The most northerly of the Channel Islands, the Island of Alderney, is 8 miles from the coast of France. It is closer to Britain than any of the other Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
The third largest of the Channel Islands, it is approximately a mile and a half wide and three and a half miles long. It is approximately 20 miles from France and 60 miles from the southern coast of Great Britain, making it the closest of the Channel Islands to the United Kingdom.
There is only one parish in Alderney, the Parish of St. Anne, and it includes the entire island of Alderney. The island's main town is also named St. Anne, though many call it "La Ville," which means "The town." While tourists and visitors refer to St. Anne as St. Anne's, locals almost always refer to it as "Town."
All 1,500 residents of Alderney were evacuated in June of 1940, just a few steps ahead of the Germans who sought to occupy the Channel Islands. The official evacuation was aboard boats which were dispatched from England. A handful of people remained on Alderney, but they did leave after the island of Guernsey sent boats for them just before the German army arrived.
When the German army set foot on the then-deserted island, they set about construction of two concentration camps and two work camps on the island, built in order to house the people whose labor would build bunkers, gun platforms, air raid shelters, and tunnels to made in order to establish the establishment of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. They moved Russian and Polish prisoners of war as well as Jewish slave laborers.
Some of the Alderney residents ended up going to Guernsey and were unable to leave due to the occupation. Those people had to remain on Guernsey for the duration of the occupation.
There are no political parties in Alderney. The citizens of the island directly elect a president every four years. Its legislature, called the States of Alderney, has eleven democratically elected members, two of whom sit in Guernsey’s States of Deliberation and have full voting rights.
The island has full autonomy, other than in matters of foreign affairs and defense.
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Recommended Resources
Alderney Commission for Renewable Energy
ACRE was established by law in 2007, and empowered to licence and regulate the operation, deployment, use and management of all forms of renewable energy in the island of Alderney and its territorial waters. Its site includes applications and licensees, and an overview of the organisation and its statutory functions.
https://www.acre.gov.gg
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
The AGCC was established as an independent, non-political body, charged with regulating eGambling on behalf of the States of Alderney. Its site contains information and application forms that an eGambling company would need to make an informed decision about choosing to locate to Alderney, Guernsey.
https://www.gamblingcontrol.org
Presented for the purpose of promoting tourism in Alderney, Guernsey, the site offers general information about the island, as well as guest accommodations, travel packages, both direct from Southampton or non-direct from other UK airports. A newsletter and a blog are included.
https://www.alderneyholidays.com/
Designed and hosted by Alderney Web & IT Services, news from the island of Alderney, Guernsey is reported here, along with a diary of local events, publication dates, subscription information, classifieds, back issues, and contacts.
http://www.alderneyjournal.com/
Part of a UK-wide partnership of Wildlife Trusts, the AWT is a non-profit organisation operated through voluntary support, helping to maintain two nature reserves and the Ramsar site, an important wetland. An overview of the organisation and its operations is presented, with information on Alderney wildlife, its reserves, and an appeal for voluntarism and support.
http://www.alderneywildlife.org/
Members of the National Association of Estate Agents, the real estate agency in Alderney lists residential and commercial properties, as well as self catering and other rental properties. Featured properties are highlighted, and others may be found on a search.
http://bellandcoalderney.com
The original school was founded in 1790 in a building that now houses the Island Museum, after a new school was built in 1968, serving as the island's only school, offering a curriculum for students of all ages, with Catholic instruction taught to all of its Catholic students. General information about the school is presented, including its curriculum and homework requirements.
http://www.alderney.sch.gg/
The official government site for the Channel Island of Alderney includes a profile of the community, a calendar of meetings and events, information about its coins and its stamps, and a directory of government agencies and services, as well as organisations, businesses, attractions, and recreational opportunities on the island.
http://www.alderney.gov.gg/
The Channel Island of Alderney
Maintained by the States of Alderney, this guide to the third largest of the Channel Islands includes details and links to area attractions, events, guest facilities, restaurants and recreational activities. Other resources include a map of the island, photographs, and special offers.
http://www.visitalderney.com/
