The
island was cut off from the land mass of Europe on several occasions over the
previous million years, as the sea levels rose when the ice caps of the various
ice ages melted and was finally permanently separated about 6 - 7.000 BC, some
3.000 years before the gradually forming English Channel cut off the British
Isles from Europe.
There
is considerable evidence of continuous occupation for at least the last 5 -
6.000 years, from the late Stone Age, through the Bronze and Early Iron Ages,
in the form of Neolithic Dolmens (burial chambers) and an Iron Age pottery,
dated around 490 BC.
The Romans used
Three
centuries later Viking raids along the Channel coasts resulted in the French
King, Charles the Simple, ceding the province of Rouen to Rolfe
the Ganger (Rollo) as ‘Patrician’ or ‘Count’ in 911.
Many years later this resulted in the creation of the Duchy of Normandy.
William of Normandy, since 1066 William I of England, did not then incorporate
the Duchy into the realm of England but retained it as a personal possession, a
situation which has resulted in today’s independence of the islands from the
British Parliament, whilst retaining allegiance to the Crown.
King
John, 13th and last Duke of Normandy proper, lost the mainland part of his
Duchy to the French in 1204, but retained the
Until the mid 18th century,
when the first harbour at Braye was built, in
historic times almost the entire population lived in the town area, developed
from the original ‘nucleated village’ settlement in a hollow around the Bourgage and the old church. There were only the water
mill at Platte Saline and few buildings, except for defensive positions,
outside this area. The farm buildings were mostly attached to the houses, many
of which were built back into the slope of the ground behind them.
The
Capital: Saint Anne
Government: Part of the Bailiwick of
Area: 8
km²
Population: 2.400
Currency:
Internet TLD: .gg
Dialling code: +44
Links
Flag of
The website of the philatelic service (
Official website of the government of
Stamp catalogue
International Year of the Ocean
date:
designer: Victoria Kinnersly
printer: BDT International Security
Printing,
perforated: 13:13¼
size souv. sheet: 190 x 75 mm
remarks: stamps also commemorate the 21st anniversary of the
Alderney Diving Club
sheet
also contains a label without value, all stamps with text "21 years
Alderney Diving Club"
1 souvenir sheet, text
"
Alderney Past Times
emblems
- first atmospheric diving dress, text "Leithbridge Barrel 1715"
63 diving
helmet, text "Deane Open Helmet 1829"
43 diving
helmet, text "Siebe Closed Helmet 1840"
37 diving
helmet, sailing ship
30 diver
with aqualung, ferry SS Stella (sank 1899), text "Cousteau-Gagnan Demand Valve 1943"
20 diving
helmet, tanker MV Point Law (aground 1975), text
"Modern Superlite Helmet"
multicoloured
(cat.
Michel block 4/SG MS A 115/Yvert BF 4)
date:
designer: Victoria Kinnersly
printer: BDT International Security
Printing,
perforated: 13¾
size souv. sheet: 110 x 90 mm
remark: sheet commemorates the sinking of the passenger ferry
SS Stella in 1899
2 souvenir sheet, SS
Stella sinking, text "S.S. STELLA / 100 YEARS BELOW / 1899-1999", UPU
emblem
and
text "125th / Anniversary / Universal / Postal Union"
25 stained
glass window with senior stewardess Mary Rogers, Liverpool Cathedral
£ 1.75 S.S.
Stella
multicoloured
(cat. Michel block
5/SG MS A 124/Yvert BF 5)
last revised: