Jersey

§1. Jersey Introduction

Background:
  Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the
  medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England.
  These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World
  War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK.

§2. Jersey Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  49 15 N, 2 10 W

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 116 kmē
  land: 116 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

Area - comparative:
  about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  70 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 3 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate:
  temperate; mild winters and cool summers

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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: unnamed location 143 m

Natural resources:
  arable land

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA

Natural hazards:
  NA

Environment - current issues:
  NA

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

§3. Jersey People

Population:
  91,084 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.2% (male 8,139/female 7,552)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 30,407/female 30,691)
  65 years and over: 15.7% (male 6,299/female 7,996) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 41.4 years
  male: 40.7 years
  female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.28% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  9.3 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  9.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.38 years
  male: 76.89 years
  female: 82.05 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

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

Ethnic groups:
  Jersey 51.1%, British 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%,
  Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)

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

Languages:
  English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: NA
  total population: NA%
  male: NA%
  female: NA%

§4. Jersey Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
  conventional short form: Jersey

Dependency status:
  British crown dependency

Government type:
  NA

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; justice is administered by the Royal Court

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 Chief
    Marshal Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001); Bailiff Philip Martin
    BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
  cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff
    appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators (elected
  for six-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes (elected for
  three-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for three-year terms); the bailiff
  and the deputy bailiff; and three non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey,
  the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all appointed by the
  monarch)
  elections: last held NA (next to be held NA); note - on 23 November 2005,
    29 deputies, independents, were elected
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55

Judicial branch:
  Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:
  none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:
  white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in
  the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with the
  three lions of England in yellow

§5. Jersey Economy

Economy - overview:
  Jersey's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture,
  and tourism. In 1996, the finance sector accounted for about 60% of the
  island's output. 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 income
  earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. Tourism accounts
  for 24% of GDP. 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. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular
  tax haven. Living standards come close to those of the UK.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $3.6 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $40,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 5%
  industry: 2%
  services: 93% (1996)

Labor force:
  52,790 (2004)

Unemployment rate:
  0.9% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5.3% (2004)

Budget:
  revenues: $601 million
  expenditures: $588 million; including capital expenditures of $98 million
    (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Industries:
  tourism, banking and finance, dairy

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - consumption:
  630.1 million kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - imports:
  NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France

Exports:
  $NA

Exports - commodities:
  light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners:
  UK (2004)

Imports:
  $NA

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral
  fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
  UK (2004)

Debt - external:
  $NA

Economic aid - recipient:
  $0

Currency (code):
  British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound

Exchange rates:
  Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003),
  0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

§6. Jersey Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  73,900 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  81,200 (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: 3 submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .je

Internet hosts:
  1,162 (2005)

Internet users:
  27,000 (2005)

§7. Jersey Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

§8. Jersey Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the UK

§9. Jersey Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
