"Channel Islands" is a geographical term, not a political unit. The twobailiwicks have been administered separately since the late 13th century. Each has its own independent laws, elections, and representative bodies (although in modern times, politicians from the islands' legislatures are in regular contact). Any institution common to both is the exception rather than the rule.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey is divided into three jurisdictions – Guernsey, Alderney and Sark – each with its ownlegislature. Although there are a few pan-island institutions (such as the Channel Islands Brussels Office, the Director of Civil Aviation and theChannel Islands Financial Ombudsman,[5] which are actually joint ventures between the bailiwicks), these tend to be established structurally as equal projects between Guernsey and Jersey. Otherwise, entities whose names imply membership of both Guernsey and Jersey might in fact be from one bailiwick only. For instance,The International Stock Exchange is in Saint Peter Port and therefore is in Guernsey.
The term "Channel Islands" began to be used around 1830, possibly first by theRoyal Navy as a collective name for the islands.[6]: 158 The term refers only to the archipelago to the west of theCotentin Peninsula. Other populated islands located in the English Channel, and close to the coast of Britain, such as theIsle of Wight,Hayling Island andPortsea Island, are not regarded as "Channel Islands".
The names of the larger islands in the archipelago in general have the-ey suffix, whilst those of the smaller ones have the-hou suffix. These are believed to be from theOld Norseey (island) andholmr (islet).
TheChausey Islands south of Jersey are not generally included in the geographical definition of the Channel Islands but are occasionally described in English as 'French Channel Islands' in view of their French jurisdiction. They were historically linked to the Duchy of Normandy, but they are part of the French territory along with continental Normandy, and not part of theBritish Isles or of the Channel Islands in a political sense. They are an incorporated part of the commune of Granville (Manche). While they are popular with visitors from France, Channel Islanders can only visit them by private or charter boats as there are no direct transport links from the other islands.
In officialJersey Standard French, the Channel Islands are called 'Îles de la Manche', while in France, the term 'Îles Anglo-normandes' (Anglo-Norman Isles) is used to refer to the British 'Channel Islands' in contrast to other islands in the Channel. Chausey is referred to as an 'Île normande' (as opposed toAnglo-normande). 'Îles Normandes' and 'Archipel Normand' have also, historically, been used in Channel Island French to refer to the islands as a whole.
The very large tidal variation provides an environmentally rich inter-tidal zone around the islands, and some islands such asBurhou, theÉcréhous, and theMinquiers have been designatedRamsar sites.
The waters around the islands include the following:
The earliest evidence of human occupation of the Channel Islands has been dated to 250,000 years ago when they were attached to the landmass of continental Europe.[8] The islands became detached byrising sea levels in theMesolithic period. The numerousdolmens and other archaeological sites extant and recorded in history demonstrate the existence of a population large enough and organised enough to undertake constructions of considerable size and sophistication, such as the burial mound atLa Hougue Bie[9] in Jersey or thestatue menhirs of Guernsey.
Channel Islands, ArmoricanBillonStater about 75 BCCeltic coin, the obverse showing a stylised headThe reverse of this coin with a stylisedhorse r. andboar below
Hoards ofArmoricancoins have been excavated, providing evidence of trade and contact in theIron Age period. Evidence for Roman settlement is sparse, although evidently the islands were visited by Roman officials and traders. The Roman name for the Channel Islands wasI. Lenuri (Lenur Islands) and is included in thePeutinger Table.[10]: 4 The traditional Latin names used for the islands (Caesarea for Jersey, Sarnia for Guernsey, Riduna for Alderney) derive (possibly mistakenly) from theAntonine Itinerary.Gallo-Roman culture was adopted to an unknown extent in the islands.[11]
In the sixth century, Christian missionaries visited the islands.Samson of Dol,Helier,Marculf andMagloire are among saints associated with the islands. In the sixth century, they were already included in thediocese of Coutances where they remained until the Reformation.
There were probably someCeltic Britons who settled on the Islands in the 5th and 6th centuries AD (the indigenous Celts ofGreat Britain, and the ancestors of the modernWelsh,Cornish, andBretons) who had emigrated from Great Britain in the face of invadingAnglo-Saxons. But there were not enough of them to leave any trace, and the islands continued to be ruled by the king of the Franks and its church remained part of thediocese of Coutances.
From the beginning of the ninth century,Norseraiders appeared on the coasts. Norse settlement eventually succeeded initial attacks, and it is from this period that many place names of Norse origin appear, including the modern names of the islands.
The islands were invaded by the French in 1338, who held some territory until 1345.Edward III of England granted a Charter in July 1341 to Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and Alderney, confirming their customs and laws to secure allegiance to the English Crown.[13]: 2–4 Owain Lawgoch, a mercenary leader of aFree Company in the service of the French Crown, attacked Jersey and Guernsey in 1372, and in 1373Bertrand du Guesclin besiegedMont Orgueil.[14] The young KingRichard II of England reconfirmed in 1378 the Charter rights granted by his grandfather, followed in 1394 with a second Charter granting, because of great loyalty shown to the Crown, exemption forever, from English tolls, customs and duties.[13]: 5–10 Jersey was occupied by the French in 1461 as part of an exchange for helping the Lancastrians fight against the Yorkists duringThe War of the Roses. It was retaken by the Yorkists in 1468. In 1483 aPapal bull decreed that the islands would be neutral during time of war. This privilege of neutrality enabled islanders to trade with both France and England and was respected until 1689 when it was abolished byOrder in Council following theGlorious Revolution in Great Britain.[citation needed]
Various attempts to transfer the islands from the diocese of Coutances (to Nantes (1400), Salisbury (1496), and Winchester (1499)) had little effect until an Order in Council of 1569 brought the islands formally into thediocese of Winchester. Control by the bishop of Winchester was ineffectual as the islands had turned overwhelminglyCalvinist and theepiscopacy was not restored until 1620 in Jersey and 1663 in Guernsey.[15]
After the loss ofCalais in 1558, the Channel Islands were the last remaining English holdings in France and the only French territory that was controlled by the English kings as Kings of France. This situation lasted until the English kings dropped their title and claims to the French throne in 1801, confirming the Channel Islands in a situation of a crown dependency under the sovereignty of neither Great Britain nor France but of the British crown directly.
Sark in the 16th century was uninhabited until colonised from Jersey in the 1560s. The grant ofseigneurship fromElizabeth I of England in 1565 forms the basis of Sark's constitution today.
The islands acquired commercial and political interests in the North American colonies. Islanders became involved with theNewfoundland fisheries in the 17th century. In recognition for all the help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s,Charles II gaveGeorge Carteret, Bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies, which he promptly namedNew Jersey, now part of the United States of America.[19][20]Sir Edmund Andros, bailiff of Guernsey, was an early colonial governor in North America, and head of the short-livedDominion of New England.[21]
In the late 18th century, the islands were dubbed "the French Isles". Wealthy French émigrés fleeing theFrench Revolution sought residency in the islands. Many of the town domiciles[clarification needed] existing today were built in that time. InSaint Peter Port, a large part of the harbour had been built by 1865.
Germanfortifications, built during the Second World War, are still scattered throughout the landscape of the Channel Islands.During the German occupation ofJersey, a stonemason repairing the paving of the Royal Square incorporated aV for victory under the noses of the occupiers. This was later amended to refer to the Red Cross shipVega. The addition of the date1945 and a more recent frame has transformed it into a monument.
TheBritish Governmentdemilitarised the islands in June 1940, and the lieutenant-governors were withdrawn on 21 June, leaving the insular administrations to continue government as best they could under impending military occupation.[22]
Before German troops landed, between 30 June and 4 July 1940, evacuation took place. Many young men had already left to join the Allied armed forces, as volunteers. 6,600 out of 50,000 left Jersey while 17,000 out of 42,000 left Guernsey.[23] Thousands of children were evacuated with their schools toEngland andScotland.
Crowds cheer as the Channel Islands are liberated atSaint Peter Port in 1945
The population of Sark largely remained where they were;[22] but inAlderney, all but six people left. In Alderney, the occupying Germans builtfour prison camps which housed approximately 6,000 people, of whom over 700 died. Due to the destruction of documents, it is impossible to state how many forced workers died in the other islands.[22] Some have claimed that Alderney had the only Nazi concentration camps onBritish soil.[24][25] Others have pointed out that, technically, Alderney was not British soil.
TheRoyal Navyblockaded the islands from time to time, particularly following theInvasion of Normandy in June 1944. There was considerable hunger andprivation during the five years of German occupation, particularly in the final months when the population was close to starvation. Intense negotiations resulted in some humanitarian aid being sent via theRed Cross, leading to the arrival ofRed Cross parcels in the supply shipSSVega in December 1944.
There was noresistance movement in the Channel Islands on the scale of that inmainland France. This has been ascribed to a range of factors including the physical separation of the islands, the density of troops (up to one German for every two Islanders), the small size of the islands precluding any hiding places forresistance groups, and the absence of theGestapo from the occupying forces. Moreover, much of the population of military age had already joined the British Army.
The end of the occupation came afterVE-Day on 8 May 1945, with Jersey and Guernsey being liberated on 9 May. The German garrison in Alderney was left until 16 May, and it was one of the last of theNazi German remnants to surrender.[29] The first evacuees returned on the first sailing from Great Britain on 23 June,[22] but the people of Alderney were unable to start returning until December 1945. Many of the evacuees who returned home had difficulty reconnecting with their families after five years of separation.[23]
Following the liberation of 1945, reconstruction led to a transformation of the economies of the islands, attracting immigration and developing tourism. The legislatures were reformed and non-party governments embarked on social programmes, aided by the incomes fromoffshore finance, which grew rapidly from the 1960s.[30] The islands decided not to join theEuropean Economic Community when the UK joined.[31] Since the 1990s, declining profitability of agriculture and tourism has challenged the governments of the islands.[32]
The Channel Islands fall into two separateself-governingbailiwicks, theBailiwick of Guernsey and theBailiwick of Jersey. Each of these is aBritishCrown Dependency, and neither is a part of the United Kingdom. They have been parts of theDuchy of Normandy since the 10th century, andQueen Elizabeth II was often referred to by her traditional and conventional title ofDuke of Normandy. However, pursuant to theTreaty of Paris (1259), she governed in her right as The Queen (the "Crown in right of Jersey",[33] and the "Crown in right of therépublique of the Bailiwick of Guernsey"),[34] and not as the Duke. This notwithstanding, it is a matter of local pride for monarchists to treat the situation otherwise: theLoyal toast at formal dinners was to 'The Queen, our Duke', rather than to 'Her Majesty, The Queen' as in the UK.[35] The Queen died in 2022 and her sonCharles III became the King.
A bailiwick is a territory administered by a bailiff. Although the words derive from a common root ('bail' = 'to give charge of') there is a vast difference between the meanings of the word 'bailiff' in Great Britain and in the Channel Islands; a bailiff in Britain is a court-appointed private debt-collector authorised to collect judgment debts, in the Channel Islands, theBailiff in each bailiwick is the civil head, presiding officer of the States, and also head of thejudiciary, and thus the most important citizen in the bailiwick.
In the early 21st century, the existence of governmental offices such as the bailiffs' with multiple roles straddling the different branches of government came under increased scrutiny for their apparent contravention of the doctrine of separation of powers—most notably in the Guernsey case ofMcGonnell -v- United Kingdom (2000) 30 EHRR 289. That case, following final judgement at the European Court of Human Rights, became part of the impetus for much recent constitutional change, particularly the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (2005 c.4) in the UK, including the separation of the roles of the Lord Chancellor, the abolition of the House of Lords' judicial role, and its replacement by theUK Supreme Court. The islands' bailiffs, however, still retain their historic roles.
The systems of government in the islands date fromNorman times, which accounts for the names of the legislatures, the States, derived from theNorman 'États' or 'estates' (i.e. the Crown, the Church, and the people). The States have evolved over the centuries into democratic parliaments.
Entrance to the public gallery of the States Chamber in Jersey
The UK Parliament has power to legislate for the islands, but Acts of Parliament do not extend to the islands automatically. Usually, an Act gives power to extend its application to the islands by anOrder in Council, after consultation. For the most part the islands legislate for themselves.[36] Each island has its own primary legislature, known as theStates of Guernsey and theStates of Jersey, with Chief Pleas in Sark and theStates of Alderney. The Channel Islands are not represented in theUK Parliament. Laws passed by the States are givenroyal assent by theKing-in-Council, to whom the islands' governments are responsible.[37]
The islands have never been part of theEuropean Union, and thus were not a party to the 2016referendum on theEU membership, but were part of the Customs Territory of theEuropean Community by virtue of Protocol Three to theTreaty on European Union. In September 2010, a Channel Islands Brussels Office was set up jointly by the two Bailiwicks to develop the Channel Islands' influence with the EU, to advise the Channel Islands' governments on European matters, and to promote economic links with the EU.[38]
The legal courts are separate; separate courts of appeal have been in place since 1961. Among the legal heritage from Norman law is theClameur de haro. The basis of the legal systems of both Bailiwicks is Norman customary law (Coutume) rather than the EnglishCommon Law, although elements of the latter have become established over time.
Islanders are full British citizens, but were not classed as European citizens unless by descent from a UK national. Any British citizen who applies for a passport in Jersey or Guernsey receives a passport bearing the words "British Islands, Bailiwick of Jersey" or "British Islands, Bailiwick of Guernsey". Under the provisions of Protocol Three, Channel Islanders who do not have a close connection with the UK (no parent or grandparent from the UK, and have never been resident in the UK for a five-year period) did not automatically benefit from the EU provisions on free movement within the EU, and their passports received an endorsement to that effect. This affected only a minority of islanders.
Under the UKInterpretation Act 1978, the Channel Islands are deemed to be part of the British Islands,[39] not to be confused with theBritish Isles. For the purposes of theBritish Nationality Act 1981, the "British Islands" include the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the Channel Islands and theIsle of Man, taken together, unless the context otherwise requires.[40]
Tourism is still important. However, Jersey and Guernsey have, since the 1960s, become majoroffshore financial centres.[41] Historically Guernsey's horticultural and greenhouse activities have been more significant than in Jersey, and Guernsey has maintainedlight industry as a higher proportion of its economy than Jersey. In Jersey, potatoes are an important export crop, shipped mostly to the UK.[42]
Jersey is heavily reliant on financial services, with 39.4% of Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2018 contributed by the sector. Rental income comes second at 15.1% with other business activities at 11.2%. Tourism 4.5% with agriculture contributing just 1.2% and manufacturing even lower at 1.1%. GVA has fluctuated between £4.5 and £5 billion for 20 years.[43]
Despite having only 250,000 residents, the Channel islands combined with the Isle of Man are the second-biggest source of foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom.[44]
Jersey has had a steadily rising population, increasing from below 90,000 in 2000 to over 105,000 in 2018 which combined with a flat GVA has resulted in GVA per head of population falling from £57,000 to £44,000 per person.[43]
In 2018, Guernsey had a GDP of £3.2 billion[45][46] and with a stable population of around 66,000 has had a steadily rising GDP, and a GVA per head of population which in 2018 surpassed £52,000.[43]
Both bailiwicks issue their own banknotes and coins, which circulate freely in all the islands alongside UK coinage and Bank of England and Scottish banknotes.[47]
Since 1969, Jersey and Guernsey have operated postal administrations independently of the UK'sRoyal Mail, with their own postage stamps, which can be used for postage only in their respective bailiwicks. UK stamps are no longer valid, but mail to the islands, and to theIsle of Man, is charged at UK inland rates. It was not until the early 1990s that the islands joined theUK's postcode system, Jersey postcodes using the initials JE and Guernsey GY.
In the 1960s, names used for the cross-Channel ferries plying the mail route between the islands andWeymouth, Dorset, were taken from the popular Latin names for the islands:Caesarea (Jersey),Sarnia (Guernsey) andRiduna (Alderney). Today, ferry services between the Channel Islands, the United Kingdom, andFrance are operated by two primaryshipping companies,Brittany Ferries in Guernsey andDFDS Seaways in Jersey. This follows the cessation of the pan-Channel Island operation underCondor Ferries, after the collapse of a joint ferry tender process in 2024.[48]
Other services to France are operated byManche Îles Express. The Isle of Sark Shipping Company operates small ferries to Sark.[49] Normandy Trader operates an ex military tank landing craft for transporting freight between the islands and France.[50]
On 20 August 2013,Huelin-Renouf, which had operated a "lift-on lift-off" container service for 80 years between thePort of Southampton and the Port ofJersey, ceased trading.[51] SenatorAlan Maclean, a Jersey politician, had previously tried to save the 90-odd jobs furnished by the company to no avail.[52] On 20 September, it was announced that Channel Island Lines would continue this service, and would purchase the MVHuelin Dispatch fromAssociated British Ports who in turn had purchased them from the receiver in the bankruptcy.[53] The new operator was to be funded by Rockayne Limited, a closely held association of Jersey businesspeople.[53]
Historically,there have been railway networks on Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney, but all of the lines on Jersey and Guernsey have been closed and dismantled. Today there are three working railways in the Channel Islands, of which theAlderney Railway is the only one providing a regular timetabled passenger service. The other two are a7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway, also on Alderney, and the heritage steam railway operated on Jersey as part of thePallot Heritage Steam Museum.
On 1 August 2021, DAB+ digital radio became available for the first time, introducing new stations like the local Bailiwick Radio andSoleil Radio, and UK-wide services likeCapital,Heart, andTimes Radio.[56]
There are two broadcast transmitters serving Jersey – atFremont Point and Les Platons – as well as one at Les Touillets in Guernsey and a relay in Alderney.
There are several local newspapers and media groups, including theGuernsey Press and All Island Media, which runs theJersey Evening Post and Bailiwick Express.[57]
Jersey always operated its own telephone services independently of Britain's national system, Guernsey established its own telephone service in 1968. Both islands still form part of theBritish telephone numbering plan, butOfcom on the mainlines does not have responsibility for telecommunications regulatory and licensing issues on the islands. It is responsible for wireless telegraphy licensing throughout the islands, and by agreement, for broadcasting regulation in the two large islands only. Submarine cables connect the various islands and provide connectivity with England and France.
Modern broadband speeds are available on all of the islands, including full-fibre (FTTH) in Jersey (offering speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s on all broadband connections) andVDSL and some business and homes with fibre connectivity in Guernsey. Providers includeSure andJT.
The two Bailiwicks each have their own internet domain,.GG (Guernsey, Alderney, Sark) and.JE (Jersey), which are managed by channelisles.net.[58]
TheNorman language predominated in the islands until the nineteenth century, when increasing influence from English-speaking settlers and easier transport links led to Anglicisation.[59] There are four main dialects/languages of Norman in the islands,Auregnais (Alderney, extinct in late twentieth century),Dgèrnésiais (Guernsey),Jèrriais (Jersey) andSercquiais (Sark, an offshoot of Jèrriais).[60]
The annual "Muratti", the inter-islandfootball match, is considered the sporting event of the year, although, due to broadcast coverage, it no longer attracts the crowds of spectators, travelling between the islands, that it did during the twentieth century.[63]
Channel Island sportsmen and women compete in theCommonwealth Games for their respective islands and the islands have also been enthusiastic supporters of theIsland Games. Shooting is a popular sport, in which islanders have won Commonwealth medals.[65]
Guernsey's traditional colour for sporting and other purposes is green and Jersey's is red.[66]
This statue of acrapaud (toad) in St Helier represents the traditional nickname for Jersey people
The main islanders have traditional animal nicknames:[67][68]
Guernsey:les ânes ("donkeys" in French and Norman): the steepness of St Peter Port streets required beasts of burden, but Guernsey people also claim it is a symbol of their strength of character – which Jersey people traditionally interpret as stubbornness.
Jersey:les crapauds ("toads" in French and Jèrriais): Jersey has toads and snakes, which Guernsey lacks.
Sark:les corbins ("crows" inSercquiais,Dgèrnésiais andJèrriais,les corbeaux in French): crows could be seen from the sea on the island's coast.
Christianity was brought to the islands around the sixth century; according to tradition, Jersey was evangelised by StHelier, Guernsey by StSamson of Dol, and the smaller islands were occupied at various times by monastic communities representing strands ofCeltic Christianity. At theReformation, the previouslyCatholic islands converted toCalvinism under the influence of an influx of French-language pamphlets published inGeneva.Anglicanism was imposed in the seventeenth century, but theNonconformist local tendency returned with a strong adoption ofMethodism. In the late twentieth century, a strong Catholic presence re-emerged with the arrival of numerous Portuguese workers (both from mainlandPortugal and the island ofMadeira). Their numbers have been reinforced by recent migrants from Poland and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. Today,Evangelical churches have been established. Services are held in a number of languages.
According to 2015 statistics, 39% of the population was non-religious.[69][70]
^Norman:Îles d'la Manche;French:îles Anglo-Normandes orîles de la Manche. The termÎles de la Manche is the official French appellation in the islands themselves, whereas inFrance the usual term isÎles Anglo-Normandes.
^UK Supreme Court, R (on the application of Barclay and another) v. Secretary of State for Justice [2014] UKSC 54[1]Archived 29 October 2014 at theWayback Machine
^"British Nationality Act 1981".Legislation, UK, Acts.Office of Public Sector Information. Archived fromthe original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved14 September 2009.the Islands" means the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man; [...] the United Kingdom" means Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Islands, taken together. [Schedule 1., s. 50 (1)]
Encyclopædia Britannica Vol. 5 (1951), Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Chicago – London – Toronto
Ellis, F H (1937), "The Great Rebellion – Parliamentary invasion",Annual Bulletin de la Société Jersiaise – Republished"This is the eighth part of a 54-page article".The Great Rebellion – Parliamentary invasion. 15 September 2014.
Hamlin, John F. "No 'Safe Haven': Military Aviation in the Channel Islands 1939–1945"Air Enthusiast, No. 83, September/October 1999, pp. 6–15ISSN0143-5450
Moore, David W. (2005),The Other British Isles: A History of Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides, Isle of Man, Anglesey, Scilly, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, McFarland, p. 226,ISBN9780786489244
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