Jersey

(British crown dependency)

Geography

Location: Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France

Map references: Europe

Area:
total area: 117 sq km
land area: 117 sq km
comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 70 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Terrain: gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Natural resources: agricultural land

Land use:
arable land: 57%
permanent crops: NA%
meadows and pastures: NA%
forest and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA

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

People

Population: 86,649 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (female 7,029; male 7,450)
15-64 years: 69% (female 30,156; male 29,916)
65 years and over: 14% (female 7,202; male 4,896) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.7% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 12.83 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 9.97 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.9 years
male: 73.81 years
female: 80.32 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.44 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French descent

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

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

Literacy: NA%

Labor force: NA

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey

Digraph: JE

Type: British crown dependency

Capital: Saint Helier

Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)

Independence: none (British crown dependency)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system: English law and local statute

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
Head of Government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air Marshal Sir John SUTTON (since NA 1990); Bailiff Sir Peter L. CRILL (since NA)
cabinet: committees; appointed by the States

Legislative branch: unicameral
Assembly of the States: elections last held NA (next to be held NA); results - no percent of vote by party since all are independents; seats - (56 total, 52 elected) 52 independents

Judicial branch: Royal Court

Political parties and leaders: none; all independents

Member of: none

Diplomatic representation in US: none (British crown dependency)

US diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)

Flag: white with the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) extending to the corners of the flag

Economy

Overview: The economy is based largely on financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. In 1986 the finance sector overtook tourism as the main contributor to GDP, accounting for 40% of the island's output. In recent years the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs.

National product: GDP $NA

National product real growth rate: 8% (1987 est.)

National product per capita: $NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $308 million
expenditures: $284.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985)

Exports: $NA
commodities: light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles
partners: UK

Imports: $NA
commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals
partners: UK

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 50,000 kW standby
production: power supplied by France
consumption per capita: NA kWh (1992)

Industries: tourism, banking and finance, dairy

Agriculture: potatoes, cauliflowers, tomatoes; dairy and cattle farming

Economic aid: none

Currency: 1 Jersey pound (#J) = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Jersey pounds (#J) per US$1 - 0.6250 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: NA
paved: NA
unpaved: NA

Ports: Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Communications

Telephone system: 63,700 telephones
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 3 submarine cables

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 1
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK