A moderne economy
With a GDP of more than £2bn, Guernsey’s economy is centred on financial services, tourism, agriculture, and light industry. The island is fiscally autonomous and has its own system of tax. As well as financial services, Guernsey preserves the unique character of the Bailiwick with a focus on more traditional industries, which still play an important role in the local economy.
History and culture
Although Guernsey is geographically closer to France, the Bailiwick has been loyal to the British Crown since the time of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy. English is now the predominant language, but Guernsey still has its own dialect, Guernesiais, and maintains its distinct and unique culture. Local folklore, focused on the island’s ancient past and occupation by Nazi forces during the Second World War, is reflected in the island’s many heritage sites.
Guernsey was famously the island home of writer Victor Hugo, who began, completed, or published the majority of the works for which he is best known while living here, notably ‘Les Misérables’ (1862), ‘Les Travailleurs de la mer’ (1866), and ‘L’Homme qui rit’ (1869). Hugo himself described the Channel Islands as “fragments of France which fell into the sea and were gathered up by England”.
