Sark

Sark, Channel Island, dependency of the British crown, in the English Channel.

Sark is about 11 km (7 mi) east of Guernsey, and about 5 sq km (2 sq mi) in area. It comprises two land masses, Great Sark and Little Sark, joined by a narrow isthmus. The island rises to 114 m (375 ft), but the land is largely level, supporting dairy and arable farming as well as market gardening. The main settlements are Creux Harbour and La Maseline.

For more than 450 years, Sark was ruled as a fief by a hereditary seigneur or dame who was not elected in association with a legislative assembly. It was not until 2007 that the island began to formulate plans to modernize its administration system, in order to comply with standards set by the European Convention on Human Rights. Reform laws for the implementation of a new, democratic system of government, comprising a 30-member chamber with 28 elected members, were drawn up and subsequently approved in early 2008. The island’s first democratic elections are scheduled for December 2008. Population 610 (2002).