Geography of Jersey

Jersey

Native name: Jèrri
Map of islands of Bailiwick of Jersey
Jersey (off the coast of France)
Geography
Location	English Channel
Coordinates	49°11′24.06″N 2°6′36″W
Archipelago	Channel Islands
Area	116 km2 (44.8 sq mi)
Coastline	70 km (43 mi)
Highest elevation	143 m (469 ft)
Highest point	Les Platons
Country
United Kingdom
Crown dependency	Jersey
Largest city	Saint Helier (pop. 28,310)
Demographics
Population	90,800 (as of 2007)
Density	782.76 /km2 (2,027.34 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	English and Norman-French descent. Portuguese and Polish minorities

This article describes the geography of Jersey, an island territory in the English Channel. The island of Jersey has an area of 116 square kilometres, with 70 kilometres of coastline. Jersey claims a territorial sea of 3 nmi (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) and an exclusive fishing zone of 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi).

Jersey is the largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands. It is located north of Brittany and west of the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy. About 30% of the population of the island is concentrated in Saint Helier.

Physical geography

Besides the main island, the bailiwick includes other islets and reefs with no permanent population: Les Écréhous, Les Minquiers, Les Pierres de Lecq, Les Dirouilles.

The lowest point in the island is the Atlantic Ocean, and the highest is Les Platons, at 136 metres (446 ft). The terrain is generally low-lying on the south coast, with some rocky headlands, rising gradually to rugged cliffs along the north coast. On the west coast there are sand dunes. Small valleys run north to south across the island. Very large tidal variation exposes large expanses of sand and rock to the southeast at low tide.

Climate

Jersey
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     102   7 4     77   8 4     76   9 5     55   12 6     56   14 9     48   17 11     42   19 13     52   19 14     75   18 12     91   14 11     115   11 7     112   8 4 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: [1]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     4   45 39     3   46 39     3   48 41     2.2   54 43     2.2   57 48     1.9   63 52     1.7   66 55     2   66 57     3   64 54     3.6   57 52     4.5   52 45     4.4   46 39 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

The climate in the island is temperate, with mild winters and cool summers. Although the minimum daily temperature can fall below freezing in the winter, the monthly average temperature does not.

The highest temperature recorded was 36.0°C on 9 August 2003, and the lowest temperature recorded was -10.3°C on 5 January 1894.

Snow falls rarely in Jersey, some years will pass with no snow fall at all.

Natural resources

The main natural resource on this island is arable land. 66% of the island's land is used as such, and the remaining 34% is used for other purposes.

Environment

Current environmental issues for Jersey include waste disposal, air pollution and traffic.

External links

• Jersey Tourism: Island Maps: all roads and features, and when magnified includes Parish borders
• Jersey Meteorological Department
• Jersey Tourism Coastal Microsite
• Prehistoric Jersey

This exaggerated-colour image of Jersey was taken on September 23, 2000, by NASA's Terra satellite.

topographic relief image