h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The previous entry on this subject whilst detailed and accurate is in the large part misleading.

Jersey.

A small island, produces quality potatos and famous cows. Also the great pasture for wealthy pensioners. Most notably the home of the legendary Bergerac.

It should also be noted that the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Sark etc) are not a part of the UK. They are however a part of the British Isles (and therefore Great Britain). I hope that someone will verify this and amend the location of our wonderful islands within the confines of this guide!

By the way we are also officially the heaviest drinkers on the planet (I kid you not!) with more litrage per person downed than in any other place. Never has the description "100,000 alcoholics clinging to a rock" been more accurate.

You need housing qualifications to buy a house in Jersey & to rent most types of property, so the island is not a refuge for wealthy pensioners, unless they happen to be local.

I have also heard that the criminals launder money through Jersey banks. Any relatives of mine that live there are not receiving any of that!

There are so many myths about Jersey and finance, it's quite amusing. As for money laundering, I worked in the financial sector in Jersey for a while and so I have a bit of experience on this one. It is true that in the past, Jersey, like every other financial centre in the world, did not have the processes in place to prevent money laundering. However, in the 90's Jersey joined most of the rest of the world in clamping down on money laundering and it now has some of the strictest anti-money laundering controls of any financial cntre worldwide.

As for the idea that everyone in Jersey is rich, I come from Ireland and I now live in the UK and I woudl say that in relation to both of those, there is a higher percentage of the population who could be described as wealthy. But, there are plenty of poor people too and Jersey has it's share of social problems, especially in regard to racism, drugs and an appalling approach by the States to child and family services. Having said that, I loved living there and I think the vast majority of the population enjoy a lifestyle that is to be envied by their neighbours in the rest of the British Isles.

It's also worth noting that wee Jersey (nor it's neighbours Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and the other smaller islands) is self governed and doesn't fall under the leadership of the current political party that governs the UK.

The governing body in Jersey is the States of Jersey, and is structured in a very different way to British parliament. There are also no opposing parties.