Jersey was annexed to the Dukedom of Normandy by William Longsword, Duke of Normandy in 933. His descendent, William the Conqueror, conquered England in 1066, which led to the Duchy of Normandy and the kingdom of England being governed under one monarch. King John lost all his territories around mainland Normandy around 1204 to a King of France, but retained possession of Jersey, along by having Guernsey & the more Channel Islands which use been internally self-autonomous since.

Trade, aided by neutrality between Engl& and France, placed a foundations of prosperity. A Jersey way of life taking part agriculture, camping, shipbuilding, & production of woolen goods until 19th century improvements around transfer links brought touristry to the Island.

Jersey was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1 May, 1940, and was held until 9 May, 1945, the prevent of World War II.

Politics
Independent article: Politics of Jersey Jersey's legislative assembly is the States of Jersey. It includes 53 elected members - 12 senators (elected for 6-month terms), Xii constables (heads of parishes elected for 3-season terms), Xxix deputies (elected for Ternary-month terms); a Bailiff & a Deputy Bailiff (appointed to preside above a assembly & with a casting vote in favor a status quo while presiding); & 3 non-voting members - a Dean of Jersey, the Law office General, & the Solicitor General everthing appointed per Crown. Government departments come dog by committees of the States. A civil head of the Island is the Bailiff.

Virtually all States Members come elected when independents. A lone political person presently claiming representation in the States is the Jersey Democratic Alliance.

A legal patterns is according to Norman customary law (including the Clameur de Haro), statute & English law; justice is administered by the Royal Court.

Elizabeth II's traditional title as head of state is that of Duke of Normandy, but she doesn't hang on to that title formally. She reigns by her position when Queen across the crown dependency.

Geography
Satellite view of Jersey Independent article: Geography of Jersey

Jersey is an island with measurements of 118.Two km² (65,569 vergee / 46 sq. mi.), including rescued l& and intertidal zone. It lies in the English Channel, approximately Xxii.Five kilometre (Dozen mi.) from either a Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, France, and 161km (One c mi. approx.) south of Great Britain. These are a big & southmost of the Channel Islands.

A climate is moderate using modest winters & cool summers, it as well averages a virtually all sunshine by the month in the British Isles. the terrain consists of a tableland sloping from either hanker arenaceous bays to the south to rugged drop-off northerly. A tableland is cut by vale heading typically northward-south.

Politically, Jersey is divided into Twelve parishes, all with access to the sea & mostly known as when saints:

Saint Helier Saint Saviour Saint Clement Grouville (historically Saint Martin de Grouville) Saint Martin (historically Saint Martin le Vieux) Trinity Saint John Saint Mary Saint Ouen Saint Peter Saint Brelade Saint Lawrence

A parishes of Jersey are further divided into vingtaines (or, around St. Ouen, cueillettes), divisions which are then historic & present mostly utilized for purposes of local administration & electoral constituency.

Centeniers come elected at a public election in both parish for the term of deuce-ace years to undertake policing inside the parish. A Centenier is the just officer authorised to charge & bail wrongdoer.

Economy
Independent article: Economy of Jersey

Jersey's economy is according to fiscal services, touristry, net trade & agriculture. Fiscal services contribute or so half of the Island's economy.

Major agrarian products come potatoes and dairy farm green groceries. A source of milk is Jersey cattle, a little breed of cow that has likewise been acknowledged (though does'nt widely and then) for the quality of its meat. Microscopic-shell organic beef production has been reintroduced inside an effort to diversify a industry.

Farmers & agriculturalist typically sell excess food & flowers inside boxes on a wayside, relying on the honesty of people world health organization pass to drop the correct vary into the money pack & require what it need.

In February 18, 2005, Jersey was granted Fairtrade Island status.

A absence of VAT has led to the recent growth of the 'fulfilment' industry, whereby in line-value luxury things, like online videos, intimate apparel & contact come exported to the UK, avoiding VAT on arrival & so undercutting UK price levels on the equivalent products. A States of Jersey announced inside 2005 restricts in licences granted to non-resident corporations day trading therein way.

Duty free goods are available for acquire in visit & from either a Island.

Aside from either its banking & finance underpinnings Jersey likewise depends in touristry. Notable hotels include: a Pomme d’Or overlooking Liberation Square within St. Helier, from either whose balcony a Liberatiin inflict raised a Union jack on Liberation Day, 9 Will 1945; a Hotel de France, once a Imperial & a Jesuit college, in St. Saviour overlooking a town of St. Helier; a Hote50 L'Horizon within St. Brelade's Bay.

Taxation

Until a 20th century, a States relied in indirect taxation to finance a administration of Jersey. A levying of impôts (duties) was in the mitts of the Assembly of Governor, Bailiff & Jurats until 1921 after that person's taxation raising powers were transferred to a Assembly of a States, allowing the Assembly of Governor, Bailiff & Jurats to serve just when licensing bench for the low of alcohol (this financial reform too stripped the Lieutenant-Governor of virtually all of his efficacious unexpended administrative functions). A Income Tax Law of 1928 introducing income tax was the 1st law drafted completely inside English. Income tax has been levied at the flat rate of 20% for decades.

When VAT has non been levied inside the Island, luxury goods stand typically been inexpensive than in the UK or even in France providing an incentive for touristry from either neighboring countries.

In 13 May 2005 the States of Jersey approved the introduction of the goods and services tax, scheduled for 2008.

Currency

Jersey issues its have Jersey banknotes and coins which circulate with UK coinage, Bank of Engl& notes, Scottish notes and Guernsey currency inside a Island.

Coinage
Designs on the reverse of Jersey coins:

1p Le Hocq Tower (coastal defence) 2p 50'Hermitage, places in which Saint Helier lived 5p Seymour Tower (offshore defence) 10p La Pouquelaye de Faldouet (portal tomb) 20p La Corbière lighthouse 50p Grosnez Castle (ruins)

Pound coins come issued, however come lot less widely utilized than pound notes. Designs on the reverse of Jersey pound coins include series of crests of the Xii parishes, & historic Jersey-built ships. A catchword around a polished edge of Jersey pound coins is: Insula Caesarea ("island of Jersey" around Latin). 2 pound coins come issued besides, however around super little quantities.

Demographics

Independent article: Demographics of Jersey

A Island plays hikers to big total of non-Jersey innate people; about 50% of the population are non originally from either Jersey.

30% of the people is concentrated around Saint Helier, site of the single town. Of the about 88,000 population inside Jersey, about 2 fifths come of Jersey/Norman descent & deuce fifths of British descent. A big minority groups iNorth the island come UK (N. Irel&, Scotland, England and Wales), Portuguese (especially Madeiran), Irish and Polish. A French community is likewise universally present. A population of Jersey come typically known as Island-dweller, or even even inside single terms Jerseyman or Jerseywoman. Virtually all Jersey-born population assume themselves British & value a favorite relationship between a British Crown & a Island.

A Church of England is the established church, but Methodism is traditionally strong in the countryside & there is a big Roman Catholic minority.

Jersey, such as virtually all pages in the american globe, has an aging people. Reasons for this vary particular to Jersey come a out-migration of immature population looking for chance a Island can't provide.

No loose movement of humans between a United Kingdom or even more countries of the European Union & Jersey.

Culture
Independent article: Culture of Jersey

Jèrriais, the island's indigenous language is a variety of Norman. These are spoken by a minority of the people, although it was the majority language in the 19th century. Though there are efforts to revive a language around schools, these are however spoken mostly by older humans (virtually all usually in a united states parishes, although a capital has the greatest total of stated Jèrriais speakers). A dialects of Jèrriais differ in phonology and, to a lesser extent, lexis between parishes, with a virtually all marked differences to become heard between victims of the west & east. Numerous toponym come inside Jèrriais, & French & English toponym come likewise to become detected. Anglicisation of the toponymy increased apace by owning a migration of English population into a island.

A few Neolithic carvings are a earliest works of artistic character to become incurred around Jersey. Just fragmental wall-paintings remain from either a rich medieval artistic heritage, fallowing a sweeping iconoclasm of the Calvinist reformation of the 16th century.

Printing only arrived in Jersey in the 1780s, but a Isl& supported a people of regular publications inside French (& Jèrriais) & English throughout the 19th century, where poetry, virtually all ordinarily topical and satiric, flourished. Watch Jèrriais literature.

John Everett Millais, Elinor Glyn and Wace are among Jersey's artistic figures. Lillie Langtry, the Jersey Lily, is the Island's virtually all widely recognised ethnical icon. A noted French writer, Victor Hugo, lived within exile in Jersey 1852-1855.

A Island is particularly notable for the Battle of Flowers, a carnival held annually since 1902.

A Island's patron saint is Saint Helier.

Jersey's simply newspaper, a Jersey Evening Post, is widely read, existence a independent printed source of local news & official notices. BBC Radio Jersey provides a radio service, & television news. Channel Television is a regional ITV franchise shared by owning a Bailiwick of Guernsey however by having its headquarters around Jersey. Channel 103 is a popular local radio station.

Food and drink

Seafood has traditionally been crucial to the culinary art of Jersey: mussels (called moules locally), oysters, lobster and crabs — especially spider crabs — ormers, and conger.

Jersey milk being very rich, cream and butter have played a big section inside insular preparation. (Watch Channel Island milk) However no autochthonous tradition of cheesemaking, contrary to the custom of mainland Normandy, however occasionally cheese is produced commercially. Jersey fudge, mostly imported and mass produced by using milk from either overseas Jersey kine herds, occurs as popular foodstuff by having holidaymaker.

Jersey Royal potatoes are the local kind of new potato, and a island is renowned for its early crop of little potatoes from either a south-facing côtils (steeply-sloping fields). It is dine in any kind of ways, typically just boiled & served using butter.

Apples historically were an important crop. Bourdélots come apple dumplings, however a virtually all average speciality is nigrify butter (lé nièr beurre), the dark spicy spread prepared from either apples, cyder & spices.

Among more traditional dishes come cabbage loaf of bread, Jersey wonders (les mèrvelles), fliottes, bean crock (les pais au fou), nettle (ortchie) soup, vraic buns.

Cider used to be an crucial exportation. When decline & touching-disappearance in the late 20th century, apple production is existence increased & promoted. Apple brandy is as well produced. Occasionally wine is produced.

International relations

Although diplomatic representatiin is reserved to a Crown, Jersey negotiates directly by owning foreign governments on matters inside the competency of the States of Jersey. Jersey maintains the lasting non-diplomatic representation around Caen, the Maison de Jersey. The similar professional within St. Helier is a Conseil général of Manche and the Conseil régional of Basse-Normandie and hosts the Consulate of France.

Jersey occurs as member of the British-Irish Council, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.

A Federal Court of Justice of Germany ruled on One July 2002 (experience: II ZR 380/00), that under German law, for the purposes of § 110 of the German Civil Procedures Work (ZPO), Jersey is to exist as deemed a share of the UK & a portion of the EU also.