Isle of Man

Ellan Vannin Isle of Man


Motto Quocunque Jeceris Stabit
Anthem O Land of Our Birth Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin


Capital	Douglas

Government	Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy
Lord of Mann
- From 1952	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor
- From 2005	Paul Haddacks
Chief minister
- From 2006	James Anthony Brown

Legislature	Tynwald
- Upper house	House of Keys
- Lower house	Legislative Council

History
- 1765	British crown revested

Area	572 km²

Population
- 2006	80,085
Density	140/km²

GDP	2006 (PPP)
- Total	US$ 2.8 billion
- Per capita	US$ 35,000

Currency	Pound sterling

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The Isle of Man (Manxman: Manksmevszigete) (Manx: Mannin, also Ellan Vannin) is a British crown dependency and parliamentary democracy located in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland

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.^[1]

Economy

Offshore banking, 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. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.^[2]