| The World Factbook | ||
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Isle of Man |
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| Introduction | Isle of Man |
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Background:
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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. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. |
| Geography | Isle of Man |
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Location:
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Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland |
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Geographic coordinates:
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54 15 N, 4 30 W |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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160 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
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Climate:
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temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time |
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Terrain:
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hills in north and south bisected by central valley |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
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Natural resources:
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none |
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Land use:
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arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002) |
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution |
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Geography - note:
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one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary |
| People | Isle of Man |
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Population:
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75,441 (July 2006 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 17.3% (male 6,669/female 6,350)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 24,884/female 24,678) 65 years and over: 17% (male 5,197/female 7,663) (2006 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 39.6 years
male: 38.4 years female: 41 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.52% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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11.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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11.19 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.49 years
male: 75.14 years female: 82.02 years (2006 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
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Ethnic groups:
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Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons |
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Religions:
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Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends |
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Languages:
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English, Manx Gaelic |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Government | Isle of Man |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man |
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Dependency status:
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British crown dependency |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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name: Douglas
geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 28 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 |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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none (British crown dependency) |
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National holiday:
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Tynwald Day, 5 July |
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Constitution:
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unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution |
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Legal system:
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English common law and Manx statute |
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Suffrage:
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16 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the chief minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2008) election results: House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief minister by the Tynwald |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and eight others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 23 November 2006 (next to be held November 2011) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Man Labor Party 1, independents 21 |
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Judicial branch:
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High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]; Man Labor Party; Man Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin) (branch of the British National Party)
note: most members sit as independents |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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International organization participation:
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UPU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (British crown dependency) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (British crown dependency) |
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Flag description:
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red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), 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 |
| Economy | Isle of Man |
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Economy - overview:
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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 shares of 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$2.719 billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$2.719 billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.2% (2005) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$35,000 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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39,690 (2001) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 3%, construction 10%, transport and communication 11%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 10%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% |
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Unemployment rate:
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1.5% (December 2006 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.1% (December 2006 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $965 million
expenditures: $943 million; including capital expenditures of $96 million (FY05/06 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry |
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Industries:
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financial services, light manufacturing, tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.2% (FY96/97) |
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Exports:
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$NA |
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Exports - commodities:
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tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb |
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Exports - partners:
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UK (2004) |
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Imports:
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$NA |
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Imports - commodities:
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timber, fertilizers, fish |
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Imports - partners:
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UK (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA |
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Currency (code):
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British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound |
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Currency code:
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GBP |
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Exchange rates:
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Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)
note: the Manx pound is at par with the British pound |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March |
| Communications | Isle of Man |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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51,000 (1999) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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NA |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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NA |
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Television broadcast stations:
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0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) |
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Televisions:
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27,490 (1999) |
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Internet country code:
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.im |
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Internet hosts:
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290 (2006) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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NA |
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Internet users:
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NA |
| Transportation | Isle of Man |
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Airports:
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1 (2006) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
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Railways:
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total: 65 km
standard guage: 7 km 1.067-m guage (7 km electrified) narrow guage: 58 km 0.914-m guage (29 km electrified) note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006) |
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Roadways:
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total: 800 km
paved: 800 km (1999) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 305 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,266,229 GRT/13,792,927 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 65, chemical tanker 53, container 16, liquefied gas 38, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 213 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 53, Estonia 2, France 2, Germany 56, Greece 45, Italy 5, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 27, Singapore 7, Sweden 1, Turkey 3, US 3) registered in other countries: 9 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Liberia 5, Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1) (2006) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey |
| Military | Isle of Man |
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Transnational Issues | Isle of Man |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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This page was last updated on 8 March, 2007 |