Jersey WATCH 38
Amalgam 38: kinetic 52 × w 0.73 + structural 0 (UCDP) × 0.27 · kinetic z 0.15 · GDELT 48h: 110 events, conflict 11.8%, tone -1.14
Factbook dossier
Background
Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil that Germany occupied in World War II. The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown dependency, which means that it is not part of the UK but is rather a self-governing possession of the British Crown. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
Location
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
Area
total : 116 sq km land: 116 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources
arable land
Natural hazards
very large tidal variation can be hazardous to navigation
Population
total: 103,944 (2025 est.) male: 51,317 female: 52,627
Ethnic groups
Jersey 44.4%, British 30.5%, Portuguese/Madeiran 9.4%, Polish 3%, Irish 2.1%, other 10.6% (2021 est.)
Languages
English (official) 94.5%, Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (includes French (official) and Jerriais) (2001 est.) note: data represent main spoken language; the traditional language of Jersey is Jerriais or Jersey French (a Norman language), which was spoken by fewer than 3,000 people as of 2001; two thirds of Jerriais speakers are aged 60 and over
Religions
Christian 85.2%, Baha'i 0.3%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish 0.1%, Muslim 0.1%, atheist 1.1%, agnostic 13.1% (2020 est.)
Environmental issues
habitat and species loss; water pollution; improper solid-waste disposal
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Assembly of the States of Jersey)
Capital
name: Saint Helier geographic coordinates: 49 11 N, 2 06 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 etymology: named after Saint HELIER, the patron saint of Jersey, who was reputedly martyred on the island in A.D. 555
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant Governor Jerry KYD (since 8 October 2022) head of government: Chief Minister Lyndon FARNHAM (since 25 January 2024); Bailiff Timothy Le COCQ (since 17 October 2019) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed individually by the states election/appointment process: 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
Legislative branch
legislature name: Assembly of the States of Jersey legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 54 (49 directly elected, 5 appointed) term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 6/22/2022 parties elected and seats per party: BW (35); RJ (10); JLC (2); JA (1); PP (1) percentage of women in chamber: 42.9% expected date of next election: 2026 note: 5 non-voting members appointed by the monarch include the bailiff, lieutenant governor, dean of Jersey, attorney general, and the solicitor general
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$5.569 billion (2016 est.) $5.514 billion (2015 est.) $4.98 billion (2014 est.) note: data are in 2015 dollars
Exports - partners
almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)
Imports - partners
almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)