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Facts on Jersey

Courtesy of the CIA World Facts

 

Introduction

 Jersey

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Background:

Definition Field Listing
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.

 

Geography

Jersey

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Location:

Definition Field Listing
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France

Geographic coordinates:

Definition Field Listing
49 15 N, 2 10 W

Map references:

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Europe

Area:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

Definition Field Listing
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

Definition Field Listing
0 km

Coastline:

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70 km

Maritime claims:

Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate:

Definition Field Listing
temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Terrain:

Definition Field Listing
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Elevation extremes:

Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m

Natural resources:

Definition Field Listing
arable land

Land use:

Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

Definition Field Listing
NA

Natural hazards:

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NA

Environment - current issues:

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NA

Geography - note:

Definition Field Listing
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier

 

People

 Jersey

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Population:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
91,084 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:

Definition Field Listing
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:

Definition Field Listing
total: 41.4 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:

Definition Field Listing
0.28% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.3 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:

Definition Field Listing
2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:

Definition Field Listing
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:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 79.38 years
male: 76.89 years
female: 82.05 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA

Nationality:

Definition Field Listing
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups:

Definition Field Listing
Jersey 51.1%, British 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%, Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)

Religions:

Definition Field Listing
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian

Languages:

Definition Field Listing
English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)

Literacy:

Definition Field Listing
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

 

Government

 Jersey

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Country name:

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

Dependency status:

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British crown dependency

Government type:

Definition Field Listing
NA

Capital:

Definition Field Listing
name: Saint Helier
geographic coordinates: 49 12 N, 2 07 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

Definition Field Listing
none (British crown dependency)

Independence:

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none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:

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Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution:

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unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system:

Definition Field Listing
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Suffrage:

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NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:

Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14 June 2006); 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:

Definition Field Listing
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:

Definition Field Listing
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:

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none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:

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none

Diplomatic representation in the US:

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none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

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none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:

Definition Field Listing
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

 

Economy

 Jersey

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Economy - overview:

Definition Field Listing
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):

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3.6 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

Definition Field Listing
NA

GDP - real growth rate:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$40,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2%
services: 93% (1996)

Labor force:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
52,790 (2004)

Unemployment rate:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.9% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:

Definition Field Listing
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.3% (2004)

Budget:

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

Agriculture - products:

Definition Field Listing
potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Industries:

Definition Field Listing
tourism, banking and finance, dairy

Industrial production growth rate:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%

Electricity - consumption:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
630.1 million kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - imports:

Definition Field Listing
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France

Exports:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA

Exports - commodities:

Definition Field Listing
light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners:

Definition Field Listing
UK (2004)

Imports:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA

Imports - commodities:

Definition Field Listing
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:

Definition Field Listing
UK (2004)

Debt - external:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:

Definition Field Listing
$0

Currency (code):

Definition Field Listing
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound

Exchange rates:

Definition Field Listing
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:

Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March

Communications

 Jersey

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Telephones - main lines in use:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
73,900 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
83,900 (2004)

Telephone system:

Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 3 submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations:

Definition Field Listing
AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

Definition Field Listing
2 (1997)

Internet country code:

Definition Field Listing
.je

Internet hosts:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,240 (2006)

Internet users:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
27,000 (2005)

 

Transportation

 Jersey

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Airports:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:

Definition Field Listing
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:

Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 577 km

Ports and terminals:

Definition Field Listing
Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

 

Military

 Jersey

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Military - note:

Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK

 

Transnational Issues

 Jersey

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Disputes - international:

Definition Field Listing
none

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