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 its defense and international representation.

Geographic coordinates: 54 15 N 4 30 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 572 km²
Land: 572 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 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 one-third of the time

Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Snaefell 621 m

Natural resources: none

Land use
Arable land: 9%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002)

Irrigated land: 0 km²

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: one small islet the Calf of Man lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary

Population: 75,831 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 0.513% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
Adjective: Manx

Ethnic groups: Manx (Norse-Celtic descent) Britons

Languages: English Manx Gaelic

Religions: Anglican Roman Catholic Methodist Baptist Presbyterian Society of Friends

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 6,645/female 6,330)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 25,085/female 24,840)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,232/female 7,699) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.8 years
Male: 38.6 years
Female: 41.2 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.513% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 10.96 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 11.1 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.27 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

Environment
Current issues: waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 0.951 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.72 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.67 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.72 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.64 years
Male: 75.3 years
Female: 82.17 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Isle of Man
Abbreviation: I.O.M.

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Douglas
Geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 29 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

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

Legal system: the laws of the UK where applicable apply and Manx statutes

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 Paul K. HADDACKS (since 17 October 2005)
Head of government: Chief Minister Tony BROWN (since 14 December 2006)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
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 in December 2008)
Election results: House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief minister by the Tynwald

Legislative branch
Elections: House of Keys - last held 23 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2011)
Election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Man Labor Party 1, independents 21

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

Political parties and leaders
Note: most members sit as independents

International organization participation: UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (British crown dependency)
From the us: none (British crown dependency)

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.719 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 5.2% (2005)

Real gdp per capita: $35,000 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 13%
Services: 86% (2000 est.)

Agriculture products: cereals vegetables; cattle sheep pigs poultry

Industries: financial services light manufacturing tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (FY96/97)

Labor force: 39,690 (2001)
By occupation: agriculture forestry and fishing 3% manufacturing 11% construction 10% transport and communication 8% wholesale and retail distribution 11% professional and scientific services 18% public administration 6% banking and finance 18% tourism 2% entertainment and catering 3% miscellaneous services 10% (2001)

Unemployment rate: 1.5% (December 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $965 million
Expenditures: $943 million (FY05/06 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.1% (December 2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Exports: $N/A
Commodities: tweeds herring processed shellfish beef lamb
Partners: UK (2006)

Imports: $N/A
Commodities: timber fertilizers fish
Partners: UK (2006)

Debt external: $N/A

Exchange rates
Note: the Manx pound is at par with the British pound

Telephones
Main lines in use: 51,000 (1999)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
International: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable

Internet
Country code: .im
Hosts: 159 (2007)
Users: NA

Airports: 1 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)

Railways
Total: 65 km
Standard gauge: 7 km 1.067-m gauge (7 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 58 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)
Note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)

Roadways
Total: 800 km
Paved: 800 km (1999)

Merchant marine
Total: 297 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,377,775 GRT/13,890,881 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 65, chemical tanker 54, combination ore/oil 1, container 17, liquefied gas 34, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 5
Foreign owned: 210 (Cyprus 4, Denmark 41, France 2, Germany 61, Greece 48, Ireland 1, Italy 1, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 33, Singapore 2, Sweden 3, Turkey 2, US 4) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Castletown Douglas Ramsey

Disputes international: none