im - Isle of Man :: The World Factbook

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. 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

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

Map references:

Area:

Area - comparative:

slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

Coastline:

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:

lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m

highest point: Snaefell 621 m

Natural resources:

Land use:

agricultural land: 74.7% (2011 est.)

arable land: 43.8% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 30.9% (2011 est.)

forest: 6.1% (2011 est.)

other: 19.2% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land:

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

Environment - current issues:

air pollution, marine pollution; waste disposal (both household and industrial)

Geography - note:

one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary

People and Society

Population:

90,499 (July 2020 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Manxman(men), Manxwoman(women)

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

Age structure:

0-14 years: 16.28% (male 7,688/female 7,046)

15-24 years: 11.02% (male 5,328/female 4,642)

25-54 years: 37.8% (male 17,080/female 17,131)

55-64 years: 13.82% (male 6,284/female 6,219)

65 years and over: 21.08% (male 9,023/female 10,058) (2020 est.)

Median age:

female: 45.6 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

10.8 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Death rate:

10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Net migration rate:

5.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Population distribution:

most people concentrated in cities and large towns of which Douglas, in the southeast, is the largest

Urbanization:

urban population: 52.9% of total population (2020)

rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population:

27,000 DOUGLAS (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.15 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 81.6 years

female: 83.6 years (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.9 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Drinking water source:

improved: total: 100% of population

unimproved: total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

Education expenditures:

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:

female: 8.2% (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"

Dependency status:

British crown dependency

Government type:

parliamentary democracy (Tynwald)

Capital:

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

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 2019

Legal system:

the laws of the UK apply where applicable and include Manx statutes

Citizenship:

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 Richard GOZNEY (since 27 May 2016)

head of government: Chief Minister Howard QUAYLE (since 4 October 2016)

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 4 October 2016 (next to be held in 2021)

election results: Howard QUAYLE (independent) elected chief minister; Tynwald vote - 21 of 33

Legislative branch:

description: bicameral Tynwald or the High Court of Tynwald consists of: Legislative Council (11 seats; includes the President of Tynwald, 2 ex-officio members - the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the attorney general (non-voting) - and 8 members indirectly elected by the House of Keys with renewal of 4 members every 2 years; elected members serve 4-year terms) ++ House of Keys (24 seats; 2 members directly elected by simple majority vote from 12 constituencies to serve 5-year terms)

elections: Legislative Council - last held 28 February 2018 (next to be held 12 March 2020) ++ House of Keys - last held on 22 September 2016 (next to be held on 23 September 2021)

election results: ++ Legislative Council - composition - men 6, women 5, percent of women 45.5% ++ House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Liberal Vannin 6.4%, independent 92.3%, other 1.3%; seats by party - Liberal Vannin 3, independent 21; composition - men 19, women 5, percent of women 20.8%; note - total Tynwald percent of women 28.6%

note: as of January 2019, seats by party - Liberal Vannin 2, independent 22

Judicial branch:

highest courts: 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 and leaders:

Liberal Vannin Party [Kate BEECROFT] ++ Manx Labor Party ++ Mec Vannin [Mark KERMODE] (sometimes referred to as the Manx Nationalist Party)

note: most members sit as independents

International organization participation:

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 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 Queen" 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:

Financial services, 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. Online gambling sites provided about 10% of the islands income in 2014. The Isle of Man currently enjoys free access to EU markets and trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man's trade relationship with the EU derives from the United Kingdom's EU membership and will need to be renegotiated in light of the United Kingdom's decision to withdraw from the bloc. A transition period is expected to allow the free movement of goods and agricultural products to the EU until the end of 2020 or until a new settlement is negotiated.

GDP real growth rate:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Credit ratings:

Moody's rating: Aa3 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: N/A (2014)

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real:

$6.792 billion (2015 est.)

$7.428 billion (2014 est.)

$6.298 billion (2013 est.)

note: data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$6.792 billion (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

agriculture: 1% (FY12/13 est.)

industry: 13% (FY12/13 est.)

services: 86% (FY12/13 est.)

Ease of Doing Business Index scores:

Agriculture - products:

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Industries:

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Labor force:

Labor force - by occupation:

manufacturing: 5% (2006 est.)

construction: 8% (2006 est.)

tourism: 1% (2006 est.)

transport and communications: 9% (2006 est.)

agriculture, forestry, and fishing: 2% (2006 est.)

gas, electricity, and water: 1% (2006 est.)

wholesale and retail distribution: 11% (2006 est.)

professional and scientific services: 20% (2006 est.)

public administration: 7% (2006 est.)

banking and finance: 23% (2006 est.)

entertainment and catering: 5% (2006 est.)

miscellaneous services: 8% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

2% (April 2011 est.)

Population below poverty line:

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

Budget:

revenues: 965 million (FY05/06 est.)

expenditures: 943 million (FY05/06 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:

14.2% (of GDP) (FY05/06 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

0.3% (of GDP) (FY05/06 est.)

Fiscal year:

Exports:

Exports - commodities:

tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

Imports:

Imports - commodities:

timber, fertilizers, fish

Debt - external:

Exchange rates:

Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -

Energy

Electricity access:

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Communications

Telecommunication systems:

domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system

international: country code - 44; fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable

note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

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

Isle of Man :: Europe

Introduction

Background:

Geography

Location:

Geographic coordinates:

Map references:

Area:

Area - comparative:

Land boundaries:

Coastline:

Maritime claims:

Climate:

Terrain:

Elevation:

Natural resources:

Land use:

Irrigated land:

Population distribution:

Natural hazards:

Environment - current issues:

Geography - note:

People and Society

Population:

Nationality:

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions:

Age structure:

Median age:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution:

Urbanization:

Major urban areas - population:

Sex ratio:

Infant mortality rate:

Life expectancy at birth:

Total fertility rate:

Drinking water source:

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

Education expenditures:

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:

Government

Country name:

Dependency status:

Government type:

Capital:

Administrative divisions:

Independence:

National holiday:

Constitution:

Legal system:

Citizenship:

Suffrage:

Executive branch:

Legislative branch:

Judicial branch:

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation in the US:

Diplomatic representation from the US:

Flag description:

National symbol(s):

National anthem:

Economy

Economic overview:

GDP real growth rate:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Credit ratings:

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real:

GDP (official exchange rate):

GDP - per capita (PPP):

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

Ease of Doing Business Index scores:

Agriculture - products: