Jersey

Basic Data

Jersey is the largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands, which lie northwest of France in the English Channel. Along with the other Channel Islands, it once belonged to the medieval Dukedom of Normandy and was the only British soil occupied by Nazi troops. Because Jersey is a British crown dependency, the chief of state is the British Monarch. A London-appointed Lieutenant Governor heads the government and presides over a unicameral Assembly of the States. The population of Jersey is nearly 89,000. The official languages are English and French, but a Norman-French dialect is widely spoken in rural districts. Jersey is most widely known for its signature breed of dairy cattle that contribute to the export of milk products, but financial services in fact comprise the greatest contributor to the island's economy. Tourism also plays an important role, as does agriculture, especially flowers.

Citizens of Jersey enjoy the press and speech freedoms of England. The Jersey Evening Post is the only newspaper published in Jersey. Founded in 1890 as the Evening Post, the English-language publication is now part of the Guiton Group, a media company with interests throughout the Channel Islands. The Jersey Evening Post publishes Monday through Saturday; daily circulation is approximately 23,000 and it is available online.

There is one FM radio station and one television station.