Bailiwick of Guernsey

Bailiwick of Guernsey Bailliage de Guernesey
Location of  Bailiwick of Guernsey  (Bailiwick of Guernsey within circle)
Status	Crown dependency of the United Kingdom
Official languages	English French (historical) Norman French (historical)b
Government
• Monarch of the United Kingdom	Queen Elizabeth II
• Lieutenant Governor	Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder KBE CB
• Responsible Minister (UK)	Sir Oliver Heald QC, Minister of State for Courts and Justice
Establishment
• Separated from the Dukedom and Duchy of Normandy (Treaty (or Peace) of Le Goulet)	1204
Area
• Total	78 km2 (30 sq mi) (223rd)
• Water (%)	0
Population
• 2014 estimate	65,849 (206th)
• Density	844/km2 (2,185.9/sq mi) (14th)
GDP (PPP)	2003 estimate
• Total	$2.1 billionc (176th)
• Per capita	£33,123c (10th)
HDI (2008)	0.975 very high · 9th
Currency	Pound sterling Guernsey pound (local issue)d (GBP)
Time zone	GMT
• Summer (DST)	(UTC+1)
Drives on the	left
Calling code	+44e
ISO 3166 code	GG
Internet TLD	.gg
For occasions when regional distinguishing anthem required. English is the only official language. French used for certain limited legislative purposes. Now extinct. The States of Guernsey issue their own sterling coins and banknotes (see Guernsey pound). +44 1481 (landline) +44 7781 (Sure Guernsey Ltd) +44 7839 (Guernsey Airtel) +44 7911 (Jersey Telecom / 24 Seven Communications Ltd)

The Bailiwick of Guernsey (French: Bailliage de Guernesey) is one of three Crown dependencies of the United Kingdom.

Separated from the Dukedom and Duchy of Normandy by and under the terms of the Treaty (or Peace) of Le Goulet in 1204, the Bailiwick comprises a number of islands in the English Channel which fall into three separate sub-jurisdictions: Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.

A bailiwick is a territory administered by a Bailiff. The Bailiff of Guernsey is the civil head, and presiding officer of the States of Guernsey, but not of Alderney or Sark. He is the head of the judiciary of the Bailiwick.

The history of the Bailiwick of Guernsey goes back to 933, when the islands came under the control of William Longsword, having been annexed from the Duchy of Brittany by the Duchy of Normandy. The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands formed part of the lands of William the Conqueror. In 1204 France conquered mainland Normandy - but not the offshore islands of the bailiwick. The islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy.

Initially there was one governor, or co-governors working together, of the islands making up the Channel Islands. The title "Governor" has changed over the centuries. "Warden", "Keeper" and "Captain" have previously been used. The Bailiff stands in for the Governor, or more recently the Lieutenant Governor, if the latter is absent, for a short term or for longer, for instance during the five years of the German occupation of the Channel Islands. The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the Lieutenant Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and, being the personal representative of Her Majesty, has usually had a distinguished military service.