2015 Edition

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 or of the European Union. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Area

land

116 sq km

total

116 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC

Climate

temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Coastline

70 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed elevation 143 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

49 15 N, 2 10 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 66%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%

agricultural land

66%

forest

0%

other

34% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

territorial sea

3 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

arable land

Terrain

gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Age structure

0-14 years

16.02% (male 8,066/female 7,517)

15-24 years

14.52% (male 7,241/female 6,883)

25-54 years

41.31% (male 20,130/female 20,063)

55-64 years

12.24% (male 5,797/female 6,109)

65 years and over

15.92% (male 6,597/female 8,891) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

11.91 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

7.68 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

25.4%

note

data represents the Channel Islands (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

3.9%

total dependency ratio

47%

youth dependency ratio

21.6%

Ethnic groups

Jersey 46.4%, British 32.7%, Portuguese/Madeiran 8.2%, Polish 3.3%, Irish, French, and other white 7.1%, other 2.4% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

3.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

4.03 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.82 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.37 years (2015 est.)

male

79.3 years

total population

81.76 years

Median age

female

41.4 years (2015 est.)

male

36.6 years

total

39 years

Nationality

adjective

Channel Islander

noun

Channel Islander(s)

Net migration rate

3.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Population

97,294 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.8% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant (Anglican, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian), Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.66 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

data is for the Channel Islands

rate of urbanization

0.76% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

31.4% of total population (2014)

Administrative divisions

none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 12 parishes; Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Ouen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, and Trinity

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

49 11 N, 2 06 W

name

Saint Helier

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Bailiwick of Jersey

conventional short form

Jersey

etymology

the name is of Old Norse origin, but the meaning of the root "Jer(s)" is uncertain; the "-ey" ending means "island"

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed individually by the states

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir John MCCOLL (since 26 September 2011)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; Council of Ministers including the chief minister indirectly elected by the Assembly of States; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch

head of government

Chief Minister Ian GORST (18 December 2011); Bailiff Michael BIRT (since 9 July 2009)

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 three lions in yellow; according to tradition, the ships of Jersey - in an attempt to differentiate themselves from English ships flying the horizontal cross of St. George - rotated the cross to the "X" (saltire) configuration; because this arrangement still resembled the Irish cross of St. Patrick, the yellow Plantagenet crown and Jersey coat of arms were added

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Jersey Court of Appeal (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, and 12 judges and organized into Heritage, Family, Probate, and Civil and Criminal Divisions); Royal Court (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, 6 commissioners - part-time judges, and NA lay people referred to as jurats)

judge selection and term of office

Jersey Court of Appeal bailiffs and judges appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; bailiffs and judges appointed for extent of good behavior; Royal Court bailiffs appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; commissioners appointed by the bailiff; jurats appointed by the Electoral College; bailiffs and commissioners appointed for extent of good behavior; jurats appointed until retirement at age 72

subordinate courts

Magistrate's Court; Youth Court; Petty Debts Court; Parish Hall Enquires (a process of preliminary investigation into youth and minor adult offenses to determine need for presentation before a court)

Legal system

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; local statutes

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (58 seats; 49 voting members directly elected by simple majority vote include 8 senators to serve 6-year terms, and 29 deputies and 12 constables or heads of parishes to serve 3-year terms; 5 non-voting members appointed by the monarch include the bailiff, lieutenant governor, dean of Jersey, attorney general, and the solicitor general)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 53; note - starting with the 2014 elections, the number of Senators will be reduced to 8

elections

last held on 27 April 2011 (next to be held in 2014)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Gerard LE FEUVRE

name

"Isle de Siez Nous" (Island Home)

note

adopted 2008; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

National symbol(s)

Jersey cow; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Reform Jersey [Sam MEZEC]

note

most senators and deputies sit as independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

Institute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides business support)

Jersey Hospitality Association [Ian BARNES] (trade association)

Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM] (human rights)

La Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group)

Progress Jersey [Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI] (human rights)

Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or RJA&HS (development and management of the Jersey breed of cattle)

Save Jersey's Heritage (protects heritage through building preservation)

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Budget

expenditures

$851 million (2005)

revenues

$829 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.4% of GDP (2005)

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - overview

Jersey's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. In 2010 the financial services sector accounted for about 50% 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. Tourism accounts for one-quarter of GDP. Living standards come close to those of the UK. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey with the result that an electronics industry has developed, displacing more traditional industries. 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. In October 2014, Jersey signed an OECD agreement to automatically exchange some financial account information to limit tax avoidance and evasion.

Exchange rates

Jersey pounds (JEP) per US dollar

0.607 (2012)

0.607 (2013)

0.6391 (2011 est.)

0.6472 (2010 est)

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

light industrial and electrical goods, dairy cattle, foodstuffs, textiles, flowers

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2%

industry

2%

services

96% (2010)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$57,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-0.3% (FY 2012/13 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.771 billion (FY 2012/13 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.771 billion (FY 2012/13 est.)

$5.786 billion (FY 2011/12)

note

data are in 2013 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking and finance, dairy, electronics

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.7% (2006)

Labor force

53,380 (June 2012)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

14.4% of GDP (2005)

Unemployment rate

1.7% (2012 est.)

2.2% (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption

630.1 million kWh (2004 est.)

Broadcast media

multiple UK terrestrial television broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey; satellite packages available; BBC Radio Jersey and 1 other radio station operating (2009)

Internet country code

.je

Internet users

percent of population

31.9% (2009)

total

29,500

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (UK radio broadcasts carried via local relays) (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

digital telephone system launch announced in 2006 now implemented; fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular density exceeds 100 per 100 persons

general assessment

increasingly modern system, with broadband access

international

country code - 44; submarine cable connectivity to Guernsey, the UK, and France (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

95 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

83,900

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

105 (2004)

total

83,900

Television broadcast stations

2 (UK television carried by local relays with a switch to digital broadcasts scheduled for 2010) (2008)

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Merchant marine

registered in other countries

14 (Gibraltar 1, India 2, Marshall Islands 11) (2010)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Roadways

total

576 km (2010)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

18,615 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

18,688

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

590 (2010 est.)

male

664

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes - international

none