.SCH.GG Domain Name - Guernsey Domain Name .SCH.GG

Location:
The Channel Islands are a group of islands in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy, but dependent on the British Crown. They comprise two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, and have a total population of about 160,000. The respective capitals, St. Peter Port and St. Helier have populations of 16,488 and 28,310.

Geography:
The inhabited islands of the Channel Islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm (the main islands); Jethou, Brecqhou (Brechou), and Lihou. All of these except Jersey are in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, but the Minquiers, Ecrehous, Les Dirouilles and Les Pierres de Lecq (the Paternosters), uninhabited groups of islets, are part of the Bailiwick of Jersey. Burhou and the Casquets lie off Alderney. As a general rule, the larger islands have the -ey suffix, and the smaller ones have the -hou suffix; this is believed to be from the Old Norse ey and holmr, respectively. The Chausey Islands south of Jersey are not generally included in the geographical definition of the Channel Islands but occasionally described as 'French Channel Islands' in English in view of their French jurisdiction. They were historically linked to the Duchy of Normandy, but they are part of the French territory along with continental Normandy, and not part of the British Isles or of the Channel Islands in a political sense. They are an incorporated part of the commune of Granville (Manche), and although popular with visitors from France, they are rarely visited by Channel Islanders, as there are no direct transport links from the other islands. In official Channel Island French (see Jersey Legal French), the islands are called 'Iles de la Manche', while in France, the term 'Iles anglo-normandes' (Anglo-Norman isles) is used to refer to the British 'Channel Islands' in contrast to other islands in the Channel. Chausey is referred to as an 'Ile normande' (as opposed to anglo-normande). 'Iles Normandes' and 'Archipel Normand' have also, historically, been used in Channel Island French to refer to the islands as a whole. The very large tidal variation provides an environmentally rich inter-tidal zone around the islands, and some sites have received Ramsar Convention designation (see Category:Ramsar sites in the Channel Islands). The waters around the islands include the following: * The Swinge (between Alderney and Burhou) * The Little Swinge (between Burhou and Les Nannels) * La Deroute (between Jersey and Sark, and Jersey and the Cotentin) * Le Raz Blanchard, or Race of Alderney (between Alderney and the Cotentin) * The Great Russel (between Sark, Jethou and Herm) * The Little Russel (between Guernsey, Herm and Jethou) * Souachehouais (between Le Rigdon and L'Etacq, Jersey) * Le Gouliot (between Sark and Brecqhou) * La Percee (between Herm and Jethou)

Communication:
Since 1969, Jersey and Guernsey have operated postal administrations independently of the UK's Royal Mail, with their own postage stamps, which can only be used for postage in their respective Bailiwicks. UK stamps are no longer valid, but mail to the islands, and to the Isle of Man, is still treated as UK inland. However, it was not until the early 1990s that the islands joined the UK's postcode system, Jersey postcodes using the initials JE and Guernsey using GY. The islands are connected to the radio and television system of the UK. They are part BBC South West, with two local BBC radio stations, BBC Radio Guernsey and BBC Radio Jersey, but takes BBC television from the Westcountry. It does have its own ITV franchise, Channel Television, which it has held since September 1962. Because it is not part of the United Kingdom, it is not listed as part of the digital switchover, but it is expected to change in 2013, after the rest of the UK has completed the switchover. Jersey always operated its own telephone services independently of the UK's General Post Office, but Guernsey did not establish its own telephone services until 1969. Both islands still form part of the UK telephone numbering plan, but Ofcom in the UK does not have responsibility for regulatory and licensing issues on the islands.

Economy:
Tourism is the major industry in the smaller islands (with some agriculture). Jersey and Guernsey have, since the 1960s, relied on financial services. Guernsey's horticultural and glasshouse activities have been more significant than in Jersey, and Guernsey has maintained light industry as a higher proportion of its economy than Jersey. Jersey's economy since the 1980s has been substantially more reliant on finance. Both Bailiwicks issue their own banknotes and coins, which circulate freely in all the islands alongside UK coinage and Bank of England and Scottish banknotes. See: Guernsey pound and Jersey pounds