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Isle of Man
Isle of Man, See : Flags, Maps
Isle of Man (Europe)
Introduction :: Isle of Man
The Isle of Man was part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century, when it was ceded to Scotland. The isle came under English lordship in the 14th century before being purchased by the British Government in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. The Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency, which makes it a self-governing possession of the British Crown that is not part of the UK. The UK Government, however, remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
Geography :: Isle of Man
Geography
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
comparison ranking: total 193
Area - comparative
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
total: 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 a third of the time
Terrain
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Elevation
highest point: Snaefell 621 m
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
Natural resources
none
Land use
agricultural land: 74.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 43.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 30.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 6.1% (2018 est.)
other: 19.2% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Population distribution
most people concentrated in cities and large towns of which Douglas, in the southeast, is the largest
Natural hazards
occasional high winds and rough seas
Geography - note
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary
People and Society
Population
total: 92,269
male: 46,331
female: 45,938 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 198; male 198; total 198
Nationality
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx
Ethnic groups
White 94.7%, Asian 3.1%, Mixed 1%, Black 0.6%, other 0.4% (2021 est.)
note: data represent population by nationality
Languages
English, Manx Gaelic (about 2% of the population has some knowledge)
Religions
Christian 54.7%, Muslim 0.5%, Buddhist 0.5%, Hindu 0.4%, Jewish 0.2%, none 43.8% (2021 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 16% (male 7,701/female 7,100)
15-64 years: 61.9% (male 29,035/female 28,044)
65 years and over: 22.1% (2024 est.) (male 9,595/female 10,794)
2023 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 58.6
youth dependency ratio: 23.6
elderly dependency ratio: 34.9
potential support ratio: 2.9 (2021)
Median age
total: 44.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 43.7 years
female: 46.1 years
comparison ranking: total 26
Population growth rate
0.45% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 153
Birth rate
10.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 178
Death rate
10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 34
Net migration rate
4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 22
Population distribution
most people concentrated in cities and large towns of which Douglas, in the southeast, is the largest
Urbanization
urban population: 53.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Major urban areas - population
27,000 DOUGLAS (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 4.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 186
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 82.5 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.7 years
female: 84.4 years
comparison ranking: total population 28
Total fertility rate
1.88 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 127
Gross reproduction rate
0.9 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
Drinking water source
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 99.1% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0.9% of population (2020)
Current health expenditure
NA
Physician density
NA
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
NA
Education expenditures
NA
Literacy
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Environment
Environment - current issues
air pollution, marine pollution; waste disposal (both household and industrial)
Climate
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time
Land use
agricultural land: 74.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 43.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 30.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 6.1% (2018 est.)
other: 19.2% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 53.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Revenue from forest resources
0% of GDP (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: 181
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 50,551 tons (2011 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 25,276 tons (2011 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 50% (2011 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man
abbreviation: I.O.M.
etymology: the name "man" may be derived from the Celtic word for "mountain"
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Tynwald)
Dependency status
British crown dependency
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
etymology: name derives from the Dhoo and Glass Rivers, which flow through the valley in which the town is located and which in Manx mean the "dark" and the "light" rivers respectively
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 (1417); date Tynwald Day was first recorded
Legal system
the laws of the UK apply where applicable and include Manx statutes
Constitution
history: development of the Isle of Man constitution dates to at least the 14th century
amendments: proposed as a bill in the House of Keys, by the "Government," by a "Member of the House," or through petition to the House or Legislative Council; passage normally requires three separate readings and approval of at least 13 House members; following both House and Council agreement, assent is required by the lieutenant governor on behalf of the Crown; the constitution has been expanded and amended many times, last in 2020
Citizenship
see United Kingdom
Suffrage
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: Lord of Mann King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir John LORIMER (since 29 September 2021)
head of government: Chief Minister Alfred CANNAN (since 12 October 2021)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the lieutenant governor
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister indirectly elected by the Tynwald for a 5-year term (eligible for second term); election last held on 23 September 2021 (next to be held in 2026)
election results:
2021: Alfred CANNAN (independent) elected chief minister; Tynwald House of Keys vote - 21 of 24
2016: Howard QUAYLE elected chief minister; Tynwald House of Keys vote - 21 of 33
Legislative branch
legislature name: Tynwald (High Court of Tynwald)
legislative structure: bicameral
note: Legislative Council includes the President of Tynwald, 2 non-voting members (the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the attorney general), and 8 members indirectly elected by the House of Keys
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name: House of Keys
number of seats: 24 (directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 9/23/2021
parties elected and seats per party: independent (21); Manx Labour Party (2); Liberal Vannin (1)
percentage of women in chamber: 40%
expected date of next election: September 2026
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name: Legislative Council
number of seats: 11 (3 appointed, 8 indirectly elected)
scope of elections: partial renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 3/14/2023
percentage of women in chamber: 36.4%
expected date of next election: March 2028
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Isle of Man High Court of Justice (consists of 3 permanent judges or "deemsters" and 1 judge of appeal; organized into the Staff of Government Division or Court of Appeal and the Civil Division); the Court of General Gaol Delivery is not formally part of the High Court but is administered as though part of the High Court and deals with serious criminal cases; note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
judge selection and term of office: deemsters appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor; deemsters can serve until age 70
subordinate courts: High Court; Court of Summary Gaol Delivery; Summary Courts; Magistrate's Court; specialized courts
Political parties
Green Party
Liberal Vannin Party or LVP
Manx Labor Party
Mec Vannin (sometimes referred to as the Manx Nationalist Party)
note: most members sit as independents
International organization participation
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: 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 colors: red, white
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 King" is official (see United Kingdom) and is played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present
Economy
Economic overview
high-income British island economy; known financial services and tourism industries; taxation incentives for technology and financial firms to operate; historic fishing and agriculture industries are declining; major online gambling and film industry locale
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$6.792 billion (2015 est.)
$7.428 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2014 dollars
comparison ranking: 173
Real GDP growth rate
3.84% (2021 est.)
-8.84% (2020 est.)
0.25% (2019 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 83
Real GDP per capita
$84,600 (2014 est.)
comparison ranking: 9
GDP (official exchange rate)
$7.931 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.1% (2017 est.)
1% (2016 est.)
comparison ranking: 85
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: Aa3 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: N/A
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.3% (2021 est.)
industry: 9.4% (2021 est.)
services: 91.8% (2021 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 2; industry 200; agriculture 204
Agricultural products
cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Industries
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate
9.95% (2021 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 21
Unemployment rate
1.1% (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: 9
Exports - partners
almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)
Exports - commodities
crude petroleum, artwork, vegetables, fruits, whiskies (2022)
Imports - partners
almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)
Imports - commodities
ships, delivery trucks (2022)
Exchange rates
Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.805 (2023 est.)
0.811 (2022 est.)
0.727 (2021 est.)
0.78 (2020 est.)
0.783 (2019 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Communications
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the Isle of Man has an extensive communications infrastructure consisting of telephone cables, submarine cables, and an array of television and mobile phone transmitters and towers (2022)
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
Internet country code
.im
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
M
Airports
4 (2024)
comparison ranking: 180
Heliports
1 (2024)
Railways
total: 63 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 6 km (2008) 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified)
57 0.914-mm gauge (29 km electrified) note: primarily summer tourist attractions
comparison ranking: total 131
Roadways
total: 1,107 km (2022)
paved: 1,107 km
comparison ranking: total 185
Merchant marine
total: 269 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 102, container ship 6, general cargo 27, oil tanker 56, other 78
comparison ranking: total 62
Ports
total ports: 2 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 2
very small: 0
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: Douglas, Ramsey
Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK
