Overview
Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil that Germany occupied in World War II. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of the main island of Guernsey and a number of smaller islands, including Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. The Bailiwick is a self-governing British Crown dependency that is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
Geography
- Location
- Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
- Total Area
- 78 sq km
- Climate
- temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
- Terrain
- mostly flat with low hills in southwest
- Natural Resources
- cropland
- Coastline
- 50 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 67,923 (2025 est.)
- Languages
- English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
- Religions
- Protestant (Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist), Roman Catholic
- Ethnic Groups
- Guernsey 53.5%, UK and Ireland 23.8%, Portugal 2.1%, Latvia 1.4%, other Europe 2.7%, other Crown Dependencies 0.7%, other 5.3%, unspecified 10.5% (2022 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 83.6 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 31.2% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy (States of Deliberation)
- Capital
- Saint Peter Port
- Independence
- none (British Crown dependency)
- Constitution
- unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice
- Legal System
- customary system based on Norman customary law; includes elements of the French civil code and English common law
- Executive Branch
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant-Governor Richard CRIPWELL (since 15 February 2022)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- high-income English Channel island economy; strong financial sector but stressed due to COVID-19 disruptions; manufacturing, tourism, and construction industries suffered but expected to recover; stable inflation; maintains independent taxation authority
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $12.508 billion (2023 est.)
- Major Industries
- tourism, banking