forms of Jèrriais alongside Standard
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
French.
Matthew Le Geyt
Matthew Le Geyt (Jèrriais: Matchi L’Gé; 1777–1849) was the first poet to publish in Jèrriais following the introduction of printing. The earliest dated piece of his writing comes from 1795. He was from St Helier but he must have lived in Tr ...
was the first poet to publish in Jèrriais after the introduction of printing to the island in the 18th century.
Philippe Le Sueur Mourant
Philippe Le Sueur Mourant (1848 – 21 August 1918) was a Jersey writer who wrote in Jèrriais and French.
He was born in St Saviour in 1848 and spent most of his early life working in agriculture in Newfoundland and Lorient. He returned to ...
wrote in Jèrriais in the 19th century.
Jerseyman George d'la Forge is named the 'Guardian of the Jersey Norman Heritage'. Though he lived in America for most of his life, he felt a strong attachment to Jersey and his native language. His works were turned into books in the 1980s.
After the failure of the 1848 revolution, thirty-nine French revolutionaries were exiled in Jersey, including the famous French author
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
, as Jersey's culture was closer to their native French.
Gerald Durrell, the famous zoologist who set up
Jersey Zoo, was also an author, writing novels, non-fiction and children's books. He was writing as a means to fund and further his conservation work.
Education
Education in the island is managed by the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills of the Government of Jersey. The education system in Jersey is based on the
English system
English units are the units of measurement used in England up to 1826 (when they were replaced by Imperial units), which evolved as a combination of the Anglo-Saxon and Roman systems of units. Various standards have applied to English units at ...
. Full time education is compulsory for children aged 5 to 16.
Furthermore, the Government provides limited pre-school education free to parents. Jersey schools must teach the Jersey Curriculum, which is based on the English National Curriculum, with differences to account for Jersey's unique position.
As of 2022, there are 24 States primary schools, seven private primary or preparatory schools, four comprehensive States secondary schools, two fee-paying States secondary schools, two private secondary schools and one provided grammar school and sixth form. Furthermore, Highlands College provides alternative post-16 and all post-18 education available on the island. However, higher education facilities are limited, so many students study off-island. In the UK, Jersey students pay the same rate as Home students.
Environment
Three areas of land are protected for their ecological or geological interest as Sites of Special Interest (SSI). Jersey has four designated
Ramsar sites
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
** Marshes on inorganic soils:
*** Permanent (herb dominated) (Tp)
*** P ...
: Les Pierres de Lecq, Les Minquiers, Les Écréhous and Les Dirouilles and the south east coast of Jersey (a large area of intertidal zone).
Jersey is the home of the
Jersey Zoo (formerly known as the Durrell Wildlife Park) founded by the naturalist, zookeeper and author
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island o ...
.
Biodiversity
Four species of small mammal are considered native: the wood mouse (''
Apodemus sylvaticus
The wood mouse (''Apodemus sylvaticus'') is a murid rodent native to Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse (''Apodemus flavicollis'') but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, h ...
''), the Jersey bank vole (''
Myodes glareolus
The bank vole (''Myodes glareolus'') is a small vole with red-brown fur and some grey patches, with a tail about half as long as its body. A rodent, it lives in woodland areas and is around in length. The bank vole is found in much of Europe an ...
caesarius''), the lesser white-toothed shrew (''
Crocidura suaveolens
The lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura suaveolens'') is a tiny shrew with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe. Its preferred habitat is scrub and gardens and it feeds on insects, arachnids, worms, gastropods, newts and sma ...
'') and the French shrew (''
Sorex coronatus''). Three wild mammals are well-established introductions: the rabbit (introduced in the mediaeval period), the
red squirrel and the
hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...
(both introduced in the 19th century). The stoat (''
Mustela erminea
The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Con ...
'') became extinct in Jersey between 1976 and 2000. The green lizard (
Lacerta bilineata
The western green lizard (''Lacerta bilineata'') is a lizard of the family Lacertidae.
Etymology
The genus name ''Lacerta'' and the species name ''bilineata'' are Latin words respectively meaning “lizard” and “with two lines”, with refe ...
) is a protected species of reptile; Jersey is its only native habitat in the British Isles.
The red-billed chough (''
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
The red-billed chough, Cornish chough or simply chough ( ; ''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax''), is a bird in the crow family, one of only two species in the genus '' Pyrrhocorax''. Its eight subspecies breed on mountains and coastal cliffs from the we ...
'') became extinct in Jersey around 1900, when changes in farming and grazing practices led to a decline in the coastal slope habitat required by this species. Birds on the Edge, a project between the Government of Jersey,
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organization with a mission to save species from extinction. Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the dodo as its symbol. T ...
and
National Trust for Jersey
The National Trust for Jersey is a charitable organisation which aims at preserving and safeguarding sites of historic, aesthetic and natural interest in Jersey.
The trust held its first formal meeting, headed by the Dean of Jersey, Samuel Fall ...
, is working to restore Jersey's coastal habitats and reinstate the red-billed chough (and other bird species) to the island
Jersey is the only place in the British Isles where the agile frog (''
Rana dalmatina)'' is found. The remaining population of agile frogs on Jersey is very small and is restricted to the south west of the island. The species is the subject of an ongoing programme to save it from extinction in Jersey via a collaboration between the Government of Jersey, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Jersey Amphibian and Reptile Group (JARG), with support and sponsorship from several other organisations. The programme includes captive breeding and release, public awareness and habitat restoration activities.
Trees generally considered native are the alder (''
Alnus glutinosa
''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations wh ...
''), silver birch (''
Betula pendula
''Betula pendula'', commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe, it is only found ...
''), sweet chestnut (''
Castanea sativa
''Castanea sativa'', the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the Temperate climate, temperate world. A substa ...
''), hazel (''
Corylus avellana
''Corylus avellana'', the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia. It is an important component of the hedgerows that were the traditional field boundaries in lowland En ...
''), hawthorn (''
Crataegus monogyna
''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and West Asia, but has been introduced in ...
''), beech (''
Fagus sylvatica
''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.
Description
''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more ...
''), ash (''
Fraxinus excelsior
''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Albor ...
''), aspen (''
Populus tremula
''Populus tremula'' (commonly called aspen, common aspen, Eurasian aspen, European aspen, or quaking aspen) is a species of poplar native to cool temperate regions of Europe and Asia, from Iceland and the British IslesJames KilkellIrish native ...
''), wild cherry (''
Prunus avium
''Prunus avium'', commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, gean, or bird cherryWorld Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. is a species of cherry, a flowering plant in the rose family, ...
''), blackthorn (''
Prunus spinosa
''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, ...
''), holm oak (''
Quercus ilex''), oak (''
Quercus robur
''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus. It is widel ...
''), sallow (''
Salix cinerea
''Salix cinerea'' (common sallow, grey sallow, grey willow, grey-leaved sallow, large grey willow, pussy willow, rusty sallow) is a species of willow native to Europe and western Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain ...
''), elder (''
Sambucus nigra
''Sambucus nigra'' is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae native to most of Europe. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, European black elderberry and tramman (Isle ...
''), elm (''
Ulmus
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of Nor ...
'' spp.) and medlar (''
Mespilus germanica
''Mespilus germanica'', known as the medlar or common medlar, is a large shrub or small tree in the rose family Rosaceae. The fruit of this tree, also called medlar, has been cultivated since Roman times, is usually available in winter and eat ...
''). Among notable introduced species, the cabbage palm (''
Cordyline australis
''Cordyline australis'', commonly known as the cabbage tree, tī kōuka or cabbage-palm, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand.
It grows up to tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of ...
'') has been planted in coastal areas and may be seen in many gardens.
Notable marine species include the
ormer
Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any of a group of small to very large marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae. Other common names are ear shells, sea ears, and, rarely, muttonfish or mutto ...
,
conger
''Conger'' ( ) is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 2 m (6 ft) or more in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during t ...
, bass,
undulate ray
The undulate ray (''Raja undulata'') is a species of Batoidea, ray and chondrichthyes, cartilaginous fish found in the Mediterranean and East Atlantic from southern Ireland and England to the Gulf of Guinea. It is found in areas with mud or sand, ...
,
grey mullet Grey mullet can mean any of several fish in the family ''Mugilidae'' (the mullets) and having a greyish hue:
* Flathead grey mullet, ''Mugil cephalus''
* Thicklip grey mullet, ''Chelon labrosus''
* Boxlip grey mullet, ''Oedalechilus labeo
The bo ...
,
ballan wrasse
The ballan wrasse (''Labrus bergylta'') is a species of marine ray finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, where it inhabits rocky areas. Like many wrasse species, it is a protogynous hermap ...
and
garfish
The garfish (''Belone belone''), also known as the garpike or sea needle, is a pelagic, oceanodromous needlefish found in brackish and marine waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Black, and Baltic Seas.
Description
The ...
. Marine mammals include the
bottlenosed dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
and
grey seal
The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...
.
Historically the island has given its name to a variety of overly-large cabbage, the
Jersey cabbage
The Jersey cabbage (''Brassica oleracea longata'') is a variety of cabbage native to the Channel Islands that grows to a great height and was formerly commonly used there as livestock fodder and for making walking sticks. It is also known as J ...
, also known as Jersey kale or cow cabbage.
Japanese knotweed (''
Reynoutria japonica
''Reynoutria japonica'', synonyms ''Fallopia japonica'' and ''Polygonum cuspidatum'', is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names include Japanese knotweed and Asian knotweed. It is ...
'') is an
invasive species that threatens Jersey's biodiversity.
It is easily recognisable and has hollow stems with small white flowers that are produced in late summer. Other non-native species on the island include the
Colorado beetle
The Colorado potato beetle (''Leptinotarsa decemlineata''), also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle, or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is about long, with a bright yellow/o ...
, burnet rose and
oak processionary
The oak processionary (''Thaumetopoea processionea'') is a moth whose caterpillars can be found in oak forests, where they feed on oak leaves, causing significant damage. They travel in nose-to-tail processions (hence their name), often arrow-h ...
moth.
[
]
Public services
Healthcare
Health services on the island are overseen by the Department for Health and Social Care. Jersey does not have a nationalised health service and the service is not part of the National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
. Many healthcare treatments are not free at the point of use, however treatment in the accident and emergency department is free. For residents, prescriptions and some hospital treatments are free, however GP services cost money.
Emergency services
Emergency services are provided by the States of Jersey Police
The States of Jersey Police (Jèrriais: ''La Police d's Êtats d'Jèrri''; french: Police des États de Jersey) or States Police are a paid police force in the Bailiwick of Jersey. Alongside the unpaid Honorary Police, the States Police make up th ...
with the support of the Honorary Police
There is an Honorary Police ( French: Police Honorifique) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey. Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid.
Honorary Police officers have ...
as necessary, States of Jersey Ambulance Service, Jersey Fire and Rescue Service
The Jersey Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service which deals with a broad range of incidents in the Jersey area, including fires, road accidents, emergencies at sea, rescues from height, cliff based operations and inci ...
and the Jersey Coastguard
Jersey Coastguard is responsible for the safety of life at sea along with the security and protection of the maritime environment for Jersey’s territorial waters. The service is provided by the Ports of Jersey from the Maritime Operations Centre ...
. The Jersey Fire and Rescue Service and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution operate an inshore rescue and lifeboat service; Channel Islands Air Search provides rapid response airborne search of the surrounding waters.
The States of Jersey Fire Service was formed in 1938 when the States took over the Saint Helier Fire Brigade, which had been formed in 1901. The first lifeboat was equipped, funded by the States, in 1830. The RNLI established a lifeboat station in 1884. Border security and customs controls are undertaken by the States of Jersey Customs and Immigration Service. Jersey has adopted the 112 emergency number alongside its existing 999 emergency number.
Supply services
Water supplies in Jersey are managed by Jersey Water. Jersey Water supply water from two water treatment works, around 7.2 billion litres in 2018. Water in Jersey is almost exclusively from rainfall-dependent surface water. The water is collected and stored in six reservoirs and there is also a desalination plant that produces up to 10.8 million litres per day (around half of the Island's average daily usage). In 2017, 101 water pollution incidents were reported, an increase of 5% on 2016. Another estimated 515,700 m3 of water is abstracted for domestic purposes from private sources (around 9% of the population).
Electricity in Jersey is provided by a sole supplier, Jersey Electricity, of which the States of Jersey is the majority shareholder. Jersey imports 95 per cent of its power from France. 35% of the imported power derives from hydro-electric sources and 65% from nuclear sources. Jersey Electricity claims the carbon intensity of its electricity supply is 35g CO2 e / kWh compared to 352g CO2 e / kWh in the UK.
Notable people
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
* Balleine's History of Jersey, Marguerite Syvret and Joan Stevens (1998)
* Jersey Through the Centuries, Leslie Sinel, Jersey 1984,
* A Biographical Dictionary of Jersey, G.R. Balleine
Archaeology
* The Archaeology of the Channel Islands. Vol. 2: The Bailiwick of Jersey by Jacquetta Hawkes Jacquetta is a feminine given name which may refer to:
* Jacquetta of Luxembourg (1415/16–1472), Duchess of Bedford, Countess Rivers
* Jacquetta Hawkes (1910–1996), English archaeologist and writer
* Jacquetta May, British writer, actress and ...
(1939)
* The Prehistoric Foundations of Europe to the Mycenean Age, 1940, C. F. C. Hawkes
* Jersey in Prehistory, Mark Patton, 1987
* The Archaeology and Early History of the Channel Islands, Heather Sebire, 2005.
* Dolmens of Jersey: A Guide, James Hibbs (1988).
* A Guide to The Dolmens of Jersey, Peter Hunt, Société Jersiaise, 1998.
* Statements in Stone: Monuments and Society in Neolithic Brittany, Mark Patton, 1993
* Hougue Bie, Mark Patton, Warwick Rodwell
Warwick James Rodwell (born 24 October 1946) is an archaeologist, architectural historian and academic. He was lately Visiting Professor in the Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, and is Consultant Archaeologist to Westminster Abbey ...
, Olga Finch, 1999
* The Channel Islands, An Archaeological Guide, David Johnston, 1981
* The Archaeology of the Channel Islands, Peter Johnston, 1986
Cattle
* One Hundred Years of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society 1833–1933. Compiled from the Society's Records, by H.G. Shepard, Secretary. Eric J. Boston. Jersey Cattle, 1954
Religion
* The Channel Islands under Tudor Government, A.J. Eagleston
* Reformation and Society in Guernsey, D.M. Ogier
* International Politics and the Establishment of Presbyterianism in the Channel Islands: The Coutances Connection, C.S.L. Davies
* Religion, History and G.R. Balleine: The Reformation in Jersey, by J. St John Nicolle, The Pilot Magazine
* The Reformation in Jersey: The Process of Change over Two centuries, J. St John Nicolle
* The Chroniques de Jersey in the light of contemporary documents, BSJ, AJ Eagleston
* The Portrait of Richard Mabon, BSJ, Joan Stevens
External links
gov.je
Official Government of Jersey website
Visit Jersey
Government owned tourism website
Jerripedia
Online history and family history encyclopedia
Vote.je
Elections in Jersey
Jersey
''The World Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is availabl ...
''. Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
.
Locate Jersey
Jersey
from the BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
Jersey Evening Post
Prehistoric Jersey
JerseyShops.co.uk
– local retailers
{{Authority control
Bailiwick of Jersey
Crown Dependencies
English-speaking countries and territories
French-speaking countries and territories
States and territories established in 1204
Islands of the Channel Islands
British Islands
Ramsar sites in Jersey
Island countries
Northwestern European countries