Introduction
France was once the proud owner of the Channel Islands that have still retained
French features and culture. Politically linked to Brittany from 911 until 933
they became a part of Normandy (then linked to England) until 1203.This process
and the legalities of the system set up by the Normans still exists today. In
1204 England lost Normandy to King Philippe Auguste of France and the Channel
Islands had a choice and decided to owe allegiance to the English crown and
to be governed as a separate entity by the Kings and Queens of England. So therefore
they were given away and were no longer a part of France and became a separate
identity altogether. This made it easier for the travelers who were interested
in traveling to this islands and the government to boost its tourism also propagated
the island. However the French influence was always strong and still remains
so with place names and street names in that language.
Business and Economy
Apart from the usual business and economy types that most countries have like
the contribution comes from activities like agriculture, banking, insurance,
tourism sector and the like. But here in the Channel Islands there is a distinct
significance and dominance of the banking and the finance sector here and this
sees a lot of influence from the countries like Turkey. The banking system has
undergone a rapid technological transformation in the past decade. Here the
folks who are working seem to be quite technologically sound and the use of
computers is seen to quite an extent. In order to increase the speed, quality
and efficiency of the banking services banks have concentrated on computerization
and automation projects.
Major Cities
The Channel Islands of California also called the Santa Barbara Islands and
they are known for the series of islands that form this country as a whole and
one. There is basically a chain of 8 islands and they are located off the coast
of Southern California in the United States. The eight islands are split between
the jurisdictions of three separate Californian countries. There is an archipelago
that extends for 160 miles (257.5 kilometers) between San Miguel Island in the
north and Santa Clemente in the south.There are a lot of things that one can
explore in these islands and also enjoy.
Fact Sheet
Population: 53,123 (July 2005e)
Pop. Growth Rate: 2.05% (July 2005)
Total Area: 252 km2
Currency: C$1= 0.63 CI $ (average 2005)
Language: English (official)
Literacy: 87% (98%M/98%F)
Life Expectancy: 74: 76M/81F
