Guernsey

Guernsey, island in the English Channel, one of the Channel Islands, a dependency of the British Crown. The northern part of the island is flat and low, and the southern part rises to a plateau about 90 m (300 ft) above sea level; its area is 63.5 sq km (24.5 sq mi). The financial sector is the main source of export earnings, and many banks are based on the island. Tourism, services, manufacturing, and horticulture are also important. Flowers, fruits, and tomatoes, the chief crops, are raised for export. Guernsey is particularly noted for its breed of cattle called Guernsey cattle. St Peter Port is the capital and principal seaport; the population of the island (1991) is 58,867. Ferry and air services link the island with England and France. Hauteville House, in St Peter Port, was the home of the French novelist Victor Hugo from 1855 to 1870. He completed Les Misérables there in 1862, as well as, in 1866, Les Travailleurs de la mer (The Toilers of the Sea), a novel dedicated to the island and its sailors.