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.
Location
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland
Geographic coordinates
54 15 N, 4 30 W
Map references
Europe
Area
total
572 sq km
land
572 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
160 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone
12 nm
Climate
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time
Terrain
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Irish Sea 0 m
highest point
Snaefell 621 m
Natural resources
none
Land use
arable land
9%
permanent crops
0%
other
91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002)
Irrigated land
0 sq km
Natural hazards
NA
Environment - current issues
waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution
Geography - note
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary
Population
75,831 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
17.1% (male 6,645/female 6,330)
15-64 years
65.8% (male 25,085/female 24,840)
65 years and over
17.1% (male 5,232/female 7,699) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
39.8 years
male
38.6 years
female
41.2 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.513% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
10.96 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
11.1 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
5.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
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
0.951 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
5.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male
6.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female
4.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
78.64 years
male
75.3 years
female
82.17 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective
Manx
Ethnic groups
Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons
Religions
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends
Languages
English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy
definition
NA
total population
NA%
male
NA%
female
NA%
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Isle of Man
abbreviation
I.O.M.
Dependency status
British crown dependency
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Capital
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
Administrative divisions
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
Independence
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday
Tynwald Day, 5 July
Constitution
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution
Legal system
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and Manx statutes
Suffrage
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch
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
Legislative branch
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 are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 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, Man Labor Party 1, independents 21
Judicial branch
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]; Man Labor Party; Man Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin) [Bernard MOFFATT] (branch of the British National Party)
note: most members sit as independents
Political pressure groups and leaders
none
International organization participation
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (British crown dependency)
Flag description
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 - overview
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.719 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.719 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.2% (2005)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$35,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
1%
industry
13%
services
86% (2000 est.)
Labor force
39,690 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation
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%
Unemployment rate
1.5% (December 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.1% (December 2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$965 million
expenditures
$943 million; including capital expenditures of $96 million (FY05/06 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate
3.2% (FY96/97)
Exports
$NA
Exports - commodities
tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb
Exports - partners
UK (2006)
Imports
$NA
Imports - commodities
timber, fertilizers, fish
Imports - partners
UK (2006)
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
Currency (code)
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound
Currency code
GBP
Exchange rates
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
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
51,000 (1999)
Telephone system
general assessment
NA
domestic
landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international
fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
NA
Television broadcast stations
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)
Televisions
27,490 (1999)
Internet country code
.im
Internet hosts
290 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
NA
Internet users
NA
Airports
1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
1 (2006)
Railways
total
65 km
standard gauge
7 km 1.067-m gauge (7 km electrified)
narrow gauge
58 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)
note
primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)
Roadways
total
800 km
paved
800 km (1999)
Merchant marine
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)
