Channel Islands

The Channel Islands (: Îles-du-détroit), also known as the Channels (French: Détroits) are a Sierran located off the coast of southwestern mainland Sierra along the. The Channels constitute one of the eight territories of Sierra, and the only one of which that are incorporated territory of Sierra and an integral part of the Kingdom as opposed to being a mere possession as the unincorporated territories and crown dependencies.

The main islands are dispersed across 160 miles (257 km) of the Santa Barbara Channel and divided into two groups: the northern islands, known as the King Lewis Islands (Îles-du-Roi-Louis) include (Île Anacapa),  (Île Saint-Michael), Santa Cruz Island (Île Saint-Croix), and  (Île Saint-Rose) and the southern islands, known as the Queen Angelina Islands (Îles-du-Reine-Angèle), include  (Île Saint-Barbe), Santa Catalina (Île Saint-Catherine),  (Île Saint-Clément), and  (Île Saint-Nicolas). The entirety of four of the islands constitute a part of the whose waters are protected ecological areas known as the.

The islands' beaches, climate, marine wildlife, culture, ease-of-doing business, unique cuisine, and its close proximity to the mainland make the Channels a popular tourist destination and among Sierrans. The Channels have a very mild with consistently warm temperatures year-round and virtually -free at all low elevations. , if it does occur, very rarely falls on the highest mountains in the islands. Access to the islands are primarily done by, with the busiest ferry lines between ports on Santa Catalina Island and the mainland provinces of the Gold Coast and Orange.

Originally inhabited by the and the, the islands were claimed by the  before falling under the joint administration of French and Spanish authorities as the French-Spanish Condominium. By the late 18th century, the Channels experienced rapid population growth and infrastructural development as French colonists arrived to the islands. The majority of the Channels' natives are descendants of these French colonists, and the Channels retain a distinct and independent French culture and identity from mainland Sierra. When the Condominium was disestablished through the in 1802, the Channels was transferred to Spain fully although the islands continued to retain their autonomy, even after Mexico  and consequently gained control of the islands in 1821. When the California Republic gained its independence from Mexico in 1848, the islands were included as part of the in the. Following the creation of the Kingdom of Sierra, the Channels were formally into the province of the Gold Coast, and would remain a part of it until 1999 when Gold Coasters and Channeliers voted in Proposition 11 to grant the Channels to form a new territory and received approval by Parliament. The Channels are the most recent territorial areas created in Sierra since the annexation of Cancún and Yucatán in 1922, and the first territory to be incorporated since the foundation of Sierra.

The capital of the Channel Islands is Avalon, a city-port situated on the southeastern coast of Santa Catalina. Avalon was the Channels' first settlement and has been the largest since the islands were first settled. A, it has, in recent years, become an important regional financial center, mostly serving Sierran s in part to the Channels' low taxes and attractive economic policies. There are eight other incorporated towns distributed throughout the islands: Cachalot-by-the-Sea, Cassis, Karana, Little Gibraltar (a renowned gambling center), New Bourbon (the Channels' largest city), Pyramide, Seals on Rock, and Two Harbors.

The islands are administered by the Territorial Governor and the Monarch is represented in the Channels by the Earl of Catalina. The Channels' supreme legislature, the Channel Islands Legislature and the Channel's supreme court, the Territorial High Court are also both based in Avalon. Both and  are the official languages of the Channel Islands' territorial government, with the majority of Channeliers being  or even multilingual. The retention of the French language is a legacy of the islands' colonial history and a distinct Channelier of French is spoken. Its inhabitants are known as the Channeliers (Les Détroitiens).

Etymology
The names, the "Channel Islands" and the "Channels" are a reference to the islands' location within the, the body of water which separates the Channels from the Sierran mainland. The islands as they were originally known when first discovered by the Europeans was the "North Archipelago" (Spanish: Archipiélago del Norte). Historically, under the joint administration of France and Spain, the islands were known as the French-Spanish Condominium (El Condominio Francés-Español in Spanish and Le condominium Français-Espagnol in French). Its modern name was first given by the French-speaking Channeliers who called the islands, the Íles-du-détroit (literally "Islands of Strait") the and the derivative, Détroits. When the Channel Islands were transferred from Mexico to California through the, the islands were referred to in English as the "Channel Islands of California", thus formalizing the islands' English name. Each of the main individual islands of the Channels in English are referred to by their Spanish-given names, as opposed to the French names commonly used on the islands themselves (e.g., Santa Catalina instead of Saint-Catherine).

The word Channelier (pronounced "Shanna-leer" or "Shan-ne-leer", less commonly pronounced as "Channel-leer") is the adjective used to describe the Channels, and is also the used to describe the residents of the Channels. In French, the adjective form of the Channels is Détroitien and its people are Les Détroitien.

Pre-settlement
The Channel Islands have been separated from the Sierran mainland throughout recent geological history and all of its native flora and fauna came from the mainland either by air or sea. The earliest known human settlement in the Channels occurred around 13,000 years ago by seafaring. Archaeological evidence has suggested that human activity flourished on the islands, with the Queen Angelina Islands inhabited by the and the King Lewis Islands by the. The tribes primarily lived on a diet although they also ate seeds and fruits that grew on the islands, and any meat they hunted. The natives interacted with other tribes on the mainland and other groups as far north as the, the latter who came to hunt s during the early 1800s.

The Channels were first sighted and explored by Europeans in 1542 by Spanish-Portuguese explorer, who was navigating the Sierran coastline under the commission of the Spanish crown. Arriving on Santa Catalina Island first in October 1542, he also passed by San Clemente Island, and the King Lewis Islands. On his return trip from northern Sierra, Cabrillo suffered an injury on Catalina during Christmas Eve, and died a week later into the new year.

The next European to visit the islands was, another Spanish explorer, who was entrusted by the Spanish viceroy to find suitable, natural harbors along the Sierran coast for Spanish ships returning from Asia. Vizcaíno is credited with giving the modern names of various geographic features including the individual islands of the Channels. Vizcaíno's arrival coincided with the decline of native populations due to the Indians' lack of immunity to the introduced Old World diseases.

French-Spanish Condominium
While towards the end of the 17th century, Spain had begun mobilizing to settle the Sierran mainland, the Channels were left undisturbed until the arrival of French admiral and explorer in 1767. Bougainville, who was on a circumnavigation expedition commissioned by, visited the Spanish California colonies including the Channels, and was impressed by its natural geography. Seeking to establish a French settlement in the North American West Coast, Bougainville received the permission of the Spaniards to leave behind 30 of his men on Catalina Island with a 3-month supply of nutrition and the . Although Bougainville would never return to the Channels, his men established the town of Louisville on the central eastern coastline of the Catalina. Due to the island's lack of lumber-yielding plants, as well as freshwater, the men quickly sought the assistance of the Spaniards.

For the first few years, development of Louisville was sluggish, mainly due to complications of transportation between the island and the mainland. As the constant threat of food shortages loomed, the need for resources for basic survival was apparent. Outsourcing raw material and resources that could otherwise be expended on the missions was costly for the Spanish and by 1773, the Spaniards threatened to stop providing resources unless the French colonists could provide something in return. Upon the discovery of a natural, underground spring however, the colonists began developing an irrigation system that could sustain agriculture. Hearing this, local Spanish authorities provided the French seeds of various fruits and vegetables as well as farm animals. Saplings of trees from the mainland were transplanted as well, although at the cost of native flora that were destroyed or out-competed by the introduced species. Many of these unique species went extinct by the turn of the 20th century, due to agricultural development. To allow the colony to continue growing, the French and the Spaniards established the Condominium which would place the islands under joint operation, thereby allowing the two to freely move on and settle or move off the islands to the mainland. Future Condominium politician Rodrigo Lémieux, son of a French father and mother, became the first European to be born on the islands. The population of the Condominium shortly before the arrival of French naval officer in 1786 was about 430, all in the town of Bougainville.

Upon the arrival of De Galaup, the officer's arrival marked the first time since Bougainville that non-settling French nationals officially visited the islands. De Galaup gave the colony various gifts of value and jewelry to the islands as a token of the King's approval, and brought along prospective settlers including orphaned  in search of husbands in the New World.

The Condominium became an important and vital component to Alta California, providing resources and labor to Spanish development. In 1795, Mission Saint Catherine d'Alexandrie (Mission Santa Catalina de Alejandría) was founded just north of Bougainville in present-day Little Gibraltar, as the official Channels auxilliary mission for the who were sent to the islands to work.

Citizens' Council
In 1802, France ceded control of the Condominium and the Italian region of to Spain through the, in exchange for reacquiring  from Spain. While the Condominium was dissolved and the Spanish government was now in full control of the islands, the Spanish colonial government allowed the continued tradition of self-government, only requiring that the citizens remained faithful Catholics and learned basic Spanish. In response to this, the Channels formally organized the Citizens' Council, a body of elected officials headed by a governor who was appointed and approved by the Spanish Viceroy.

The Council, hoping to explore the other islands, petitioned to the Spanish crown for funds to support a colonization project in San Clemente Island and a full expeditionary tour of all the Channels in 1804. The Spanish approved the plan, although required the colonists to agree that any lands outside their established town limits could be subject to land grants as ranchos to outside buyers.

Geography


The of the Channels is located off the coast of southwestern Sierra in the  of the. Extending along a west-northwest to east south-east orientation, the islands span an area approximately 160 miles (257 km) between San Miguel Island to Santa Cruz Island. Together, the total area of the islands is about 346 square miles (900 km2) or 221,331 acres (89,569 ha).

Situated within the, the Channels lie directly between two major ocean currents (the and the ), with its waters consistently receiving a southward  that feeds nutrient-rich, cooler water into the area. These oceanic activities are responsible for the Channels and the rest of the coastal regions of the Southwest Corridor's mild climate, and support large populations of marine animals and. During the season, the California Current is disrupted and causes a drop in  population and consequently, other species up the local.

Climate
For the most part, the Channel Islands exhibit a warm (: CSb) with slight to moderate variations across all the islands. Generally, summers are dry and warm, while winters are milder and cool with substantial rainfall. Temperature difference is marginal and generally consistent year-round, characteristics similar to the coastal region of the Sierran mainland. Precipitation usually occurs between November and March, averaging 8 to 20 inches annually. The wettest month for the Channels is February while the driest is August. Snowfall and frost are extremely rare or even non-existent on some islands. is common on some islands during the summer months of May and June.

Political geography
The Territory of the Channel Islands consists of three parishes (Boudeuse, Étoile, and Galaup) and one special district (Cabrillo). The parishes are each governed by five-member Board of Supervisors representing each of the respective parishes' five districts and cities, and responsible for local ordinances and laws, similar to the counties in Sierran provinces. Boudeuse includes the city of Avalon and the rest of Catalina Island south of Little Gibraltar, Étoile includes the rest of Catalina Island and Santa Barbara Island, and Galaup includes San Clemente and San Nicolas. The special district of Cabrillo has no permanent, civilian population and is conterminous with the Channel Islands National Park (all of the Queen Angelina Islands or Anacapa, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and Santa Rosa) and is administered directly by the Sierran Royal National Park Service in conjunction with the Channel Islands territorial government.


 * Parishes and Districts of the Channel Islands 


 * Boudeuse
 * Avalon
 * Furcula
 * Petit Port
 * Windward
 * Wrigley
 * Étoile
 * Caverne Bleue
 * Isthme
 * Ollas
 * West End
 * Galaup
 * Bourbon
 * Criques du Sud
 * Montagnes
 * La Scission
 * San Nicolas
 * Cabrillo

Government and politics
The Channel Islands are the only territories in Sierra that is both incorporated and organized (all others are either unincorporated but organized, or unincorporated and unorganized). Having previously been a constituent part of incorporated territory (the province of the Gold Coast), the Channels retained their incorporated status. As incorporated territory, Channeliers enjoy the full and complete protections, privileges, and rights granted by the Constitution of Sierra although as a territory, Channeliers are not represented in Parliament by representatives who can vote on the floor. Like all territorial components of Sierra, the Channel Islands is subject to the provisions of the Charter for the Kingdom of Sierra and is classified as a territory within the constituent country of Sierra, not the Kingdom proper. As a result of gaining territorial status, the Channels forfeited their representation in Parliament (losing their representation by the two senators of the Gold Coast and the commoner whose constituency lied within the islands) following secession. The Earl of Catalina, Olivier Lémieux, is the Queen of Sierra's viceregal representative in the Channel Islands while the head of the Channelier government is Territorial Governor Claire Porcher, who was elected into office in 2012. The Earl is appointed by the Queen and serves at her pleasure, and is responsible for fulfilling all of the ceremonial duties of the Monarchy during the Queen's absence. In addition, all acts of the Legislature must be proclaimed and signed by the Earl in order to take full effect as law. The Earl is also the ceremonial head of the Channelier National Guard as its commander-in-chief. The Territorial Governor is elected directly by Channelier citizens and is responsible for administering the executive branch, enforcing government policies, planning the territorial budget, and other executive duties. In addition, like the Sierran fusionist system at the Kingdom-level, the Channelier Territorial Governor is the President of the unicameral Channel Islands Legislature and is permitted to lead and moderate discussions and debates, draft and introduce bills to the floor, and vote on said bills.

The Channel Islands Legislature is the 20-member unicameral body including the Governor, of which all of whom, are elected on four-year terms. The territory has 19 districts and 1 at-large district from the 3 counties, with each regular district encompassing approximately 1,200 constituents (both voting eligible and non-eligible citizens). The Parti de l'unité (Unity Party), the Channelier affiliate of the mainland Royalist Party, have been in continuous, uninterrupted control of the legislature since the territory's independence from the Gold Coast in 1999. Prior to the Channels' separation from the province, the islands had been represented by conservative Royalist assembly members since 1910. The Legislature convenes daily at the Catalina Casino, the landmark building at Sugarloaf Point in Avalon. Despite its name, the Catalina Casino has never had any gambling function, and the original use of the term casino, was a reference to the word's meaning for "meeting house".

The highest court of the Channel Islands is the Territorial High Court which is headed by the Chief Magistrate and their six associate judges. Lower, inferior courts include the Appellate Courts and Parish Courts. Unlike most of Sierra, the Channel Islands' legal system, particularly in regards to private law and some aspects of criminal law are rooted in the traditions of and  law. It, alongside the Gold Coast have retained the legacy of this legal system from the historical administration by the French and Spanish colonial governments. Following the independence of the Channel Islands, the Civil Code of the Channel Islands was created. Nonetheless,, most aspects of , and other federal law operate according to Sierran common law. Although decisions and cases settled by the Territorial High Court are final in the Channel Islands, such cases can be reviewed by the Supreme Court of Sierra if a writ of is issued, primarily due to a conflict with or issue regarding federal or Kingdom law.

Foreign and intergovernmental affairs
As a territory, the Channel Islands is prohibited from managing its own external affairs with other nations, as this right is exclusively reserved to the Kingdom of Sierra as stipulated by the Charter of 1950 as well as the Constitution of 1858. It may, and has nonetheless, been able to establish several trade agreements and international dialogue with permission by Parliament, particularly with countries such as. In addition, the Kingdom has permitted the Channel Islands to participate in a number of international organizations as an including.

The Office of the Resident Commissioner and the Channel Islands Department of State are the two entities responsible for representing the Channel Islands in the federal government of Sierra and the national government of the Kingdom and managing intergovernmental affairs. The Resident Commissioner is the Channels' key and primary representative to the government of Sierra (aside from the Governor) and is the sole delegate to the Parliament in the House of Commons. As with all territorial delegates, the Resident Commissioner cannot vote on any bills on the floor although they may draft and propose bills, and work in committees. Among the powers of the Department of State, in matters dealing intergovernmental affairs, it is specifically charged with promoting tourism, promoting bilateral relations, licensing companies and individuals for engaging in commerce or hunting in the Channels, and processing passport applications.

Military
As a territory, the defense of the Channel Islands is provided and maintained by Sierra through the Sierran Crown Armed Forces with the Queen as the (who invests her duties as commander to the Prime Minister). The Channel Islands manages its own organized and local defense, the Channelier branch of the National Guard and the Channel Islands State Guard militia. Both local forces are under the sole command of the Earl of Catalina, who delegates their authority to the Governor who then in turn, delegates it to the Channel Islands Adjutant General. Through an interstate agreement and 25-year lease, the Gold Coast National Guard and State Guard provides supplementary protection and special assistance to the islands, mainly by providing first aid and emergency relief during times of crisis.

There are two military installations in the Channel Islands, both of which are operated by the Royal Navy: the Karana Outlying Field on San Nicolas Island and the Frederick Sherman Auxiliary Landing Field on San Clemente. The main garrison and headquarters of both the Channel Islands National Guard and State Guard is Camp Wrigley on Catalina Island.

In 2014, the K.S. Ministry of Defense reported that the Channels had a total of 637 servicemembers and an additional total of 2,519 reserved members and militiamen.

Demographics
In the 2010 Sierra Royal Bureau of Census, 28,775 people were reported living in the Channel Islands, a 61.4% increase from the 2000 population of 17,831. The islands' doubled population growth primarily stems from mainland migrants who are attracted to the islands' low taxes, minimal regulations, and affordable housing. The majority of the population live on Santa Catalina Island or San Clemente Island, with over 90% living within any of the islands' incorporated cities or towns.

Languages
The official languages of the Channel Islands are and, making the Channels one of the two only provincial or territorial government in Sierra that uses French as one of its official languages (the other being Bénilîle). Due to the Channel's close proximity to the Anglophone mainland and the Channelier education system, virtually all Francophone Channeliers, can also speak English proficiently or higher. Knowledge and comprehension of French is also conversely known among non-French residents, although in recent years, migrants from the mainland have moved in and increased the population of non-French speakers. The retention of the French language, particularly that of the Channelier dialect, has been the subject of much attention and pride among native Channeliers.

According to the 2010 census, 18,461 people (76% of the population) in the Channel Islands declared French as their, while 3,886 people (16% of the population) reported that it was English. The remaining 2,762 residents (11% of the population) constituted other languages more commonly spoken on the mainland, primarily, , , and. 22,590 residents (93% of the population) reported they were (of any two languages) or. The number of residents who could speak and understand French and English (without taking into account of knowledge and use of any other languages) was 20,647 (85% of the population).

Religion
The Channel Islands are unique among Sierra as the only territory or province with a majority Catholic population compared to the Protestant majority or plurality found in the rest of the Kingdom. The islands' large Catholic population is a legacy of the French and Spanish colonial past, with about 78% being. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Avalon, is the ecclesiastical and episcopal seat of the Church in the Channels as well as parts of southwestern Gold Coast and coastal Orange, and oversees 18 parishes within the Channels. The diocesan cathedral of the Archdiocese is the Cathedral of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and its current is Edmond Marin.

Other religious faiths present in the Channels are predominantly Christian, primarily those under the Protestant tradition including the, , , , and (26 churches dispersed across the Channels). Non-Christian religions include Canaanism,, , , , and , with at least one religious center or place of worship present on the islands from the aforementioned.

Economy
The Channels is an important, regional  with low taxation, minimal regulations, and  lacking foreign exchange control. As incorporated territory, the Channels is subject to the federal income tax although the Channels itself has no territorial income tax, relying primarily on sales tax and other es. Today, the islands' economy is dominated by financial services, tourism, gambling, and shipping, and has one of the standards of living in the Kingdom. Historically, the Channels was dependent on the agriculture and shipbuilding industries, which were overtaken by the modern industries by 1960. The Channelier government, through the Monetary Authority of the Channels, has a restrained approach towards intervening in the market.

Culture
The Channel Islands has a distinct, French-driven culture compared to the rest of Sierra, having been relatively resistant to the societal and cultural changes of the Sierran Cultural Revolution during the first half of the 20th century. However, given its geographic isolation from other French-speaking North American communities such as the and the s, as well as its close proximity to the mainland, its culture has evolved with Sierran influences and adopting other ideas from immigrant groups arriving to the cosmopolitan community of Sierra.

Channelier identity and heritage is a source of pride among Channeliers, and the preservation of the French language and customs have been kept through government and social projects aimed at promoting Channelier culture. Unlike most of Sierra with Protestant heritage, the Channels have always traditionally been Roman Catholic with the Church remaining a powerful and relevant influence in Channelier society and social attitudes.

Cuisine
Traditional Channelier cuisine is strongly with  and Sierran influences, and incorporates local ingredients into its dishes. The Channels is renowned for its seafood dishes as well as wine. Historically, due to limited spacing and resources, locals utilized nearly every part of an animal including its bones and entrails. Chaudiere de Détroit (Channel Chowder), a savory thickened with  that incorporates vegetables, sausages, and fish, is one of the most popular dishes in Channelier cuisine. With French Channeliers primarily being descendants of those from and, Channelier cuisine follows northern French culinary preferences and habits including the favoring of  over. Nonetheless, Channelier cuisine is relatively cosmopolitan, having refined dishes that originated elsewhere in France as well as new sources from other countries to satisfy local taste.

Compared to the Sierran mainland, bread and wheat is preferred over rice as the staple food although rice is incorporated into several Channelier dishes as part of its, the most recognizable being Restes de soirée (evening scraps), a with fried onions, s, s, s, , and diced. Generally, Restes de soirée is prepared with a coating of Sauce Avocat ( sauce), herbs and s over it ("canopy styled" or style de canopée) or served with the sauce at the base ("earth style" or style de terre).

Aspects of Sierran dining etiquette and conventions have made their way into Channelier dining as the result of continous exchange and the islands' proximity.

Media
There are few outlets of media specifically curtailed to the Channels, much in part due to the islands' close proximity to the Sierran mainland and the Southwest Corridor. The Pacific Herald and New Bourbon Times are the two major print newspapers that distribute on a daily basis and service the Channels with a primary focus on Channelier news and affairs. Several television networks broadcast local versions on the islands and have affiliates based in Avalon and New Bourbon. A few local radio stations that service the Greater Los Angeles Area are based in Avalon and Little Gibraltar. All media in the Channels are available in both French and English.