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.

Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland

slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time

hills in north and south bisected by central valley

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

84,655 (July 2011 est.)

11.42 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

9.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

7.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

DOUGLAS (capital) 26,000 (2009)

1.96 children born/woman (2011 est.)

Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends

English, Manx Gaelic (about 2% of the population has some knowledge)

British crown dependency

parliamentary democracy

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)

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 include Manx statutes

16 years of age; universal

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)

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]

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

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 (r. 1252-1265); the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun symbol

Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government offers low taxes and other 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.)

1.8% (October 2010 est.)

1.5% (December 2006 est.)

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

timber, fertilizers, fish

Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -

national public radio broadcasts over 3 FM stations and 1 AM station; 2 commercial broadcasters operating with 1 having multiple FM stations; receives radio and TV services via relays from British TV and radio broadcasters (2008)

defense is the responsibility of the UK