Editing Channel Islands (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Channel_Islands.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|The Channel Islands and adjacent coast of France]]
The two major islands are Jersey and Guernsey. They make up 99% of the population and 92% of the area.

===List of islands===
{{See also|List of islands of the Bailiwick of Jersey|List of islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey}}
[[File:Sark-aerial.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Sark]]]]
[[File:J79159 Yul cdg 20140624-045846.42 Guernsey.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Guernsey]]]]
{|class="wikitable"
!Bailiwick of Jersey!!Bailiwick of Guernsey
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#ffffee;"|''Permanently inhabited islands, with population and area''
|-
| valign="top"|
*[[Jersey]] (106,080) ({{convert|118|km2|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
| valign="top"|
*[[Guernsey]] (63,026) ({{convert|65|km2|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
*[[Alderney]] (2,039) ({{convert|8|km2|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
*[[Sark]] (600) ({{convert|5.45|km2|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
*[[Herm]] (60) ({{convert|2|km2|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
*[[Jethou]] (3) ({{convert|0.2|km2|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
*[[Brecqhou|Brecqhou (Brechou)]] (1) ({{convert|0.3|km2|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#ffffee;"|''Uninhabited islets''
|-
| valign="top"|
*The [[Minquiers]]
*[[Écréhous]]
*[[Les Dirouilles]]
*Les [[Pierres de Lecq]] (the Paternosters)
| valign="top"|
These lie off Alderney:
*[[Burhou]]
*[[Casquets]]
*[[Ortac]]
*Renonquet

These lie off Guernsey:
*[[Caquorobert]]
*[[Crevichon]]
*Grande Amfroque
*[[Houmets|Les Houmets]]
*[[Lihou]] (occupied for part of the year)
|}

===Names===
The names of the larger islands in the archipelago in general have the ''-ey'' suffix, whilst those of the smaller ones have the ''[[-hou]]'' suffix. These are believed to be from the [[Old Norse]] ''ey'' (island) and ''holmr'' (islet).

===The Chausey Islands===
The [[Chausey]] Islands south of Jersey are not generally included in the geographical definition of the Channel Islands but are occasionally described in English as 'French Channel Islands' in view of their French jurisdiction. They were historically linked to the Duchy of Normandy, but they are part of the French territory along with continental Normandy, and not part of the [[British Isles]] or of the Channel Islands in a political sense. They are an incorporated part of the commune of Granville ([[Manche]]). While they are popular with visitors from France, Channel Islanders can only visit them by private or charter boats as there are no direct transport links from the other islands.

In official [[Jersey Legal French|Jersey Standard French]], the Channel Islands are called 'Îles de la Manche', while in France, the term 'Îles Anglo-normandes' (Anglo-Norman Isles) is used to refer to the British 'Channel Islands' in contrast to other islands in the Channel. Chausey is referred to as an 'Île normande' (as opposed to ''Anglo-normande''). 'Îles Normandes' and 'Archipel Normand' have also, historically, been used in Channel Island French to refer to the islands as a whole.

===Waters===
The very large tidal variation provides an environmentally rich inter-tidal zone around the islands, and some islands such as [[Burhou]], the [[Écréhous]], and the [[Minquiers]] have been designated [[Ramsar sites]].

The waters around the islands include the following:
*[[The Swinge]] (between Alderney and Burhou)
*The Little Swinge (between Burhou and Les Nannels)
*La Déroute (between Jersey and Sark, and Jersey and the Cotentin)
*Le Raz Blanchard, or [[Alderney Race|Race of Alderney]] (between Alderney and the Cotentin)
*The [[Great Russel]] (between Sark, Jéthou and Herm)
*The [[Little Russel]] (between Guernsey, Herm and Jéthou)
*Souachehouais (between Le Rigdon and L'Étacq, Jersey)
*Le Gouliot (between Sark and Brecqhou)
*La Percée (between Herm and Jéthou)

===Highest point===
The highest point in the islands is [[Les Platons]] in Jersey at 143 metres (469&nbsp;ft) above sea level. The lowest point is the English Channel (sea level).