Isle of Man

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable

Telephones - main lines in use

51,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

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

Televisions

27,490 (1999)

Agriculture - products

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Budget

revenues: $816 million expenditures: $504 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.)

Currency

1 Manx pound = 100 pence

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island 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. Banking and other services now contribute the great bulk of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.

Electricity - consumption

287 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

NA kWh

Electricity - imports

NA kWh

Electricity - production

329 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates

Manx pounds per US$1 - 0.6092 (January 2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

Exports - partners

UK

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 1% industry: 10% services: 89% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $16,000 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

timber, fertilizers, fish

Imports - partners

UK

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (1996/97)

Industries

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (1999 est.)

Labor force

36,610 (1998)

Labor force - 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%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

0.7% (July 1999)

Area

total: 572 sq km land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

160 km

Elevation extremes

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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 9% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 6% other: 39% (includes 25% mountain and heathland)

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

Administrative divisions

there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections

Capital

Douglas

Constitution

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

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Isle of Man

Data code

IM

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

chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor His Excellency Sir Timothy DAUNT (since 27 October 1995) head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 3 December 1996) 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 3 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the Tynwald

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

International organization participation

none

Judicial branch

High Court of Justice, justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor

Legal system

English common law and Manx statute

Legislative branch

bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (a 10-member body composed of the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Keys - last held 21 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2001) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 24

National holiday

Tynwald Day, 5 July

Political parties and leaders

there is no party system; members sit as independents

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 Celtic language.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 6,520; female 6,277) 15-64 years: 65% (male 23,904; female 23,674) 65 years and over: 17% (male 5,078; female 7,664) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

11.69 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

11.98 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton

Infant mortality rate

6.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English, Manx Gaelic

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.47 years male: 74.09 years female: 81.04 years (2000 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women) adjective: Manx

Net migration rate

5.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

73,117 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.52% (2000 est.)

Religions

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.64 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

total: 800 km paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Merchant marine

total: 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,333,826 GRT/7,254,867 DWT ships by type: bulk 23, cargo 6, chemical tanker 13, combination bulk 3, container 20, liquified gas 13, petroleum tanker 44, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off 15, vehicle carrier 5 (1999 est.) note: a flag of convenience registry; UK owns 8 ships, Denmark 1, Sweden 1, Belgium 1, and Netherlands 1 (1998 est.)

Ports and harbors

Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey

Railways

total: 68.5 km (43.5 km electrified)