The World Factbook (1990)/Man, Isle of
Man, Isle of (British crown dependency)
_Man,_Isle_of.jpg)
See regional map V
Geography
Total area: 588 km²; land area; 588 km²
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 113 km
Maritime claims:
- Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
- Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
- Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: cool summers and mild winters; humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Natural resources: lead, iron ore
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; extensive arable land and forests
Environment: strong westerly winds prevail
Note: located in Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland, and Ireland
People
Population: 64,859 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.2% (1990)
Birthrate: 11 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Manxman, Manxwoman, adjective—Manx
Ethnic divisions: native Manx of Norse-Celtic descent; British
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends
Language: English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy: NA%, but compulsory education between ages of 5 and 15
Labor force: 25,864 (1981)
Organized labor: 22 labor unions patterned along British lines
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: British crown dependency
Capital: Douglas
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
Constitution: 1961, Isle of Man Constitution Act
Legal system: English law and local statute
National holiday: Tynwald Day, 5 July
Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, prime minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Tynwald) consists of an upper house or Legislative Council and a lower house or House of Keys
Judicial branch: High Court of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State—Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Maj. Gen. Laurence NEW (since 1985);
Head of Government—President of the Legislative Council J. C. NIVISON (since 1985)
Political parties and leaders: there is no party system and members sit as independents
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Keys—last held in 1986 (next to be held 1991); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(24 total) independents 24
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
Flag: 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'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 GNP. Banking now contributes over 20% to GNP and manufacturing about 15%. Trade is mostly with the UK.
GNP: $490 million, per capita $7,573; real growth rate NA% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1988)
Budget: revenues $130.4 million; expenditures $114.4 million, including capital expenditures of $18.1 million (FY85 est.)
Exports: $NA; commodities—tweeds, herring, processed shellfish meat; partners—UK
Imports: $NA; commodities—timber, fertilizers, fish; partners—UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 61,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 2,930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: an important offshore financial center; financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Agriculture: cereals and vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Aid: NA
Currency: Manx pound (plural—pounds); 1 Manx pound (£M) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Manx pounds (£M) per US$1—0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 36 km electric track, 24 km steam track
Highways: 640 km motorable roads
Ports: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
Merchant marine: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,656,216 GRT/2,984,047 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 5 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 32 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 2 combination ore/oil, 6 liquefied gas, 12 bulk; note—a captive register of the United Kingdom, although not all ships on the register are British-owned
Airports: 2 total; 1 usable with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 24,435 telephones; stations—1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK