Europe :: Isle of Man
(British crown dependency)
page last updated on April 26, 2010
Flag of Isle of Man
Location of Isle of Man
 
Map of Isle of Man
Introduction ::Isle of Man
Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK or of the European Union. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
Geography ::Isle of Man
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland
54 15 N, 4 30 W
total: 572 sq km
country comparison to the world: 194
land: 572 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
160 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Current Weather
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m
none
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002)
0 sq km
NA
waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary
People ::Isle of Man
76,913 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 6,590/female 6,279)
15-64 years: 66% (male 25,561/female 25,204)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male 5,521/female 7,758) (2010 est.)
total: 40.4 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 41.6 years (2010 est.)
0.523% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
10.7 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
10.67 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
5.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
urban population: 51% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
at birth: 1.052 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
total: 5.27 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 185
male: 6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
total population: 78.98 years
country comparison to the world: 38
male: 76.02 years
female: 82.1 years (2010 est.)
1.66 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
NA
NA
NA
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx
Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends
English, Manx Gaelic
NA
NA
Government ::Isle of Man
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man
abbreviation: I.O.M.
British crown dependency
parliamentary democracy
name: Douglas
geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 29 W
time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections
none (British crown dependency)
Tynwald Day, 5 July
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution
the laws of the UK where applicable apply and Manx statutes
16 years of age; universal
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K. HADDACKS (since 17 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Tony BROWN (since 14 December 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; the chief minister elected by the Tynwald for a five-year term; election last held on 14 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011)
election results: House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief minister by the Tynwald
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (11 seats; members composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held on 23 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2011)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Manx Labor Party 1, independents 21
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)
Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]; Manx Labor Party; Manx Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin) [Bernard MOFFATT]
note: most members sit as independents
Alliance for Progressive Government or APG (a government watchdog); Mec Vannin (political party advocating a sovereign state and environment policies); note - has only had one member elected to the Tynwald
UPU
none (British crown dependency)
none (British crown dependency)
red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (triskelion), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used; the flag is based on the coat-of-arms of the last recognized Norse King of Mann, Magnus III; the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun symbol
Economy ::Isle of Man
Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government offers incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island; this has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their contributions to GDP. The Isle of Man also attracts online gambling sites and the film industry. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.
$2.719 billion (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
$2.719 billion (2005 est.)
5.2% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 21
$35,000 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13%
services: 86% (2000 est.)
39,690 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 196
agriculture, forestry, and fishing: 3%
manufacturing: 11%
construction: 10%
transport and communication: 8%
wholesale and retail distribution: 11%
professional and scientific services: 18%
public administration: 6%
banking and finance: 18%
tourism: 2%
entertainment and catering: 3%
miscellaneous services: 10% (2001)
1.5% (December 2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $965 million
expenditures: $943 million (FY05/06 est.)
3.1% (December 2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
$NA
cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
$NA
tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb
$NA
timber, fertilizers, fish
$NA
Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar - 0.6494 (2009), 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005)
note: the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
Communications ::Isle of Man
51,000 (1999)
country comparison to the world: 161
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)
.im
478 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 174
Transportation ::Isle of Man
1 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 229
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
total: 63 km
country comparison to the world: 129
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified); 57 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)
note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2008)
total: 500 km (2008)
country comparison to the world: 192
total: 273
country comparison to the world: 31
by type: bulk carrier 31, cargo 50, chemical tanker 48, container 12, liquefied gas 41, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 73, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 181 (Chile 6, Denmark 29, France 1, Germany 56, Greece 50, Ireland 1, Japan 6, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 20, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Turkey 2, US 4)
registered in other countries: 7 (Bahamas 1, Liberia 5, Marshall Islands 1) (2008)
Douglas, Ramsey
Military ::Isle of Man
males age 16-49: 14,748
females age 16-49: 14,392 (2010 est.)
male: 469
female: 449 (2010 est.)
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Isle of Man
none