The World Factbook (1990)/Man, Isle of

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Man, Isle of (British crown dependency)


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