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Isle of Man

Motto: Quocunque Jeceris Stabit (Latin)
Whithersoever you throw it, it will stand
Anthem: "O Land of Our Birth"
"Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin" (Manx)
Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"

Capital
(and largest city) Douglas
54°09′N, 4°29′W
Official languages Manx, English
Government Crown dependency (UK) Parliamentary democracy (Constitutional monarchy)
- Lord of Mann Elizabeth II
- Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul Haddacks
- First Deemster Michael Kerruish
- President of Tynwald Noel Cringle
- Chief Minister Tony Brown
Status Crown dependency
- Revested in British crown 1765
Area
- Total 572 km² (190th)
221 sq mi
- Water (%) 0
Population
- estimate 80,058 (201st)
- Density 131.2/km² (75th)
339.6/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2003 estimate
- Total $2.113 billion (182nd)
- Per capita $35,000 (11/12th)
HDI (n/a) n/a (unranked) (n/a)
Currency Pound sterling1 (GBP)
Time zone GMT (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST) (UTC+1)
Internet TLD .im
Calling code +44 (UK area code 01624)

1 The Isle of Man Treasury issues its own sterling notes and coins (see Manx pound).
The Isle of Man is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of the British Isles.

The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Crown is represented by a Lieutenant Governor. The island is not part of the United Kingdom, but external relations, defence, and ultimate good-governance of the Isle of Man are the responsibility of the government of the UK.

The Isle of Man is not a part of the European Union, but has a limited relationship relating to the free movement of goods.

History
Main article: History of the Isle of Man

Ancient times to present
The Isle of Man is one of six Celtic nations and its history reflects this. It is likely that the first Celtic tribes to inhabit the Island were of the Brythonic variety but around 700 AD it is assumed that Irish invasion or immigration formed the basis of the early Manx population. This is evident in the change in language used in Ogham inscriptions. Manx Gaelic remains closely related to Irish Gaelic and Scots Gaelic.

Viking settlement on the Isle of Man began at the end of the eighth century. Other than the establishment of Tynwald and land divisions, they had little actual impact on the culture of the Manx people. Although the Manx language does contain Norse influences, they are few. The Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles was created by Godred Crovan in 1079. In 1266, as dictated in the Treaty of Perth, Norway's King Magnus VI ceded the isles to Scotland. The Isle of Man came under English control in the fourteenth century and to the British Crown in 1765.

During Viking times, the islands of the Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles were called the Súðreyjar or Sudreys ("southern isles") in contrast to the Norðreyjar ("northern isles") of Orkney and Shetland. This became Sodor. The Church of England diocese is still called the Diocese of Sodor and Man although it only covers Mann. When the Rev. W. V. Awdry wrote The Railway Series, he invented the island of Sodor as an imaginary island located between the Isle of Man and the Cumbrian coast.

The Isle of Man was used as a location for "Alien Civilian Internment" camps during both the First and Second World Wars.

Tynwald
Main article: Tynwald
Tynwald, the Island's parliament nominally founded in 979 AD, is arguably the oldest continuous parliament in the world.[1] The annual ceremonial meeting in July on Tynwald Day, the Island's national day, continues to be held at Tynwald Hill, where titles are announced and a brief description of the new laws enacted by the Tynwald Court during the previous year is given.

Geography

Map of the Isle of ManMain article: Geography of the Isle of Man
See also: List of islands of the Isle of Man
As well as the main island of Man itself, the Isle of Man includes the small partially inhabited islands of the Calf of Man, Chicken Rock and St Patrick's Isle.

The Isle of Man is located geographically in the middle of the Irish Sea, which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Ireland and Wales and Cornwall to the south and by the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland.

The Isle of Man is part of the British Isles, an archipelago off the north-western coast of mainland Europe. The island lies in the Irish Sea, approximately equidistant between England, Scotland and Ireland.

Approximately 48 kilometres (32 miles) long and between 13 and 24 kilometres (8 and 15 miles) wide, the island has an area of around 572 km² (221 square miles).

Hills in the north and south are bisected by a central valley. The extreme north is exceptionally flat, consisting mainly of deposits built up by deposition from glacial advances from Western Scotland during colder times. There are more recently deposited shingle beaches at the Point of Ayre. It has only one mountain higher than two thousand feet (610 m), Snaefell, with a height of 621 metres (2,036 ft). According to an old saying, from the summit one can see six kingdoms: those of Mann, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and Heaven.[2][3][4] Some versions add a seventh kingdom, that of Neptune or the Sea.[5][6]

People
Main article: Manx people
According to the 2006 interim census,[7] the Isle of Man is home to 80,058 people, of whom 26,218 reside in the island's capital Douglas. Most of the population is born in the British Isles, with 47.6% born in the Isle of Man, 37.2% born in England, 3.4% in Scotland, 2.1% in Northern Ireland, 2.1% in the Republic of Ireland, 1.2% in Wales and 0.3% born in the Channel Islands.

Culture
Further information: Music of the Isle of Man
The culture of the Isle of Man is strongly influenced by its Celtic and to a lesser extent its Norse origins.

Etymology of name
The origin of the name Isle of Man is unclear. In the Manx Gaelic language the Isle of Man is known as Ellan Vannin, where ellan is a Gaelic word meaning 'island'. The earliest form of 'Man' is Manu or Mana[8] giving the genitive name Manann leading to the word Mannin, to which a 'h' is added when used after the feminine word Ellan, giving Mhannin. As 'mh' is prounounced like a 'v' in Goidelic languages, in modern Manx the name becomes Ellan Vannin.

During the period of Julius Caesar as proconsul and his visit to Britain during 55 and 54 BC Caesar referred to the Isle of Man in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico to 'an island called Mona which lies midway across the sea separating Britain from Ireland.'[9]

Isle of Man