Being isolated has both positive and negative points. Islands have always been granted a certain degree of independence and the Channel Islands’ case is indicative. The Islands have benefited from a special agreement that allowed them to maintain their own traditional Normandy laws, customs and liberties, even when they became part of the King of England’s territories in 1204. Their independence has been respected throughout the centuries and they still enjoy autonomy in all matters, with the exceptions of international representation and defence.
However, isolation also requires a certain degree of creativity and flexibility when times change and traditional ways of providing for the population’s prosperity begin to fail.
