Introduction
Background
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
Location
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland
Geographic coordinates
54 15 N, 4 30 W
Area (sq km)
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative (sq km)
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries (km)
0 km
Coastline (km)
160 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time
Terrain
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Elevation extremes (m)
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m
Natural resources
none
Land use (%)
arable land: 43.86%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 56.14% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2011)
Irrigated land (sq km)
0 sq km (2011)
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
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx
Ethnic groups (%)
white 96.5%, Asian/Asian British 1.9%, other 1.5% (2011 est.)
Languages (%)
English, Manx Gaelic (about 2% of the population has some knowledge)
Religions (%)
Protestant (Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends), Roman Catholic
Population
86,866 (July 2014 est.) evolution and prospects (1950-2100)
Age structure (%)
0-14 years: 16.3% (male 7,457/female 6,721)
15-24 years: 11.9% (male 5,371/female 4,990)
25-54 years: 39.5% (male 17,110/female 17,209)
55-64 years: 12.8% (male 5,605/female 5,519)
65 years and over: 19.1% (male 7,839/female 9,045) (2014 est.)
Median age (years)
total: 43.4 years
male: 42.7 years
female: 44.1 years (2014 est.)
Population growth rate (%)
0.8% (2014 est.)
Birth rate (births/1,000 population)
11.17 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Death rate (deaths/1,000 population)
10.03 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Net migration rate (migrant(s)/1,000 population)
6.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Urbanization (%)
urban population: 50.5% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population
DOUGLAS (capital) 27,000 (2011)
Sex ratio (male(s)/female)
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Infant mortality rate (deaths/1,000 live births)
total: 4.17 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
Life expectancy at birth (years)
total population: 80.98 years
male: 79.33 years
female: 82.75 years (2014 est.)
Total fertility rate (children born/woman)
1.94 children born/woman (2014 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Literacy (%)
NA
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 (%)
total: 7.2%
male: 9.5%
female: 5.1% (2006)
Government
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 29 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 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
several previous; latest announced 16 October 2006 (Isle of Man Constitution Act 2006) (2006)
Legal system
the laws of the UK where applicable apply and include 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 Adam WOOD (since 7 April 2011)
head of government: Chief Minister Allan BELL (since 11 October 2011)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
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 11 October 2011 (next to be held in December 2016)
election results: House of Keys speaker Allan BELL elected chief minister by the Tynwald with 27 votes out of 30
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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held on 29 September 2011 (next to be held in September 2016)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 3, independents 21
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Isle of Man High Courts of Justice (consists of 3 permanent judges called "deemsters" and 1 judge of appeal; organized into the Staff of Government Division or Court of Appeal and the Civil Division)
note - appeals beyond the High Court of Justice are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor; judge tenure NA
subordinate courts: High Court; Court of Summary Gaol Delivery; Summary Courts; magistrate's Court; specialized courts
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Progressive Government
Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]
Manx Labor Party
Mec Vannin [Bernard MOFFATT]; note - sometimes referred to as the Manx Nationalist Party
most members sit as independents
Political pressure groups and leaders
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
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 (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. 1252-65); the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun symbol
National symbol(s)
triskelion (a motif of three legs)
National anthem
name: "Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin" (O Land of Our Birth)
lyrics/music: William Henry GILL [English], John J. KNEEN [Manx]/traditional
note: adopted 2003, in use since 1907; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) and is played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present
Economy
Economy - overview
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. In January 2013, the Isle of Man signed a tax agreement with Guernsey and Jersey, in order to enable the islands' authorities to end tax avoidance and evasion. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$4.076 billion (2007 est.)
$2.719 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$4.076 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate (%)
5.2% (2005)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$53,800 (2007 est.)
$35,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (%)
agriculture: 1%
industry: 11%
services: 88% (FY08/09 est.)
Labor force
41,790 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation (%)
agriculture, forestry, and fishing: 2%
manufacturing: 5%
construction: 8%
gas, electricity, and water: 1%
transport and communication: 9%
wholesale and retail distribution: 11%
professional and scientific services: 20%
public administration: 7%
banking and finance: 23%
tourism: 1%
entertainment and catering: 5%
miscellaneous services: 8% (2006)
Unemployment rate (%)
2% (April 2011 est.)
1.8% (October 2010 est.)
Population below poverty line (%)
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share (%)
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget
revenues: $965 million
expenditures: $943 million (FY05/06 est.)
Taxes and other revenues (% of GDP)
23.7% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) (% of GDP)
0.5% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (%)
5% (2010 est.)
3.1% (2006)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$NA
Agriculture - products
cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Industries
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Exports
$NA
Exports - commodities (%)
tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb
Imports
$NA
Imports - commodities (%)
timber, fertilizers, fish
External debt ($)
$NA
Exchange rates
Currency converter
Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -
0.6472 (2014)
0.6391 (2013)
0.6472 (2010)
0.6175 (2009)
0.5302 (2008)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephone system
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: country code - 44; fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable
Broadcast media
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)
Internet country code
.im
Internet hosts
895 (2012)
Transportation
Airports
1 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
Railways (km)
total: 63 km
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)
Roadways (km)
total: 500 km (2008)
Merchant marine
total: 321
by type: bulk carrier 59, cargo 55, chemical tanker 52, container 7, liquefied gas 43, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 93, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 223 (Bermuda 7, Chile 9, Denmark 30, Germany 56, Greece 62, Ireland 1, Japan 19, Malaysia 6, Norway 30, South Africa 2, US 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Douglas, Ramsey
Military
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 15,206
females age 16-49: 15,127 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 507
female: 494 (2010 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none
Largest cities of Isle of Man
These are the 50 largest cities of Isle of Man ordered based on their number of inhabitants.
| # | City | Population |
|---|