Member Profile

Guernsey

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LOCATION AND COMMUNICATION LINKS

Guernsey is the second largest of the Channel Islands and is situated some 80 miles south of the English mainland. The islands lie adjacent to the coast of France and the Bailiwick of Guernsey includes the smaller Channel Islands of Alderney, Sark, Herm and Jethou.

Car ferries operate throughout the year and the latest high speed service by Condor Express covers the journey from the UK mainland in two and a half hours. There are also regular crossings to the French port of St. Malo. In addition, there are daily domestic flights to all major UK airports as well as air services to France.

GEOGRAPHY

Guernsey is triangular in shape with a land mass of some 24 square miles. The island slopes from south to north, with rocky cliffs running the full length of the south coast, providing miles of unspoilt cliff path walks with unbroken views towering some 300 feet above sea level, all undisturbed by traffic. Sloping gently to the north, the high ground gives way to many fine sweeping bays with sandy beaches on the west coast, punctuated by rocks, headlands and old fortresses waiting to be explored. To the east lies the capital town of St. Peter Port, which is built on the hillside, with its magnificent views overlooking the harbour, the marinas and the outlying islands. The whole area is guarded by the ancient Castle Cornet which was built in 1294. Due north is St. Sampson’s, the second largest town and commercial centre of the island. The hinterland offers many shaded valleys and there is an abundance of agricultural land. Bird life and and wild flowers offer a profusion of different species which excite birdwatchers and botanists alike. It is to the constant delight of the visitors that they only have to go a few miles to experience changes of scenery that, in bigger countries, would only be seen in hundreds of miles of travel.

POPULATION AND MAJOR CENTRES

At the 2007 census the population of the Island was 61,811, of whom over 35,000 were born locally. The majority of the population live in and around St. Peter Port, and in the smaller centres of St. Sampson’s and St. Martin’s villages. The remainder are equally spread around the other parishes of the island.

HISTORY

The Channel Islands became part of the Norman realms in 933 A.D. following the treaty of St. Clair-sur-Epte. Later, in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, landed his conquering army in Sussex and became William I of England. His Duchy of Normandy included the Channel Islands — Les lles de Normandy — and these became part of the combined realm of England. In 1204 King John lost most of the Duchy of Normandy, but the Channel Islands chose to remain loyal to the English Crown. This loyalty was rewarded by charter granting independence which successive Monarchs have confirmed on their succession to the throne. Guernsey is self-governing and has developed laws and customs over the centuries that are different from the United Kingdom. It is responsible for raising its own taxes and is not dependent on the United Kingdom for its existence. It considers itself to be British. Its relationship with the European Union is governed by Protocol three of the Treaty of Rome, under which Guernsey is not eligible for EU Funding.

GOVERNMENT

The Island parliament is called the States of Deliberation, usually referred simply as “the States”. All of its members are elected by popular vote, there are no party politics in the Island and the Constitution of the States differs from that of the British House of Commons. States Members consist of forty-five People’s Deputies, whose term of office is for four years. In addition, there are two Law Officers of the Crown and presiding over the assembly, with a casting vote only, is the Bailiff, who is the civil head of the Island appointed by the crown. Finally two representatives of the States of Alderney hold a seat in the House. Both Alderney and Sark enjoy differing degrees of independence, each with its own legislature and its own judicial systems which are subordinate to the Royal Court of Guernsey. The work of the States, which form the central government of the Island, is handled by a number of Departments, set up to deal with various fields such as Commerce and Employment, Education, Environment, Health and Social Services, Housing, Policy Council, Treasury and Resources and other infrastructures of Island life.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Whilst English is the major language spoken by the inhabitants, French and Norman French dialect are commonly spoken. Some islanders still speak in their native Guernsey French patois and efforts are being made to maintain it as a living tongue. Visitors are fascinated and sometimes surprised by the mixture of English and French place names and of the differences that remind them that they have crossed the Channel and are no longer in the United Kingdom. There is a strong desire to keep the ancient heritage of island life and traditions and several societies exist to ensure that they are not lost for future generations. Music and the Arts form part of a large part of the social fabric of the island.

ECONOMY

Guernsey receives no grant of any kind from the United Kingdom Government and the island has a self-supporting economy with its own income tax and customs and excise services which enables the it to enjoy a low taxation. Today the mainstays of its £1,702 million Gross National Product (2007) are financial services, tourism, horticulture, farming, fishing and light industry. The offshore banking, insurance and fund management activities, strictly regulated by law, have made the island a major international financial centre, providing about fifty-five per cent of the island’s income from abroad.

TOURISM

As a tourist economy Guernsey has grown steadily in popularity since World War II, but the authorities have been watchful to see that the island does not become too commercialised. The island was a pioneer of hotel grading in the British Isles, adopting its own ‘Crown’ system with all hotel, guest houses and self catering accommodation being officially registered, inspected and graded annually. This policy has helped to develop tourism into an industry worth in the region of £70 million per year, catering for some 316,000 visitors (2006) of which it is estimated that some 20,000 will visit the Island for sporting purposes.

SPORT AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Guernsey’s long history of sporting excellence can be judged by the success of many of it sportsmen and sportswomen who have attained the highest levels in their chosen sport, competing in World, Olympic, Commonwealth, British and European Championships, winning several medals and becoming record holders. There are over 70 different governing bodies for sport and leisure activities in the Island, all of whom are directly linked to UK National and/or International Federations and it is estimated that some 20,000 of the population take part in these activities. The island has some of the most modern and up to date sporting facilities in place. Complementing the Beau Sejour Leisure Centre, which consists of a swimming pool, two sports halls, squash courts and fitness centre and which was the headquarters of the 1987 Island Games and the 2003 NatWest Island Games, is a new Indoor Tennis Centre, a new Athletics all-weather track with full field events facilities and covered stand, the enlarged Indoor Bowls Stadium and many other private premises catering for several other sports. The government of the island, recognising the benefits which sport can bring to both the economy and to its inhabitants, are investing in new facilities and providing grants to many sports organisations to do so, also grants to enable their members to take part in competitions outside of the island, such as the Island Games in order that they may achieve a higher standard of excellence.

The Island Games Association of Guernsey plays a large part in the sporting life of the Island, having competed in every Games since 1985 and having already hosted the 1987 and 2003 Games.

Owen Le Vallee

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