Isle of Man

For the native Isle of Man Cat, see Manx Cat; for the phantom island, see Isle of Mam.

The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin in Manx) or Mann (Mannin in Manx), is an island located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of Great Britain and Ireland. Although it is not part of the United Kingdom, it is a Crown dependency.

Geography

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 2,000 feet, 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.

People

According to the 2001 census, the Isle of Man is home to 76,315 people, of whom around 25,347 reside in the Island's capital, Douglas (Doolish). This gives the island a population density of 133 per square kilometre, or 345 people per square mile.

Culture

The culture of the Isle of Man is strongly influenced by its Celtic and Norse origins. Manx is closely related to the Scottish Gaelic and Irish languages.

By the middle of the 20th century only a few elderly native speakers remained (the last of them, Ned Maddrell, died on December 27, 1974), but 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, the Centre for Manx Studies and the University of Edinburgh. Manx-language playgroups also exist, and Manx language classes are available in island schools. In the 1991 census, 1,689 out of a population of about 71,000 claimed to have knowledge of Manx, although the degree of knowledge in these cases presumably varied. It is currently enjoying a revival of the Gaelic Manx language (Gaelg).

A well known Manx expression is "Traa Dy Liooar", meaning "time enough" and represents a stereotypical view of the Manx attitude to life.

Government

Structure

The Isle of Man is a self-governing crown dependency. The head of state is the Lord of Mann, who since 1765 has been the British Sovereign, currently Elizabeth II. She is represented by the Island's Lieutenant Governor. The United Kingdom is responsible for the Island's defence and for representing the Island in international forums, while the Island's own parliament has competence over almost all domestic matters.

The Island's parliament is Tynwald (Tinvaal), which dates from at least AD 979. 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. There is a Council of Ministers, which is headed by the Chief Minister, currently Donald Gelling MLC.

In October 2005 Tynwald accepted a proposal to change the title of the Lieutenant Governor to Crown Commissioner or Barrantagh y Chrooin in Manx (the title would also be "Barrantagh ny Benrein," or "Queen's Commissioner"; when there is a King it will be "Barrantagh ny Ree," or "King's Commissioner"). The proposal now has to go to London for approval, but the United Kingdom Department for Constitutional Affairs indicated early in 2005 that this was likely to be given. However, recent developments have suggested that the issue may be decided on the basis of an Island-wide referendum.

A satellite picture of the Isle of Man

External relations

A common misconception exists that Mann forms part of the United Kingdom. Under British law it does not, although the United Kingdom takes care of its external and defence affairs. The Isle of Man had a dispute with the European Court of Human Rights in the 1970s because it was reluctant to change its laws concerning birching (corporal punishment for male offenders). The law on sodomy might have also led down this road had it not been changed in the early 1990s.

The Isle of Man holds neither membership nor associate membership of the European Union, and lies outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Nonetheless, Protocol Three of the treaty of accession of the United Kingdom permits trade for Manx goods without non-EU tariffs. 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 EEA, people, capital and services cannot.

There is no Manx citizenship. Manx people are classed as British citizens but those defined as Manx under Protocol Three have a special endorsement placed in their passports preventing them from freely living or working in EU states. Those Manx persons with a parent or grandparent born in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), or who have lived in the UK for 5 years, are not subject to this provision.

The restriction on free movement of persons is anomalous in that the treaty establishing the EU (formerly EEC) clearly states that all citizens of member states will also be citizens of the EU. However a special protocol was inserted in the Treaty of Accession of the United Kingdom excluding the Channel Islands and Isle of Man from the provisions governing free movement of people. This was done at the request of the governments of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man at the time.

Travel to the Isle of Man is regulated by the local government laws, although the Isle of Man is part of the Common Travel Area. Visitors from countries who require a UK visa may also require a special Manx visa, obtainable from a British diplomatic mission. All non-Manx, including UK citizens, are required to obtain a work permit to take up employment on the Island.

Politics

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. Consequently, much Manx legislation develops through consensus among the members of Tynwald, which contrasts with the much more adversarial nature of the UK parliament.

One political party, Mec Vannin, advocates the establishment of a sovereign republic. A Manx Labour Party also exists, unaffiliated to the UK Labour Party. The island formerly had a Manx National Party and a Manx Communist party. There are Manx members in the Celtic League, a political pressure group that advocates greater co-operation between and political autonomy for the Celtic nations. The main political issues include the Island's relationship with the finance sector, housing prices and shortages, and the Manx language. The vast majority of the members of the House of Keys are non-partisan (19), with two representatives from the Manx Labour Party and three from the Alliance for Progressive Government. The next scheduled election is in 2006.

Local government

Isle of Man sheadings map

The Isle of Man is divided into six administrative districts, called sheadings. The six sheadings are Ayre, Glenfaba, Garff, Michael, Rushen and Middle. The sheadings form the basis of some constituencies and each has a Coroner. This office must not be confused with the Coroner for Inquests, a role usually fulfilled by the High Bailiff. A person may fulfil the role of coroner for more than one sheading at the same time.

The term 'sheading' is thought to be a Norse word for 'ship division'; each district was believed to be responsible for producing a certain number of warships. It could also be a Celtic word meaning 'sixth part'.

Economy

The Isle of Man is a low tax economy with income tax rates of 10% and 18% and 0% rate of corporate tax. Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism form key sectors of the economy of the Isle of Man. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the Island has expanded employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of gross domestic product (GDP). Banking and other services now contribute the great bulk of GDP. Trade takes place mostly with the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man has access to European Union markets.

The Isle of Man has also recently entered the online gambling industry. In 2005 PokerStars, one of the world's largest online poker sites, relocated its headquarters to the Isle of Man from Costa Rica.

The Manx government also promotes island locations for making films by contributing to the production costs. Among the most successful productions funded in part by the Isle of Man film industry was Waking Ned where the Manx countryside stood in for rural Ireland.

Since 1999, the Isle of Man has received electricity through the world's longest submarine AC cable, the 90 kV Isle of Man to England Interconnector, as well as from a natural gas power station in Douglas, an oil power station in Peel and a small hydro-electric power station in Sulby Glen.

History

Ancient times to present

The Isle of Man became a Viking outpost/kingdom from circa AD 700 to AD 900. The Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles was created by Godred Crovan in 1079. Norway's King Magnus VI ceded the isles to Scotland in 1266, as dictated in the Treaty of Perth. The Isle of Man came under English control in the 14th century and to the British Crown in 1765.

The Isle of Man was used as a base for Alien Civilian Internment camps in both the First World War (1914-18) and the Second World War (1939-45).

The Tynwald

The Island arguably has the oldest continuous parliament in the world, the Tynwald, nominally founded in 979 AD (both the Icelandic parliament and the Faroese parliament are older, but they were abolished between 1800 - 1845, and 1816 - 1852 respectively). The annual ceremonial meeting at Tynwald Hill, on Tynwald Day in July, continues the celebration of the Island's national day. The main purpose of the occasion is to read the titles and to give a brief description of the new laws which have been enacted by the Tynwald Court during the previous year.

The Triskelion

Car registration plate, with the triskelion

For centuries, the Island's symbol has been the ancient Triskelion and is similar to Sicily's Trinacria: three bent legs, each with a spur, joined at the thigh. The 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 run clockwise, others anticlockwise. 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 — Quocunque Jeceris Stabit, which translates to 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.

Skancke coat of arms

Variations on the Triskelion are still in use on the coats of arms belonging to the different branches of the ancient Norwegian noble family that ruled Mann up until the 13th 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. 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 Manx' part 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 Man, Godred Magnusson 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.

Sport

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 and Rugby Union.

TT

The main international event associated with the island is the Isle of Man TT, which began in 1907. It is now an international road racing event for motor bikes and used to be part of the World Championship.

Cammag

One sport that originated on the Isle of Man is cammag. This is similar to the Scottish game of shinty, and Irish hurling. It used to be the most widespread sport on the Isle of Man, but it ceased to be played after the introduction of football, until very recently when it has been somewhat revived. It involves a stick (cammag) and a ball (crick) with anything between four and hundreds of players. Sometimes whole towns and villages took part, or even played each other. The cammag can be any stick with a bent end, and the crick can be made from cork or wood. Old accounts tell us that it was occasionally covered in a rag to make it less painful to hit. Cammag season started on Hunt the Wren Day (26th December) and was only played by men (of all ages) during the winter. Realistically, it ceased to be played around 1900. However, in modern times, an annual match of cammag is played in St. John's (Balley Keill Eoin). As there are no rules to cammag, a trip to the local inn is advised to ease any feelings of cowardice beforehand!

Famous residents

Despite the wet and cool climate, the low income tax regime and zero tax on personal investments attract a small number of famous people to live on the island:
*The Bee Gees were born on the island.
*Major Robert Henry Cain is an oil company executive who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. He is the father of Francie Clarkson, wife of Jeremy Clarkson.
*Jeremy Clarkson has a home at Langness, near Castletown. His wife Frances Catherine Cain was born on the island, a place described by Clarkson in 2004 as "a thorn in the side of Tony Blair's nanny state," because of its lack of an upper speed limit. This home was revealed to be a lighthouse during the July 5, 2006 episode of The F-Word.
*Alan Warner, a multi-millionaire and prolific writer, novelist, lyricist and screenwriter born December 8, 1960 in Bolton, Lancashire. He moved to the Isle of Man from the UK in 1989. Warner has published under 27 different pseudonyms though never under his real name which is known only to a handful of people including his agent and the tax man. He lives a reclusive and modest lifestyle in the north of the Island.
*Neil Hodgson, the 2003 World Superbike champion.
*George MacDonald Fraser, the journalist, author, and screenwriter resides on the Isle of Man; the title of his memoir "The Light's on at Signpost" is a reference to the Isle of Man TT race.
*Nigel Mansell, the British racing driver, lived on the Isle of Man together with his family, and was a Special Constable throughout his Formula One career. After retirement, he later moved to Jersey and then to the USA.
*Justin Jackson is a professional footballer who played for numerous English league and non-league clubs including Bolton Wanderers, Halifax Town, Rushden and Diamonds, Doncaster Rovers and Morecambe.
*Rick Wakeman has lived on the island for a number of years.
*Sir Norman Wisdom, comedian and actor, is a long-term resident.
*Charlotte Lamb, a prolific and bestselling romantic novelist (1937 – 2000), best-known for writing over 150 Mills & Boon novels, lived on the Island from 1977 until her death in October 2000.
* Florrie Forde (1876 – 1940), known as the queen of the music hall sing along chorus, performed at the Derby Castle ballroom stage from 1900 to 1937 (excluding the war years) and had a bungalow at Niarbyl Bay on the west coast of the island where she spent her Sundays relaxing.
*John Rhys-Davies has lived on the island for a number of years and is best known for his acting roles in Indiana Jones as Sallah, in Sliders as Professor Arturo and in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy as Gimli.

References

* CIA World Factbook 2000

External links

* Isle of Man Guide An extensive guide to the Isle of Man
* Manx Government Website A comprehensive site covering many aspects of Manx life from fishing to financial regulation
* Tynwald.org Hansards, Order Papers and Background to the Manx Government.
* Manx Scenes.com Extensive photographic library.
* [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/im.html The World Factbook listing for the Isle of Man]
* Internet Movie Database IMDb listing of films using Manx locations
* Isle of Man Tour 360 degree pictures of the Isle of Man.

Isle of Man: Encyclopedia BETA

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