2015 Edition

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.

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

Climate

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

Coastline

160 km

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

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2011)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 43.8%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 30.9%

agricultural land

74.7%

forest

6.1%

other

19.2% (2011 est.)

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

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

none

Terrain

hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Age structure

0-14 years

16.3% (male 7,488/female 6,778)

15-24 years

11.81% (male 5,380/female 4,956)

25-54 years

39.27% (male 17,153/female 17,223)

55-64 years

12.83% (male 5,668/female 5,560)

65 years and over

19.81% (male 8,077/female 9,262) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

11.1 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

10.06 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

white 96.5%, Asian/Asian British 1.9%, other 1.5% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

4.08 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.11 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English, Manx Gaelic (about 2% of the population has some knowledge)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.9 years (2015 est.)

male

79.41 years

total population

81.09 years

Major urban areas - population

DOUGLAS (capital) 29,000 (2014)

Median age

female

44.4 years (2015 est.)

male

42.9 years

total

43.7 years

Nationality

adjective

Manx

noun

Manxman(men), Manxwoman(women)

Net migration rate

6.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Population

87,545 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.76% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant (Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends), Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.11 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.87 male(s)/female

at birth

1.08 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.94 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

8.2% (2011 est.)

male

11.8%

total

10.1%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

52.1% of total population (2014)

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

Capital

daylight saving time

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

geographic coordinates

54 09 N, 4 29 W

name

Douglas

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

development of the Isle of Man constitution dates to at least the 14th century; the constitution has been expanded and amended many times, last in 2014 (2015)

Country name

abbreviation

I.O.M.

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Isle of Man

etymology

the name "man" may be derived from the Celtic word for "mountain"

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the lieutenant governor

chief of state

Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Adam WOOD (since 7 April 2011)

election results

Allan BELL (independent) elected chief minister; Tynwald vote count - 27 of 30

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 11 October 2011 (next to be held in December 2016)

head of government

Chief Minister Allan BELL (since 11 October 2011)

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest resident 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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description

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

election results

House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 3, independent 21

elections

House of Keys - last held on 29 September 2011 (next to be held in September 2016)

National anthem

lyrics/music

William Henry GILL [English], John J. KNEEN [Manx]/traditional

name

"Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin" (O Land of Our Birth)

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

National holiday

Tynwald Day, 5 July (1417, first recorded Day)

National symbol(s)

triskelion (a motif of three legs); national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Vannin Party [Kate BEECROFT]

Manx Labor Party

Mec Vannin [Bernard MOFFATT]; (sometimes referred to as the Manx Nationalist Party; advocates a sovereign state and environment policies)

note

most members sit as independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

Alliance for Progressive Government or APG (a government watchdog)

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Budget

expenditures

$943 million (FY05/06 est.)

revenues

$965 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.5% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - 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. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets and trade is mostly with the UK. In October 2014, the Isle of Man signed an OECD agreement to automatically exchange some financial account information to limit tax avoidance and evasion.

Exchange rates

Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -

0.607 (2014 est.)

0.6472 (2013 est.)

0.6241 (2012 est.)

0.624 (2011 est.)

0.6472 (2010 est.)

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1%

industry

13%

services

86% (FY 2012/13 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$83,100 (2007 est.)

$35,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.2% (2012)

3.4% (2011)

2.1% (2010)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.076 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.298 billion (FY 2012/13 est.)

$5.85 billion (FY 2011/12 est.)

$5.621 billion (FY 2010/11 est.)

note

data are in 2013 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

timber, fertilizers, fish

Industries

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (2010 est.)

3.1% (2006)

Labor force

41,790 (2006)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture, forestry, and fishing

2%

banking and finance

23%

construction

8%

entertainment and catering

5%

gas, electricity, and water

1%

manufacturing

5%

miscellaneous services

8% (2006)

professional and scientific services

20%

public administration

7%

tourism

1%

transport and communication

9%

wholesale and retail distribution

11%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

23.7% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)

Unemployment rate

2% (April 2011 est.)

1.8% (October 2010 est.)

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system

international

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

Television broadcast stations

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

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Merchant marine

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)

total

321

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Douglas, Ramsey

Railways

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)

total

63 km

Roadways

total

500 km (2008)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

15,127 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

15,206

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

494 (2010 est.)

male

507

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes - international

none