2007 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.3% (male 6,669/female 6,350) 15-64 years: 65.7% (male 24,884/female 24,678) 65 years and over: 17% (male 5,197/female 7,663) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Airports

1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Area

land

572 sq km

total

572 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

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. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for defense and international representation. Geography Isle of Man

Birth rate

11.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$463 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)

revenues

$485 million

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

54 09 N, 4 28 W

name

Douglas

time difference

UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time

Coastline

160 km

Constitution

unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Isle of Man

Currency (code)

British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound

Currency code

GBP

Death rate

11.19 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

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.

Elevation extremes

highest point

Snaefell 621 m

lowest point

Irish Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution

Ethnic groups

Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton

Exchange rates

Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.54413 (2006), 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers

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)

election results

House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief minister by the Tynwald

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 December 2008)

head of government

Chief Minister Tony BROWN (since 14 December 2006)

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

Exports - partners

UK (2004)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications Isle of Man

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 Isle of Man

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1%

industry

13%

services

86% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$27,800 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.3% (2003)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.26 billion (2003)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.113 billion (2003 est.)

Geographic coordinates

54 15 N, 4 30 W

Geography - note

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

timber, fertilizers, fish

Imports - partners

UK (2004)

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (FY96/97)

Industries

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Infant mortality rate

female

4.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.82 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.7% (2003 est.)

International organization participation

UPU

Internet country code

.im

Internet hosts

290 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Internet users

NA Transportation Isle of Man

Irrigated land

0 sq km

Judicial branch

High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)

Labor force

39,690 (2001)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 3%, construction 10%, transport and communication 11%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 10%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

9%

other

91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002)

permanent crops

0%

Languages

English, Manx Gaelic

Legal system

English common law and Manx statute

Legislative branch

bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and eight 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)

election results

House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Man Labor Party 1, independents 21

elections

House of Keys - last held 23 November 2006 (next to be held November 2011)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.02 years (2006 est.)

male

75.14 years

total population

78.49 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA% Government Isle of Man

male

NA%

total population

NA%

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

41 years (2006 est.)

male

38.4 years

total

39.6 years

Merchant marine

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)

registered in other countries

9 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Liberia 5, Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1) (2006)

total

305 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,266,229 GRT/13,792,927 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Isle of Man

National holiday

Tynwald Day, 5 July

Nationality

adjective

Manx

noun

Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

none

Net migration rate

5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]; Man Labor Party; Man Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin) (branch of the British National Party)

note

most members sit as independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Population

75,441 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.52% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey Military Isle of Man

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

NA

Railways

narrow guage

58 km 0.914-m guage (29 km electrified)

note

primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)

standard guage

7 km 1.067-m guage (7 km electrified)

total

65 km

Religions

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends

Roadways

paved

800 km (1999)

total

800 km

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system

general assessment

NA

international

fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable

Telephones - main lines in use

51,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)

Televisions

27,490 (1999)

Terrain

hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Total fertility rate

1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

0.6% (2004 est.)