75-458: 49°27′58″N 2°32′46″W / 49.466°N 2.546°W / 49.466; -2.546 The GY postcode area , also known as Guernsey postcode area , its post town, is a group of 10 consecutive postal districts covering Guernsey , Alderney , Sark , Herm and the two inhabited lesser islets in that region of the Channel Islands . It was established in 1993 as an extension of
150-549: A tidal island . Le Braye du Valle was drained and reclaimed in 1806 by the British Government as a defence measure. The eastern end of the former channel became the town and harbour (from 1820) of St Sampson's , now the second biggest port in Guernsey. The western end of La Braye is now Le Grand Havre. The roadway called "The Bridge" across the end of the harbour at St Sampson's recalls the bridge that formerly linked
225-757: A 30-year bond in December 2015 for £330m, its first bond in 80 years. The island has been given a credit rating of AA-/A-1+ with a stable outlook from Standard & Poor's . Pound sterling King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee Sterling ( ISO code : GBP )
300-403: A complex geological evolution (especially the rocks of the southern complex) with multiple phases of intrusion and deformation recognisable. Guernsey is composed of nine main rock types; two of these are granites and the rest gneiss . Guernsey is a parliamentary representative democracy and a British Crown Dependency . The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the "representative of
375-520: A local currency that is pegged to the U.S. dollar or the New Zealand dollar . The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (in Cyprus ) use the euro. Since decimalisation on Decimal Day in 1971, the pound has been divided into 100 pence (denoted on coinage, until 1981, as "new pence"). The symbol for the penny is "p"; hence an amount such as 50p (£0.50) properly pronounced "fifty pence"
450-644: A parish meeting each year. The senior Douzenier is known as the Doyen (Dean). Two elected Constables ( Connétables ) carry out the decisions of the Douzaine, serving for between one and three years. The longer serving Constable is known as the Senior Constable and his or her colleague as the Junior Constable. The Douzaines levy an Occupiers Rate on properties to provide funding for running of
525-399: A penny", "two and a penny", etc. 5 shillings, for example, was written as "5 s ." or, more commonly, "5/–" (five shillings, no pence). Various coin denominations had, and in some cases continue to have, special names, such as florin (2/–), crown (5/–), half crown (2/6 d ), farthing ( 1 ⁄ 4 d ), sovereign (£1) and guinea (21s, 21/–, £1–1–0 or £1.05 in decimal notation). By
600-413: A popular offshore finance centre for private-equity funds . Guernsey does not have a Central Bank and it issues its own sterling coinage and banknotes . UK coinage and (English, Scottish and Northern Irish-faced) banknotes also circulate freely and interchangeably. Total island investment funds, used to fund pensions and future island costs, amount to £2.7billion as at June 2016. The island issued
675-421: A tidal range of 10 metres (33 feet) and fast currents of up to 12 knots , this makes sailing in local waters dangerous. The very large tidal variation provides an environmentally rich inter-tidal zone around the islands, and some sites have received Ramsar Convention designation. The tidal flows in the area are remarkable, owing to the flatness of the ground for nearly 32 km (20 mi) westward. Guernsey
750-583: Is financial services , followed by tourism and agriculture. The island is particularly well known for its cattle . Guernsey's culture is strongly influenced by Britain , evident in its use of the pound sterling and the status of English as the primary native language. Norman and French culture also have an impact, such as the island's traditional language, Guernésiais . In addition, French writer Victor Hugo spent fifteen years in exile in Guernsey, where he wrote some of his best-known works. The island's name, "Guernsey", like that of neighbouring " Jersey ",
825-747: Is administered as part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a self-governing dependency of the British Crown . The island is thus not part of the United Kingdom , although the UK government has certain responsibilities for the Bailiwick. The British monarch is the head of state and the head of government is the President of the Policy and Resources Committee . The jurisdiction's parliament and government
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#1732773220168900-508: Is also a source of Guernsey law for those matters which are reserved to the UK, namely defence and foreign affairs. The head of the bailiwick judiciary in Guernsey is the Bailiff, who, as well as performing the judicial functions of a Chief Justice, is also the head of the States of Guernsey and has certain civic, ceremonial and executive functions. The Bailiff's functions may be exercised by
975-446: Is based at Victor Hugo 's former residence at Hauteville House . While the jurisdiction of Guernsey has complete autonomy over internal affairs and certain external matters, the topic of complete independence from the British Crown has been discussed widely and frequently, with ideas ranging from Guernsey obtaining independence as a Dominion to the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey uniting and forming an independent Federal State within
1050-446: Is called the States of Deliberation ( États de Délibération ) and consists of 38 People's Deputies, elected on an islandwide basis every four years. There are also two representatives from Alderney , a semi-autonomous dependency of the Bailiwick, but Sark sends no representative since it has its own legislature. The Bailiff or Deputy Bailiff preside in the assembly. There are also two non-voting members: H.M. Procureur (analogous to
1125-672: Is not part of the United Kingdom , although defence and most foreign relations are handled by the British Government. The entire jurisdiction lies within the Common Travel Area of the British Islands and the Republic of Ireland . Taken together with the separate jurisdictions of Alderney and Sark it forms the Bailiwick of Guernsey . The deliberative assembly of the States of Guernsey ( États de Guernesey )
1200-668: Is of Old Norse origin. The second element of each word, " -ey ", is the Old Norse for "island", while the original root, "guern(s)", is of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly deriving from either a personal name such as Grani or Warinn, or from gron , meaning pine tree. Previous names for the Channel Islands vary over history, but include the Lenur islands, and Sarnia ; Sarnia for Guernsey, or Lisia (Guernsey) and Angia (Jersey). Around 6000 BC, rising seas created
1275-417: Is often pronounced "fifty pee" /fɪfti piː/. The old sign d was not reused for the new penny in order to avoid confusion between the two units. A decimal halfpenny ( 1 / 2 p, worth 1.2 old pennies) was issued until 1984 but was withdrawn due to inflation . Before decimalisation in 1971 , the pound was divided into 20 shillings , and each shilling into 12 pence , making 240 pence to
1350-607: Is responsible for Guernsey's constitutional and external affairs, developing strategic and corporate policy and coordinating States business. It also examines proposals and Reports placed before Guernsey's Parliament (the States of Deliberation) by Departments and Non States Bodies. The President of the committee is the de facto head of government of Guernsey. Guernsey's legal system originates in Norman Customary Law, overlaid with principles taken from English common law and Equity as well as from statute law enacted by
1425-632: Is the States of Guernsey . The island is divided into ten parishes . It has one town, called Saint Peter Port . The government variously defines the position of the King of England as "Head of State" or "successor to the Duke of Normandy. Although no document explicitly defines the Head of State as a "monarch", or the islands as a monarchy, all documents refer to the king by royal titles. Guernsey's largest industry
1500-615: Is the central bank for sterling, issuing its own banknotes and regulating issuance of banknotes by private banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Sterling banknotes issued by other jurisdictions are not regulated by the Bank of England; their governments guarantee convertibility at par . Historically, sterling was also used to varying degrees by the colonies and territories of the British Empire . There are various theories regarding
1575-515: Is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £ ) is the main unit of sterling, and the word pound is also used to refer to the British currency generally, often qualified in international contexts as the British pound or the pound sterling . Sterling is the world's oldest currency in continuous use since its inception. In 2022, it
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#17327732201681650-533: Is the westernmost of the Channel Islands , and the jurisdiction is at the greatest distance from the coast of Normandy than any of the other islands. Guernsey's climate is temperate with mild winters and mild, sunny summers. It is classified as an oceanic climate , with a dry-summer trend, although marginally wetter than Mediterranean summers. The warmest months are July and August, when temperatures are generally around 20 °C (68 °F) with some days occasionally going above 24 °C (75 °F). On average,
1725-540: The Lager Lindele (Lindele Camp) near Biberach an der Riß and to Oflag VII-C in Laufen . Guernsey was very heavily fortified during World War II , out of all proportion to the island's strategic value. German defences and alterations remain visible, particularly to Castle Cornet and around the northern coast of the island. Guernsey and Jersey were both liberated on 9 May 1945, now celebrated as Liberation Day on
1800-517: The Channel Islands , located 27 miles (43 km) west of the Cotentin Peninsula , Normandy . It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey , which includes five other inhabited islands – Alderney , Herm , Jethou , Lihou and Sark – and many small islets and rocks. The bailiwick has a population of 63,950, the vast majority of whom live on Guernsey, and the island has a land area of 24 square miles (62 km ). Guernsey
1875-522: The English Channel and separated the Norman promontories that became the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey from continental Europe . Neolithic farmers then settled on its coast and built the dolmens and menhirs found in the islands today, providing evidence of human presence dating back to around 5000 BC. Evidence of Roman settlements on the island, and the discovery of amphorae from
1950-593: The Herculaneum area and Spain, show evidence of an intricate trading network with regional and long-distance trade. Buildings found in La Plaiderie, St. Peter Port dating from 100 to 400 AD appear to be warehouses. The earliest evidence of shipping was the discovery of a wreck of a ship in St Peter Port harbour , which has been named Asterix . It is thought to be a 3rd-century Roman cargo vessel and
2025-590: The Parliamentarians . The allegiance was not total, however; there were a few Royalist uprisings in the southwest of the island, while Castle Cornet was occupied by the Governor, Sir Peter Osborne , and Royalist troops. In December 1651, with full honours of war, Castle Cornet surrendered—the last Royalist outpost anywhere in the British Isles to surrender. Wars against France and Spain during
2100-681: The Second World War , the Channel Islands were occupied by German troops . Seventeen thousand people from Guernsey's total population of 41,000 were evacuated to England before the German occupation. The evacuees included 80 per cent of Guernsey children who lived with relatives or strangers in Great Britain during the war. Most children returned home after the war ended in 1945. The occupying German forces deported over 1,000 Guernsey residents to camps in southern Germany, notably to
2175-512: The United Kingdom postcode system . The approximate coverage of the postal districts. The post town is GUERNSEY for all postcode districts Previously, both Alderney and Sark were covered by the GY9 district. In March 2009, Royal Mail had "agreed in principle" for the creation of the GY10 district which would cover all addresses on the island of Alderney, leaving just those of smaller Sark in GY9. This
2250-640: The "lamping technique" to ground ships close to the island. This intensified during the Hundred Years War , when, starting in 1339 , the island was occupied by the Capetians on several occasions. The Guernsey Militia was first mentioned as operational in 1331 and would help defend the island for a further 600 years. In 1372, the island was invaded by Aragonese mercenaries under the command of Owain Lawgoch (remembered as Yvon de Galles ), who
2325-588: The 17th and 18th centuries allowed Guernsey shipowners and sea captains to exploit the island's proximity to mainland Europe by applying for letters of marque and turning their cargo ships into privateering vessels . By the beginning of the 18th century, Guernsey's residents were starting to settle in North America, in particular founding Guernsey County in Ohio in 1810. The threat of invasion by Napoleon prompted many defensive structures to be built at
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2400-657: The 1950s, coins of Kings George III , George IV and William IV had disappeared from circulation, but coins (at least the penny) bearing the head of every British monarch from Queen Victoria onwards could be found in circulation. Silver coins were replaced by those in cupro-nickel in 1947, and by the 1960s the silver coins were rarely seen. Silver/cupro-nickel sixpences, shillings (from any period after 1816) and florins (2 shillings) remained legal tender after decimalisation (as 2½p, 5p and 10p respectively) until 1980, 1990 and 1993 respectively, but are now officially demonetised. The pound sterling emerged after
2475-655: The 9th century. The principal court is the Royal Court and exercises both civil and criminal jurisdiction. Additional courts, such as the Magistrate's Court, which deals with minor criminal matters, and the Court of Appeal, which hears appeals from the Royal Court, have been added to the Island's legal system over the years. Several European countries have a consular presence within the jurisdiction. The French Consulate
2550-469: The Bank of England has exclusively used the single bar variant since 1975. Historically, a simple capital L (in the historic black-letter typeface, L {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {L}}} ) placed before the numerals, or an italic l. after them, was used in newspapers, books and letters. The Royal Mint was still using this style of notation as late as 1939. The glyphs Ł and Ⱡ may occasionally be encountered. Use of
2625-660: The Climate Change Policy & Action Plan adopted in August 2020. Guernsey has a geological history stretching further back into the past than most of Europe. It forms part of the geological province of France known as the Armorican Massif . There is a broad geological division between the north and south of the island. The Southern Metamorphic Complex is elevated above the geologically younger, lower-lying Northern Igneous Complex. Guernsey has experienced
2700-628: The Commonwealth, whereby both islands retain their independence with regards to domestic affairs but internationally, the islands would be regarded as one state. Although it was not a member of the European Union , it had a special relationship with it until Brexit . It had been treated as part of the European Community with access to the single market for the purposes of the free trade in goods. From 2021 with free travel to
2775-560: The Crown in right of the république of the Bailiwick of Guernsey". The official residence of the Lieutenant Governor is Government House. Since 2022 the incumbent has been Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell CB , CBE , CStJ . The post was created in 1835 as a result of the abolition of the office of Governor. Since that point, the Lieutenant Governor has always resided locally. The jurisdiction
2850-496: The Deputy Bailiff. The posts of Bailiff and Deputy Bailiff are Crown appointments. Sixteen Jurats, who need no specific legal training, are elected by the States of Election from among Islanders. They act as a jury, as judges in civil and criminal cases and fix the sentence in criminal cases. First mentioned in 1179, there is a list of Jurats who have served since 1299. The oldest Courts of Guernsey can be traced back to
2925-457: The League's money was not frequently debased like that of England, English traders stipulated to be paid in pounds of the "Easterlings", which was contracted to "'sterling". The OED dismisses this theory as unlikely, since the stressed first syllable would not have been elided. Encyclopædia Britannica states that the (pre-Norman) Anglo-Saxon kingdoms had silver coins called sterlings and that
3000-505: The Roman libra , solidus , and denarius . Notable style guides recommend that the pound sign be used without any abbreviation or qualification to indicate sterling (e.g., £12,000). The ISO 4217 code "GBP" (e.g., GBP 12,000) may also be seen should disambiguation become necessary. The ISO 4217 currency code for sterling is "GBP", formed from the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for
3075-699: The Royal Sanction at regular meetings of the Privy Council in London, after which they are returned to the islands for formal registration at the Royal Court . The States also make delegated legislation known as Ordinances ( Ordonnances ) and Orders ( ordres ) which do not require the Royal Assent . Commencement orders are usually in the form of ordinances. The Policy and Resources Committee
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3150-610: The UK are largely unaffected by Brexit . Situated in Mont Saint-Michel Bay at around 49°35′N 2°20′W / 49.583°N 2.333°W / 49.583; -2.333 , Guernsey, Herm and some other smaller islands together have a total area of 71 square kilometres (27 sq mi) and coastlines of about 46 kilometres (29 mi). Elevation varies from sea level to 110 m (360 ft) at Hautnez on Guernsey. There are many smaller islands, islets, rocks and reefs in Guernsey waters. Combined with
3225-659: The United Kingdom ("GB") and the first letter of "pound". In historical sources and some specialist banking uses, the abbreviation stg (in various styles) has been used to indicate sterling. Many stocks on the London Stock Exchange are quoted in penny sterling, using the unofficial code "GBX". The exchange rate of sterling against the US dollar is referred to as "cable" in the wholesale foreign exchange markets . The origins of this term are attributed to
3300-599: The administration. Guernsey's Church of England parishes fall under the See of Canterbury , having split from the Bishopric of Winchester in 2014. The biggest parish is Castel, while the most populated is St Peter Port. Financial services, such as banking, fund management , and insurance, account for about 37% of GDP. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, especially freesias , have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey
3375-601: The adoption of the Carolingian monetary system in England c. 800 . Here is a summary of changes to its value in terms of silver or gold until 1816. The pound was a unit of account in Anglo-Saxon England . By the ninth century it was equal to 240 silver pence . The accounting system of dividing one pound into twenty shillings , a shilling into twelve pence, and a penny into four farthings
3450-643: The civil order of the island was fully regulated even before the Norman conquest of England. In 1204, when King John lost the continental portion of the Duchy to Philip II of France , the islands remained part of the Kingdom of England. The islands were then recognised by the 1259 Treaty of Paris as part of Henry III 's territories. During the Middle Ages , the island was a haven for pirates that would use
3525-614: The coldest month is February with an average air temperature of 6.9 °C (44.4 °F). Average air temperature reaches 17.1 °C (62.8 °F) in August. Snow rarely falls and is unlikely to settle, but is most likely to fall in February. The temperature rarely drops below freezing, although strong wind-chill from Arctic winds can sometimes make it feel like it. The rainiest months are December (average 119 mm (4.7 in)), November (average 107 mm (4.2 in)) and January (average 92 mm (3.6 in)). July is, on average,
3600-478: The common phrase "quids in"). Its origin is unknown: possible derivations include scudo , the name for a number of currency units used in Italy until the 19th century, introduced by Italian immigrants; or from Latin quid via the common phrase quid pro quo , literally, "what for what", or, figuratively, "An equal exchange or substitution". The term "nicker" (also both singular and plural) may also refer to
3675-490: The competent legislature(s) – usually, but not always, the States of Guernsey. Guernsey has almost complete autonomy over internal affairs and certain external matters. However, the Crown – that is to say, the UK Government – retains an ill-defined reserved power to intervene in the domestic affairs of any of the three Crown Dependencies within the British Islands "in the interests of good government". The UK Parliament
3750-468: The compound noun pound sterling was derived from a pound (weight) of these sterlings. The English word pound derives from the Latin expression lībra pondō , in which lībra is a noun meaning 'pound' and pondō is a noun, in the ablative case , meaning 'by weight'. The currency sign for the pound unit of sterling is £ , which (depending on typeface) may be drawn with one or two bars :
3825-476: The continent ceasing, additional bureaucratic procedures come into force, including the need for international driving licences and green cards for vehicle insurance. Guernsey has ten parishes , which act as civil administration districts with limited powers. Each parish is administered by a Douzaine, made up of twelve members or more, known as Douzeniers. Douzeniers are elected for a four-year mandate, three, four or five Douzeniers being elected by parishioners at
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#17327732201683900-447: The end of that century. The early 19th century saw a dramatic increase in the prosperity of the island, due to its success in the global maritime trade , and the rise of the stone industry. Maritime trade suffered a major decline with the move away from sailing craft as materials such as iron and steel were not available on the island. Le Braye du Valle was a tidal channel that made the northern extremity of Guernsey, Le Clos du Valle,
3975-528: The estates of Sausmarez, Les Bruniaux de St. Martin, Mauxmarquis, Rohais, etc. Most of Guernsey was soon cultivated, and around this time the island was divided into ten parishes. Each free fief had a manorial court to hear disputes between tenants, and the Abbot of St. Michael and the Seigneur d'Anneville had the right of high jurisdiction and the privilege of trying and executing criminals, respectively, so that
4050-430: The fact that from the mid-19th century, the sterling/dollar exchange rate was transmitted via transatlantic cable. Historically almost every British coin had a widely recognised nickname, such as "tanner" for the sixpence and "bob" for the shilling . Since decimalisation these have mostly fallen out of use except as parts of proverbs. A common slang term for the pound unit is " quid " (singular and plural, except in
4125-511: The lands within the Close of the Vale to the abbot forever as fief of St. Michael, with permission to extend this to the northwestern part of the island as soon as settlers could be found to clear and cultivate the land; and he gave them engineers and workmen to complete the castle of St. Michael and to erect such other forts as were deemed necessary. Around the middle of the eleventh century, Guernsey
4200-491: The letter ⟨L⟩ for pound derives from medieval Latin documents: "L" was the abbreviation for libra , the Roman pound (weight), which in time became an English unit of weight defined as the tower pound . A "pound sterling" was literally a tower pound (weight) of sterling silver . In the British pre-decimal ( duodecimal ) currency system, the term £sd (or Lsd) for pounds, shillings and pence referred to
4275-555: The neutrality. The French attempted to invade Jersey a year later in 1549 but were defeated by the militia . The neutrality lasted another century, until William III of England abolished the privilege due to privateering activity against Dutch ships. In the mid-16th century, the island was influenced by Calvinist reformers from Normandy. During the Marian persecutions , three women, the Guernsey Martyrs , were burned at
4350-409: The origin of the word "sterling". The Oxford English Dictionary states that the "most plausible" etymology is a derivation from the Old English steorra for "star" with the added diminutive suffix -ling , to yield "little star". The reference is to the silver penny used in Norman England in the twelfth century, which bore a small star. Another theory holds that the Hanseatic League
4425-432: The other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy . About the year 1030, the fleet of Robert, Duke of Normandy , which was to support the claim of his cousins Alfred and Edward to the English crown against Canute , was scattered by a storm, and was driven down the Channel to Guernsey. The Duke was taken to St. Michael's Abbey. In gratitude for the abbot's hospitality, he gave all
4500-411: The pound. The currency of all the Crown Dependencies ( Guernsey , Jersey , Isle of Man ) and a third of British Overseas Territories ( British Antarctic Territory ; Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ; Gibraltar ; and Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ) is either sterling or pegged to sterling at par. The other British Overseas Territories have
4575-497: The pound. The symbol for the shilling was " s ." – not from the first letter of "shilling", but from the Latin solidus . The symbol for the penny was " d .", from the French denier , from the Latin denarius (the solidus and denarius were Roman coins). A mixed sum of shillings and pence, such as 3 shillings and 6 pence, was written as "3/6" or "3 s . 6 d ." and spoken as "three and six" or "three and sixpence" except for "1/1", "2/1" etc., which were spoken as "one and
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#17327732201684650-513: The reign of King Offa of Mercia (757–796), who introduced a "sterling" coin made by physically dividing a Tower pound (5,400 grains, 349.9 grams) of silver into 240 parts. In practice, the weights of the coins were not consistent, 240 of them seldom added up to a full pound; there were no shilling or pound coins and these units were used only as an accounting convenience . Halfpennies and farthings worth 1 ⁄ 2 and 1 ⁄ 4 penny respectively were also minted, but small change
4725-503: The role of Attorney General ) and H.M. Comptroller (analogous to Solicitor General ), both appointed by the Crown and collectively known as the Law Officers of the Crown. A projet de loi is the equivalent of a UK bill or a French projet de loi , and a law is the equivalent of a UK act of parliament or a French loi . A draft law passed by the States can have no legal effect until formally approved by His Majesty in Council and promulgated by means of an order in council . Laws are given
4800-402: The stake for their Protestant beliefs, along with the infant son of one of the women. The burning of the infant was ordered by Bailiff Hellier Gosselin, with the advice of priests nearby who said the boy should burn due to having inherited moral stain from his mother. Later on, Hellier Gosselin fled the island to escape widespread outrage. During the English Civil War , Guernsey sided with
4875-485: The sunniest month with 253 hours recorded sunshine; December the least with 58 hours recorded sunshine. Sea temperatures have been rising and now vary between 8 °C (46 °F) in February to 20 °C (68 °F) in August. Average wind speeds vary between 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) and 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph) with gusts over 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) every 4–5 years. Guernsey plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, according to
4950-464: The two islands. During the late 1940s, the island repaired the damage caused to its buildings during the occupation. The tomato industry started up again and thrived until the 1970s when the significant increase in world oil prices led to a sharp, terminal decline. Tourism has remained important. Finance businesses grew in the 1970s and expanded in the next two decades and are important employers. Guernsey's constitutional and trading relationships with
5025-454: The two parts of Guernsey at high tide. New roads were built and main roads were metalled for ease of use by the military. Infrastructure was funded by creating money debt-free starting in 1815. During the First World War , about 3,000 island men served in the British Expeditionary Force . Of these, about 1,000 served in the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry regiment formed from the Royal Guernsey Militia in 1916. From 30 June 1940, during
5100-406: Was adopted from the livre carolingienne system introduced by Charlemagne to the Frankish Empire . The penny was abbreviated to "d", from denarius , the Roman equivalent of the penny; the shilling to "s" from solidus (written with a long s , ſ , later evolving into a simple slash , / ); and the pound to "L" (subsequently £ ) from Libra or Livre . The origins of sterling lie in
5175-528: Was beset by a new breed of pirates who built a castle called Le Château des Sarrasins in the centre of the island near the present church of Catel; Duke William of Normandy (later the Conqueror) commissioned his Esquire Sampson d'Anneville to fight them. As a reward, in 1061 he received half of the western part of the island under the title of Fief d'Anneville. Sampson attracted many emigrants from Normandy to settle on his feudal estate, and Duke William distributed lands in Guernsey to other Norman landowners, such as
5250-496: Was in the pay of the French king. Owain and his dark-haired mercenaries were later absorbed into Guernsey legend as invading fairies from across the sea. As part of the peace between England and France, Pope Sixtus IV issued in 1483 a papal bull granting the "Privilege of Neutrality'", by which "the Islands, their harbours and seas, as far as the eye can see," were considered neutral territory. Anyone molesting Islanders would be excommunicated. A royal charter in 1548 confirmed
5325-423: Was intended to reduce the amount of mail being sent to the wrong island. The States of Alderney opposed doing it that way round, and instead Sark changed from sector GY9 0 to GY10 1 on 5 January 2011. Guernsey in the Bailiwick of Guernsey (red) Guernsey ( / ˈ ɡ ɜːr n z i / GURN -zee ; Guernésiais : Guernési ; French : Guernesey ) is the second-largest island in
5400-587: Was part of the Duchy of Normandy until 1204, when the Channel Islands remained loyal to the English crown, splitting from mainland Normandy. In 1290, the Channel Islands were divided administratively and Guernsey became part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. During the Second World War , Guernsey was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany . After five years of occupation, the island was liberated on 9 May 1945, that date being celebrated annually as Liberation Day . Guernsey
5475-587: Was probably at anchor or grounded when a fire broke out. Travelling from the Kingdom of Gwent , Saint Sampson , later the abbot of Dol in Brittany , is credited with the introduction of Christianity to Guernsey. In 933, the Cotentin Peninsula , including Avranchin , which included the islands, were placed by the French King Ranulf under the control of William I . The island of Guernsey and
5550-533: Was the fourth-most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market , after the United States dollar , the euro , and the Japanese yen . Together with those three currencies and the renminbi , it forms the basket of currencies that calculate the value of IMF special drawing rights . As of late 2022, sterling is also the fourth most-held reserve currency in global reserves . The Bank of England
5625-523: Was the origin of its definition, manufacture, and name: the German name for the Baltic is Ostsee ( ' East Sea ' ) and from this the Baltic merchants were called Osterlings ( ' Easterlings ' ). In 1260, Henry III granted them a charter of protection and land for their kontor , the Steelyard of London , which by the 1340s was also called Esterlingeshalle ( ' Easterlings Hall ' ). Because
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