Guernsey

Description

Guernsey is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands. It is 27 miles west of the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy. Guernsey is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. This group includes five other islands: Alderney, Herm, Jethou, Lihou, and Sark, plus many small rocks. The island is 24 square miles in size. Most of the bailiwick's 63,950 people live here.

History

Guernsey was part of the Duchy of Normandy until 1204. After that, it stayed loyal to the English crown. During the Second World War, it was occupied by Nazi Germany for five years. It was freed on 9 May 1945. This day is celebrated each year as Liberation Day.

Government

Today, Guernsey is a self-governing dependency of the British Crown. It is not part of the United Kingdom. The British monarch is the head of state. The head of government is the President of the Policy and Resources Committee. The island's parliament and government is called the States of Guernsey. It is divided into ten parishes. Its main town is Saint Peter Port.

Economy

Guernsey's main industries are financial services, tourism, and agriculture. Its cattle are very famous.

Culture

Guernsey's culture has strong British influences. It uses the pound sterling and English as its main language. It also has Norman and French culture influences. The traditional language is Guernésiais. The famous French writer Victor Hugo lived in Guernsey for fifteen years. He wrote some of his best-known works there.

Toponymy

The name "Guernsey", like that of nearby Jersey, comes from old Old Norse words. The part "‑ey" means "island" in Old Norse. The first part, "guern(s)", is not fully known — it might come from an old name or perhaps from a word for spruce or pine.

Guernsey has had other names throughout history, such as the Lenur islands, Sarnia, Lisia for Guernsey, and Angia for Jersey.

History

Main article: History of Guernsey

See also: Maritime history of the Channel Islands, Archaeology of the Channel Islands, and German occupation of the Channel Islands

Early history

Around 6000 BC, rising seas created the English Channel and separated the Norman promontories that became the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey from continental Europe. Neolithic farmers then settled on its coast and built the dolmens and menhirs found in the islands today, showing people lived there as far back as 5000 BC.

Evidence of Roman settlements on the island, and the discovery of amphorae from the Herculaneum area and Spain, show the island was part of a trading network with other places. Buildings found in La Plaiderie, St. Peter Port from 100 to 400 AD look like warehouses. The earliest evidence of a ship was a wreck found in St Peter Port harbour, named Asterix. It seems to be a ship from the 3rd century AD and may have caught fire while at anchor. Travelling from the Kingdom of Gwent, Saint Sampson, later the abbot of Dol in Brittany, brought Christianity to Guernsey.

Middle Ages

In 933, the Cotentin Peninsula, including Avranchin, was placed under the control of William I by the French King Ranulf. The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands are the last parts of the medieval Duchy of Normandy.

About the year 1030, a storm scattered the fleet of Robert, Duke of Normandy, which was to support his cousins Alfred and Edward in their claim to the English crown. The Duke was taken to St. Michael's Abbey. As a thank you, he gave lands to the abbot and allowed them to extend to the northwest of the island when settlers could clear the land. He also gave them workers to build St. Michael's Castle and other forts.

Around the middle of the eleventh century, Guernsey was attacked by pirates who built a castle called Le Château des Sarrasins. Duke William of Normandy (later the Conqueror) sent Sampson d'Anneville to fight them. As a reward in 1061, he gave half of the western part of the island to Sampson. Sampson brought many people from Normandy to live there, and Duke William gave lands in Guernsey to other Norman landowners.

Most of Guernsey was soon farmed, and the island was divided into ten parishes. Each area had a court to settle disputes, and the Abbot of St. Michael and the Seigneur d'Anneville had the right to deal with serious crimes, keeping order even before England was conquered by the Normans.

In 1204, when King John lost the French lands of the Duchy to Philip II of France, the islands stayed part of the Kingdom of England. The islands were recognised as part of Henry III's lands by the 1259 Treaty of Paris.

During the Middle Ages, the island was a safe place for pirates who would guide ships onto the rocks near the island. This became worse during the Hundred Years War, when the island was occupied several times starting in 1339 by the Capetians. The Guernsey Militia was first mentioned in 1331 and helped defend the island for many years.

In 1372, the island was invaded by Aragonese mercenaries led by Owain Lawgoch, who worked for the French king. Owain and his men became part of Guernsey legend as invading fairies from across the sea.

Early modern period

As part of peace between England and France, Pope Sixtus IV issued in 1483 a papal bull saying the islands were neutral. Anyone harming Islanders would be removed from the church. A royal charter in 1548 confirmed this. The French tried to invade Jersey in 1549 but were defeated. This neutrality lasted until William III of England ended it due to privateering against Dutch ships.

In the mid-16th century, the island was influenced by Calvinist reformers from Normandy. During a time of harsh treatment of some religious groups, three women died for their Protestant beliefs.

During the English Civil War, Guernsey supported the Parliamentarians. However, there were some who supported the king in the southwest, and Castle Cornet was held by the Governor, Sir Peter Osborne. In December 1651, Castle Cornet surrendered, the last place in the British Isles to do so.

Wars with France and Spain in the 17th and 18th centuries let Guernsey shipowners turn their cargo ships into privateering vessels.

By the early 18th century, Guernsey people began to move to North America, founding Guernsey County in Ohio in 1810. The threat from Napoleon led to building many defences. The early 19th century brought more wealth from global maritime trade and the stone industry. However, maritime trade declined when sailing ships were replaced by newer technologies.

Le Braye du Valle was a channel that made the northern part of Guernsey an island at high tide. It was drained in 1806 by the British Government for defence. The eastern end became the town and harbour of St Sampson's, now the second largest port in Guernsey. New roads were built and old roads improved for military use. Infrastructure was funded by creating money without debt starting in 1815.

Contemporary period

During the First World War, about 3,000 men from the island served in the British Expeditionary Force. About 1,000 were in the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry formed from the Royal Guernsey Militia in 1916.

From June 1940, during the Second World War, the Channel Islands were occupied by German troops. Some people left the island before the occupation. Most children returned home after the war ended in 1945. The German forces built many defences, which can still be seen today. Guernsey and Jersey were freed on 9 May 1945, a day now celebrated as Liberation Day.

After the war, the island repaired buildings and the tomato industry grew again until the 1970s. Tourism stayed important, and finance businesses grew, becoming major employers. Guernsey's ties with the UK remain strong despite Brexit.

Geography

Guernsey is an island in the Mont Saint-Michel Bay. It is close to 49°35′N 2°20′W / 49.583°N 2.333°W / 49.583; -2.333. With Herm and some smaller islands, it covers 71 square kilometres (27 sq mi). The coastline is about 46 kilometres (29 mi) long. The highest point is 110 m (360 ft) at Hautnez.

The waters around Guernsey have many small islands, rocks, and reefs. The tides change a lot, so sailing can be difficult. These tides help create rich places for wildlife.

Guernsey has mild winters and summers. July and August are the warmest months, with temperatures around 20 °C (68 °F). February is the coldest month, about 7 °C (44 °F). Snow is rare, and the island does not often get below freezing. December, November, and January are the wettest months. July is usually the sunniest.

The island wants to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Climate

Geology

Main article: Geology of Guernsey

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Guernsey and Elections in Guernsey

Guernsey is a self-governing parliamentary representative democracy and a British Crown Dependency. The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey represents the Crown. Since 2022, this role has been held by Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell. Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom, but the British Government takes care of its defence and most foreign relations.

The whole area, including Alderney and Sark, is called the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

States of Guernsey

Main article: States of Guernsey

The States of Guernsey is the island's governing body, also called the States of Deliberation. It has 38 elected members who serve for four years. There are also two representatives from Alderney. The Bailiff leads the group. Laws need approval from the British Government before they can be used.

Legal system

Main article: Law of Guernsey

Guernsey's laws are based on old customs and ideas from English law. The Bailiff is the main judge and leader of the government. There are also sixteen Jurats who help with decisions. The Royal Court handles most legal matters.

External relations

Main article: External relations of Guernsey

Guernsey is not part of the European Union, but it had special ties with it until Brexit. Now, there are more rules for travel and trade.

Parishes

Main article: Parishes of Guernsey

Guernsey has ten parishes. Each parish is run by a group called a Douzaine. Members are elected to help with local affairs. Each parish also has two Constables who carry out decisions.

Economy

Financial services like banking, fund management, and insurance are very important to Guernsey. Tourism, making things, and growing plants like tomatoes and flowers are smaller parts of the economy. Guernsey has low taxes, which makes it a popular place for private money.

Guernsey does not have its own big bank but makes its own coins and money. People in Guernsey can use both Guernsey money and UK money. Guernsey has a special code to identify it, which is GG for short and GGY for longer names.

In 2016, over 32,000 people had jobs in Guernsey. About 20% of these jobs were in finance.

Infrastructure

Public things like water, the harbours, and the airport are controlled by Guernsey. Electricity and postal services are run by companies owned by Guernsey.

Gas comes from a private company. In 1998, Guernsey and Jersey started working together to manage electricity cables between Europe and the islands. These cables are now the main way the islands get power.

Guernsey used to run its own telephone service, but it was sold and is now run by a different company. There are other companies that also provide mobile service.

The postal boxes and telephone boxes in Guernsey are blue, like in the UK, but some telephone boxes are yellow. The oldest post box still in use in the UK and Ireland is in Guernsey and is from 1853.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Guernsey

The main way people get around Guernsey is by car. There are many small roads where pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders have priority.

Buses in Guernsey are run by a company called Buses.gg. In their first year, people took 1.7 million bus trips.

Guernsey Airport is the only airport and flies to the UK, Alderney, Jersey, and some other places. Guernsey owns its own airline called Aurigny.

Saint Peter Port Harbour is the main port. There are ferries to the UK, France, and sometimes Jersey. In the summer, many cruise ships visit Guernsey.

Business

As of 2014^[update], the finance industry is the biggest part of Guernsey's money-making, creating about 40% of the island's GDP and giving jobs to about 21% of its workers. Banks started coming to Guernsey in the 1960s to avoid high taxes and strict rules. The person who watches over this industry is the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, started in 1987. In 2015, Guernsey and Jersey made a group to help solve problems with money services.

Before finance became big, Guernsey made things from stone and grew plants. Guernsey is home to Specsavers Optical Group, and Healthspan also has its main office here.

Tourism

Guernsey has been a place for tourists since the Victorian times, with the first tourist guide published in 1834. In the 1800s, two train companies from the UK raced to bring people to Guernsey.

Guernsey takes part in Britain in Bloom, with different places winning awards. The island has many old buildings and museums.

Many big ships stop at Guernsey each year, bringing over 100,000 visitors for the day.

Taxation

Guernsey, Alderney and Sark each collect their own taxes, although in 1949 Alderney gave some of its tax rights to Guernsey.

People who live in Guernsey pay income tax at 20% on all their money, but there is a limit to how much tax they pay. People who do not live in Guernsey only pay tax on money they make or own in Guernsey. Since 2019, the limits on how much tax people pay have gone up.

Guernsey has different levels of tax for companies depending on what kind of money they make. Some companies pay 0% tax, some pay 10%, and some pay 20%. Guernsey is sometimes called a tax haven. Tax money makes up 22.4% of Guernsey's total money.

People who work and earn money pay a certain amount in social insurance, and there are different rates for different kinds of workers.

Society

The population of Guernsey is about 63,026 people. Men are usually 40 years old, and women are usually 42 years old.

People in Guernsey live long lives. Men often live about 80 years, and women often live about 85 years.

Guernsey follows the same travel and immigration rules as the United Kingdom. After the UK left the European Union, people from European Union countries other than the UK or Ireland need a visa to visit Guernsey unless they are just visiting for a short time. Workers from outside the UK need special documents to live and work there.

Guernsey has special housing rules to manage its population. Some homes are for everyone, but others are only for people who meet certain conditions, like being born on the island or having special permission to live there. These rules help control who can live on the island and keep housing affordable for some people.

Education

Main article: Education in Guernsey

Guernsey's schools use the same learning plan as schools in England. There are 10 primary schools, two junior schools, and three infant schools.

Students can stay in school until they are 16. After that, they can choose to go to a special center for older students or attend private colleges to study more advanced subjects. There are no universities on the island, but students can go to universities in the United Kingdom with help from the government for costs.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Guernsey

The famous French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir visited Guernsey in 1883. He painted many pictures of the beautiful views, especially the bay and beach at Moulin Huet on the south coast.

Guernsey cattle are well-known around the world. These cows give rich, creamy milk, and their beef is special and tasty. There is also a unique breed of goat called the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat. One woman saved them during difficult times.

Guernsey is also famous for its special foods. One popular dish is Guernsey bean jar, a warm stew made with beans, pork, and beef. Another treat is Guernsey gâche, a sweet bread with raisins.

English is the main language spoken today, but the local language, Guernésiais, is still remembered by some people. This language is part of the Norman language family.

The writer Victor Hugo lived in Guernsey for fifteen years and wrote some of his most famous books there, including Les Misérables. His home, Hauteville House, is now a museum.

Guernsey has its own ways of playing sports. The island takes part in the Island Games and the Commonwealth Games. Football is very popular, and Guernsey has its own league. Rugby, tennis, and even racing on the beach are also enjoyed by many.