Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are a whole of island S located in the Manche at the west of the Péninsule of Cotentin. Formerly called Norman archipelago , they is the insular part of the historical province of Normandy. They are still called islands of the English Channel , whose English Chanel Islands is a translation.

They depend on the British Couronne, but do not form however part of the the United Kingdom: they are under the sovereignty of the duke of Normandy, title held by English monarchy since the Conquête of England by Norman the William the Conqueror in 1066 after the Bataille of Hastings. The very broad autonomy guaranteed by this statute makes that the Channel Islands do not enter the European Union.

Geography

The principal islands and their dependences are:

Jersey

the Minquiers
the Écréhou

Guernesey

Aurigny
Sercq

Brecqhou

For that, it is necessary to add a big number of small island S and shelves who are discovered with low tide.

History

Called islands Lenur with the Early middle ages, the islands of the English Channel were occupied by the Breton ones during their exodus towards the Armorique (S). At the 10th century, after Guillaume Long-Sword had accepted from king de France the county of Coutances, they became Normans.

Although very close to the France, these islands are not French, while being geographically and culturally Normans. They formerly formed part of very the Duché of Normandy. Since 1204, it raise of the British crown, after Philippe-Auguste had confiscated the continental Norman territories with the king d' Angleterre Jean without Ground. Duchy of Normandy, only the insular part survived: this is why the British monarchs carry there the traditional title of duke of Normandy , including when it is about a woman.

Until 1569, the bishop of Coutances exerted an ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the islands and the islands had, during the Anglo-French wars, a right of neutrality until in 1689, date on which Guillaume III of England gave up it, justifying this abandonment by the fact that the islanders used and misused smuggling.

Today, the catholic depend on the English diocese of Portsmouth, the Anglicans of that of Winchester.

Culture

The regional languages (of the Norman insular) are more spoken only by one minority of the populations, but the Jersey, the Guernesiais and the Sercquiais remain part of the inheritance of the islands. With more or less of fidelity, the place names kept the trace of their origin Norman, even if the English supplants more and more the endogenous French and languages. What gives tasty examples such as Bonne night bay , Corbière lighthouse , etc

The English speech of the islands, on the other hand, adopted words such as côti , bachîn , true , brancage .

Political administration

Bailliages

Each one of these islands is a possession of the British Couronne. The islands and their dependences referred to above are shared between two Bailliage S:

the bailliage of Jersey (the island of Jersey with its uninhabited shelves);
the bailliage of Guernesey (islands of Guernesey, Sercq, Aurigny and their dependences).

Within the framework of the bailliage of Guernesey, Sercq and Aurigny is themselves autonomous, each one having its own Parlement and its local government.

Both bailliages enjoy an internal autonomy, except for defense and the diplomacy. A law of the United Kingdom applies to a bailliage only to the request for an insular government.

States

Parishes

The four most important islands (Jersey, Guernesey, Aurigny and Sercq) are administratively divided into Paroisse S. It were in the beginning the parishes which depended on the bishops of Coutances, via the “senior of the Islands”. In Jersey and Guernesey, the parishes current Anglicans are at the same time administrative parishes.

In Jersey, the Connétable of each parish is the equivalent of the Maire like representative of the municipality in the States. Among the personalities elected in the parishes: prosecutors of the Public property, the Centenier S, the Vingtenier S, Officers of the Constable.
In Guernesey, the parish is managed by the Dozen and two Constables. Since 2004, the representatives of the Dozen do not sit any more at the States.

Political personnel

In Jersey:

the lieutenant-governor, commander-in-chief, representative of the British crown: he is named by the duke of Normandy (the Queen Elizabeth), on opinion of the British government.

the baillif of Jersey:

12 senators
29 deputies
12 constables

With Guernesey:

the lieutenant-governor
the baillif de Guernesey

45 deputies, among whom are:

the chief-minister
the ministers

Economy

The two large islands follow a banking policy of encouragement, like agricultural and tourist. Guernesey supports light industry in a measurement more significant than Jersey.

For the small islands, the economic main activity is tourism. Monetary and postal matter autonomy provides some subsidies thanks to the collectors of postage stamps and currency.

Symbols

Each island has its flag and its official armorial bearings - there is not a “flag of the islands of the English Channel”.

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