Bailiwick of Guernsey. Information.
Guernsey - islands in the English Channel. Square - 194 sq.km. Population - 64,080 . Сapital - Saint Peter Port. Like the rest of the Channel Islands, Guernsey is steeped in history. Up to 6,500BC, the islands were in fact part of the French mainland until the Ice Age came to an end. The Romans used the island as a trading base from around 56 AD and probably stayed here for around 250 years. The Romans named Guernsey as Sarnia. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, came the Dark Ages and history remains vague. Christianity was established in Guernsey in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The Bretons moved to the island from between 600AD and 800AD. Until the arrival of the Vikings these were relatively peaceful times. The Vikings started to make their mark around the Seine and Loire areas. In 911 Rollo took control of Caen from the inhabitants of Breton and history tells us that it was ceded to him by Charles the Simple. This was the beginning of the Duchy of Normandy and William Longsword added the Cotentin pensinsular in 933. Islanders proudly state that their ancestors were part of the forces of Norman the Conqueror which defeated England in 1066. In fact since around 933, when Rollo's son William Longsword added the islands to the dukedom of Normandy, the inhabitants of these islands have been answerable only to the Duke of Normandy and his successors, the British sovereign. When Guillaume Duke of Normandy conquered England in 1066, he became King William I as well as Duke of Normandy. However when King John lost the territory of Normandy to Philip II of France, the Channel Islands remained loyal to the English crown. In return for this loyalty, King John granted to the islands, certain rights and privileges in 1215 which enabled them to be virtually self-governing, subject only to Royal assent and enactments through the Privy Council. In 1294 a large part of the Guernsey population were killed in French raids. In fact over the ensuing centuries, possession of the islands switched back and forth between the English and French six times. Large castles were built most of which still survive today. In 1481 the States of Guernsey had been formed and Guernsey was already exporting woolens. At the end of the English civil war, Guernsey petitioned the Monarchy pleading for a Royal pardon in 1660. This was granted and all previous rights and privileges were restored. In the 1800's, wealthy French residents fleeing the revolution, set up home in the islands and many of the Town houses one sees today were built during this era. Sixteen forts and 58 coastal batteries were also built to defend the island from the French prior to the Battle of Waterloo. The Bridge area at St Sampsons was also filled in to stop the north of the island from being separated. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited in 1846 as there was considerable unrest linked to the unpopular Lieutenant Governor and in 1879 the island had its first tramway. During 1940-1945, Guernsey was occupied by German forces and huge numbers of defensive positions were built as part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. Of the population of 40,000 17,000 were evacuated to England. By 1944, most islanders were near to starvation and a Red Cross ship carrying supplies in 1944 was a very welcome sight. The islands were liberated in May 1945 and every year islanders celebrate their freedom on 9th May. Currency : 1 pound = 100 pence.
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