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Ellan Vannin Isle of Man
Flag Coat of arms
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 (Manx: Ellan Vannin, pronounced [ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn]) or Mann (Manx: Mannin, [ˈmanɪn]) 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.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Ancient times to present 1.2 Tynwald 2 Geography 3 People 4 Culture 4.1 Etymology of name 4.2 Language 4.3 Symbols 4.4 Myth, legend and folklore 5 Food and drink 6 Government 6.1 Structure 6.2 External relations 6.2.1 Citizenship 6.2.2 European Union 6.2.3 Commonwealth of Nations 6.3 Politics 6.4 Local government 7 Economy 7.1 Communications 7.2 Transport 8 Sport 8.1 Motorcycle racing 8.2 Cammag 9 Famous residents 9.1 Born or raised on the island 9.2 Moved to the island 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

Main article: History of the Isle of Man

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.

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.

Main 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]

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 were 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.

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.

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]

Further information: Manx language

The official languages of the Isle of Man are the Manx Gaelic and the English language. A dialect of English known as Manx English is spoken.

The Manx Gaelic language is a Goidelic Celtic language and is one of a number of insular Celtic languages spoken in the British Isles. Manx Gaelic has been officially recognised as a legitimate autochthonous regional language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, ratified by the United Kingdom on 27 March 2001 on behalf of the Isle of Man government.

The Manx language is closely related to the Scottish Gaelic and Irish language. By the middle of the twentieth century only a few elderly native speakers remained: the last of them, Ned Maddrell, died on December 27, 1974. By then a scholarly revival had begun to spread to the populace and many had learned Manx as a second language. The first native speakers of Manx (bilingual with English) in many years have now appeared: children brought up by Manx-speaking parents. Primary immersion education in Manx is provided by the Manx government: since 2003, the former St John's School building has been used by the Bunscoill Gaelgagh (Manx language-medium school). Degrees in Manx are available from the Isle of Man College and the Centre for Manx Studies. Manx-language playgroups also exist, and Manx language classes are available in island schools. In the 2001 census, 1,689 out of 76,315, or 2.2% of the population, claimed to have knowledge of Manx, although the degree of knowledge in these cases was presumably varied.

In common use are the greetings moghrey mie and fastyr mie which mean 'good morning' and 'good afternoon' respectively. The Manx language knows no 'evening' as it is 'afternoon'. Another frequently heard Manx expression is traa dy liooar meaning 'time enough', and represents a stereotypical view of the Manx attitude to life.

For centuries, the Island's symbol has been its ancient triskelion, a device similar to Sicily's Trinacria: three bent legs, each with a spur, joined at the thigh. The Manx triskelion does not appear to have an official definition; Government publications, currency, flags, the tourist authority and others all use different variants. Most, but not all, preserve rotational symmetry, some running clockwise, others counter-clockwise. Some have the uppermost thigh at 12:00, others at 11:30 or 10:00, etc. Some have the knee bent at 90°, some at 60°, some at closer to 120°. Also the degree of ornamentation of the leg wear and spur vary considerably.

The three legs relate directly to the island's motto (adopted late in the symbol's history): Quocunque Jeceris Stabit, translated as 'Whithersoever you throw it, it will stand'. Interpretations of the motto often stress stability and robustness in the Manx character. Many schools on the island have adapted the motto to promote perseverance and hard work.

The origin of the 'Three Legs of Man' (as they are usually called) is explained in the Manx legend that Manannan repelled an invasion by transforming into the three legs and rolling down the hill and defeating the invaders.

Variations on the Manx triskelion are still in use on the coats of arms belonging to the different branches of the ancient Norwegian noble family that ruled Mann until the thirteenth century. This particular version belongs to the Skancke branch of the Skanke family. The name stems from skank, the Norwegian version of the word 'shank', or 'leg'. The Norse royal family of Man stayed on the island for some years after the death of Magnus III and the beginning of Scottish rule. The family's emigration only came after the a final attempt on the part of the Manx at restoring the old Sudreyar dynasty in the 1275 uprising against the Scots. This revolt failed disastrously, ending in the deaths of hundreds of rebels, including the last Norse King of Mann, Godred IV Magnuson when the Manx suffered defeat in the decisive Battle of Ronaldsway, near Castletown. When the Norse-Manx royals arrived in Norway they took service as nobles of the Norwegian king, quickly becoming knights, landlords, and clergy under the Norwegian Crown.

In Manx mythology, the island was ruled by Manannán mac Lir, a Celtic sea god, who would draw his misty cloak around the island to protect it from invaders. One of the principal theories about the origin of the name Mann is that it is named after Manannan.

In the Manx tradition of folklore, there are many stories of mythical creatures and characters. These include the Buggane, a malevolent spirit who according to legend blew the roof off St Trinian's church in a fit of pique; the Fenodyree; the Glashtyn; and the Moddey Dhoo, a ghostly black dog who wandered the walls and corridors of Peel Castle.

The Isle of Man is also said to be home to fairies, known locally as 'the little folk' or 'themselves'. There is a famous Fairy Bridge and it is said to be bad luck if one fails to wish the fairies good morning or afternoon when passing over it. Other types of fairies are the Mi'raj and the Arkan Sonney.

An old Irish story tells how Lough Neagh was formed when Ireland's legendary giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (sometimes known as Finn McCool) scooped up a portion of the land and tossed it at a Scottish rival. He missed, and the chunk of earth landed in the Irish Sea, thus creating the Isle of Man.

The national dish of the island is 'Spuds and Herrin', boiled potatoes and herring. This plain dish is chosen because of its role supporting the subsistence farmers of the island, who crofted the land and fished the sea for centuries.

Seafood has traditionally accounted for a large proportion of the local diet. Although commercial fishing has declined in recent years, local delicacies include Manx kippers (smoked herring) which are produced by the smokeries in Peel on the west coast of the island, albeit mainly from North Sea herring these days. The smokeries also produce other specialities including smoked salmon and bacon.

Crab, lobster and scallops are commercially fished, and the Queen Scallop ('Queenies') is regarded as a particular delicacy, with a light, sweet flavour. Cod, ling and mackerel are often angled for the table, and freshwater trout and salmon can be taken from the local rivers and lakes, supported by the Government fish hatchery at Cornaa.

Cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry are all commercially farmed, Manx lamb from the hill-farms being a popular dish. The Loaghtan, the indigenous breed of Manx sheep, has a rich, dark meat that has found favour with chefs, featuring in dishes on the BBC's Masterchef series.

Milk and cheese are produced by IOM Creameries. Manx cheese has been a particular success, featuring smoked and herb-flavoured varieties, and is stocked by many of the UK's supermarket chains. Manx cheese took bronze medals in the 2005 British Cheese Awards, and sold 578 tonnes over the year.

Beer is brewed on a commercial scale by Okells Brewery (established in 1850) and Bushy's Brewery.

Main article: Isle of Man Government

The United Kingdom is responsible for the Island's defence and ultimately for good governance, and for representing the Island in international forums, while the Island's own parliament and government have competence over all domestic matters.

See also: Manx law

The Island's parliament is Tynwald, which dates from at least AD 979 and is said to be the oldest continuously existing parliament in the world. Tynwald is a bicameral legislature, comprising the House of Keys (directly elected by universal suffrage) and the Legislative Council (consisting of indirectly elected and ex-officio members). These two bodies meet together in joint session as Tynwald.

The executive branch of government is the Council of Ministers, which is composed of members of Tynwald. It is headed by the Chief Minister, currently Tony Brown MHK.

Vice-regal functions of the Head of State are performed by a Lieutenant Governor.

Main article: External relations of the Isle of Man

Under British law, the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom. However, the UK takes care of its external and defence affairs, and retains paramount power to legislate for the Island.

The Isle of Man holds neither membership nor associate membership of the European Union. Protocol Three of the treaty of accession of the United Kingdom permits trade for Manx goods without tariffs.^[10] In conjunction with the Customs and Excise agreement with the UK, this facilitates free trade with the UK. While Manx goods can be freely moved within the EU, people, capital and services cannot. EU citizens are entitled to travel and reside in the Island without restriction.

The Isle of Man is not itself a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. By virtue of its relationship with the United Kingdom, it takes part in several Commonwealth institutions, including the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Commonwealth Games.

Main article: Politics of the Isle of Man

See also: List of political parties in the Isle of Man and Elections in the Isle of Man

Most Manx politicians stand for election as independents rather than as representatives of political parties. Though political parties do exist, their influence is not nearly as strong as is the case in the United Kingdom.

The largest political party is the recently established Liberal Vannin Party, which promotes greater Manx independence and more accountability in Government. The LibVannin party has two members of Tynwald including Leader Peter Karran MHK.

A nationalist pressure group Mec Vannin advocates the establishment of a sovereign republic.

Main article: Local government in the Isle of Man

Local government on the Isle of Man is based around the concept of ancient parishes. There are three types of local authorities: a borough corporation, town commissions, and parish commissions.

Main article: Economy of the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is a low tax economy with no capital gains tax, wealth tax, stamp duty or inheritance tax^[11] and income tax rates of 10% and 18%; corporation tax is at 0%.^[12][13]

Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism form key sectors of the economy. Agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, now make declining contributions to the Island's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Trade takes place mostly with the United Kingdom.

The Manx government promotes island locations for making films by contributing to the production costs.

Main article: Communications on the Isle of Man

The main telephone provider on the Isle of Man is Manx Telecom. The island has two mobile operators Manx Pronto (provided by Manx Telecom) and Sure Mobile (provided by Cable & Wireless). The Island does not have its own ITU country code, but is accessed via the UK's code (+44) and the Island's telephone numbers are part of the UK telephone numbering plan with local dialling codes 01624 (landlines) and 07624/07924 (mobiles).

The Isle of Man has three radio stations: Manx Radio, Energy FM, and 3 FM.

There is no insular television service, and local transmitters retransmit analogue broadcasts of BBC 1 and BBC 2 (with BBC North West regional programmes), ITV Border Television and Channel 4. Channel Five and Freeview are not available via the Island's transmitters, but Sky Digital satellite television can be received, as can free-to-air satellite via Astra 1A, Hotbird and a range of other satellites around Europe.

In some areas, terrestrial television (including digital terrestrial) from the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland can be received.

Analogue television transmission will cease between 2008 and 2009, and limited local transmission of digital terrestrial television will then commence.

Main article: Transport on the Isle of Man

The island has a total of 800 km (500 miles) of public roads, all of which are paved. Many of the roads on the island have no speed limit.

Douglas is served by frequent ferries to and from United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. All ferries are operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

The only commercial airport on the island is the Isle of Man Airport at Ronaldsway.

Main article: Sport in the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is represented as a nation in the Commonwealth Games and the Island Games and will be hosting the IV Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011. The Island started the Island Games in 1985.

Isle of Man teams and individuals participate in many sports both on and off the island. Among the many sports played on the island are cricket, football, gymnastics, hockey, rugby union, bowling and board surfing.

For more details on this topic, see Isle of Man TT.

The main international motorcycle event associated with the island is the Isle of Man TT, which began in 1907 and takes place in late May and early June. It is now an international road racing event for motor bikes and used to be part of the World Championship. The Manx Grand Prix is a motorcycle event for amateurs and private entrants that uses the same 37.73 mile Snaefell mountain course in late August and early September.

Main article: Cammag

Cammag is the national sport of the Isle of Man. It is similar to the Scottish game of shinty, and Irish hurling. Once the most popular sport on the Island, it ceased to be played by the start of the 20th century. It has more recently been revived with an annual match at St. John's.

Main article: Famous residents of the Isle of Man

• The Bee Gees
• Mark Cavendish, sprint cyclist.
• Charles Kerruish became in 1961 the first Manxman to be head of government.
• Illiam Dhone led an uprising against English rule over the island and was executed in 1663.
• Nigel Kneale, seminal science fiction and horror screenwriter.

• Jeremy Clarkson, journalist and broadcaster.
• Neil Hodgson, the 2003 Superbike and World Superbike Champion.
• Sir Norman Wisdom, comedian and actor.
• John Rhys Davies, actor.
• Andy Kershaw, DJ.

Manx Anglo-Manx Manx cat

Towns in the Isle of Man Tynwald Day King of Mann

Coins of the Manx pound List of not fully sovereign nations Biota of the Isle of Man

• isleofman.com The Isle of Man online.
• Isle of Man Guide An extensive guide to the Isle of Man
• Manx Government A comprehensive site covering many aspects of Manx life from fishing to financial regulation
• CIA World Factbook listing for the Isle of Man
• Manx Scenes.com Extensive photographic library.
• Isle of Man Tour 360 degree pictures of the Isle of Man.
• Manxviews Over 1300 Manx images.

International membership

v • d • e Celtic nations and their culture Nations Brittany (Breizh) · Cornwall (Kernow) · Wales (Cymru) · Ireland (Éire) · Isle of Man (Mannin) · Scotland (Alba) Languages Brythonic: Breton · Cornish · Welsh Goidelic: Irish · Manx · Scottish Gaelic · Shelta Culture Brittany · Cornwall · Ireland · Isle of Man · Scotland · Wales Music Brittany · Cornwall · Ireland · Isle of Man · Scotland · Wales   Sport Cammag · Cornish hurling · Cornish wrestling · Curling · Gaelic football · Gaelic handball · Golf · Gouren · Rounders · Highland games · Hurling · Road bowls · Shinty Peoples Breton · Cornish · Irish · Irish Traveller · Manx · Scottish · Ulster-Scots · Welsh v • d • e  British overseas territories and Crown dependencies Overseas territories Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · Saint Helena (includes Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Crown dependencies Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man Sovereign base areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia v • d • e Non-sovereign territories of Europe Dependent territories and autonomous regions Adjara (Georgia) · Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK) · Åland (Finland) · Azores (Portugal) · Canary Islands1 (Spain) · Ceuta1 (Spain) · Crimea (Ukraine) · Faroe Islands (Denmark) · Gagauzia (Moldova) · Gibraltar (UK) · Greenland1 (Denmark) · Guernsey (UK) · Jersey (UK) · Madeira1 (Portugal) · Man, Isle of (UK) · Melilla1 (Spain) · Mount Athos (Greece) · Nakhchivan1 (Azerbaijan) · Sardinia (Italy) · Sicily (Italy) · Unrecognised republics, territories or regions Abkhazia (Georgia) · Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan)1 · South Ossetia (Georgia) · Transnistria (Moldova) · Northern Cyprus (Cyprus)1, 2 Administered by the United Nations Kosovo (Serbia) 1 Entirely on another continent but having sociopolitical connexions with Europe. 2 Recognised only by Turkey. v • d • e Nations and regions of Europe speaking Germanic languages Nordic Denmark (including the Faroe Islands) · Finland (Swedish-speaking areas) · Iceland · Norway · Sweden German Austria · Belgium (German-speaking Community) · France (Alsace-Moselle) · Germany · Italy (Province of Bolzano-Bozen) · Liechtenstein · Luxembourg · Switzerland (German-speaking areas) Dutch Belgium (Flanders) · France (Westhoek) · Germany (Lower Rhine) · Netherlands English Gibraltar · Guernsey · Ireland · Isle of Man · Jersey · Malta · United Kingdom Frisian Germany (North Frisia • Saterland) · Netherlands (Friesland)