Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are a group of British-dependent islands off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. They comprise two separate territories: the bailiwick of Guernsey and the bailiwick of Jersey, and have a total population of about 160,000.

The Bailiwicks have been administered separately from each other since the late 13th century, and although those unacquainted with the Islands often assume they form one political unit, common institutions are the exception rather than the rule. The two Bailiwicks have no common laws, no common elections, and no common representative body (although their politicians consult regularly).