Isle of Man

The earliest reference to the Isle of Man occurs in Pliny's Natural History, which mentions an island named Monapia (likely an error for *Manavia) lying between Britain and Ireland. This has been traced to the Brittonic *Manaua, meaning "mountain island" or "high island". The same root may appear in Môn, the Welsh name for Anglesey.{{cite book|author1-last=Rivet|author1-first=A. L. F.|author2-last=Smith|author2-first=Colin|date=1979|title=The Place-Names of Roman Britain|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-03953-4|pages=410 f.|url=https://archive.org/details/placenamesofroma0000rive/page/410}}{{cite book|last=Broderick|first=George|title=Placenames of the Isle of Man|year=2005|location=Tübingen|publisher=Max Niemeyer|isbn=3-484-40138-9|volume=7|pages=337 f.|url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110928952/html}} The island is known in Welsh as Manau and in Manx as Mannin, or in full, Ellan Vallin (i.e. "island of Man", with lenition of the first consonant). Mannin was originally a dative form, the nominative being Mana.{{cite book|last=Kneen|first=J. J.|date=1925|title=The Place-Names of the Isle of Man With their Origin and History|location=Douglas|publisher=Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh|chapter=The name 'Man'|url=https://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/pn1925/man.htm}}

Man was associated in legend with Manannán mac Lir, the Gaelic god of the sea, and was sometimes said to have taken its name from him. It is more likely, however, that the reverse is true.{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology|last=MacKillop|first=James|date=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-869157-2|pages=285 f.|url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofcelt0000mack/page/285}}

{{Main|History of the Isle of Man}}

In the later part of the Mesolithic Period c.8000 BC, the island was cut off from the surrounding islands as sea levels rose following the end of the last ice age. Humans colonised it by travelling by sea some time before 6500 BC.{{Cite book |last=Bradley |first=Richard |title=The prehistory of Britain and Ireland |date=2007 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-84811-4 |page=8}} The first occupants were hunter-gatherers and fishermen. Examples of their tools are kept at the Manx Museum.{{cite web |date=16 March 2012 |title=Hunter Gatherers – Mesolithic Period (Middle Stone Age) – 8000 BC to 4000 BC |publisher=Isle of Man government |url=http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/mesolithic/ |website=gov.im |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316143121/http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/mesolithic/ |archive-date=16 March 2012}}

The Neolithic Period marked the beginning of farming, and the people began to build megalithic monuments, such as Cashtal yn Ard in Maughold parish, King Orry's Grave in Laxey, Mull Hill near Cregneash and Ballaharra Stones at St John's. There were also the local Ronaldsway and Bann cultures.{{cite web |date=8 November 2012 |title=First Farmers |url=http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/neolithic/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108050257/http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/neolithic/ |archive-date=8 November 2012 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man government}}

During the Bronze Age, the size of burial mounds decreased. The people put bodies into stone-lined graves with ornamental containers. The Bronze Age burial mounds survived as long-lasting markers around the countryside.{{cite web |title=Home – Manx National Heritage |url=http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/bronzeage/ |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man government |archive-date=30 June 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040630020453/http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/bronzeage/ |url-status=live}}

The ancient Romans knew of the island and called it {{lang|la|Insula Manavia}}.{{cite web |last1=Esmonde Cleary |first1=A. |last2=Warner |first2=R. |last3=Talbert |first3=R. |last4=Gillies |first4=S. |last5=Elliott |first5=T. |last6=Becker |first6=J. |title=Manavia Insula |url=http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/89242 |access-date=26 February 2016 |website=Pleides |publisher=Pleiades |archive-date=6 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106232831/https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/89242 |url-status=live}} During the four centuries when Rome ruled the Province of Britannia, the Roman military controlled the Irish Sea, providing safe passage of agricultural goods from the productive farms of Anglesey to Roman settlements at the English – Scottish frontier. Only a few Roman artefacts have been found on Man, suggesting a lack of strategic value of Man during the era of Britannia. No Roman lighthouses or signal towers have yet been found on Man.{{cite web |url=https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/10,000_years_of_settlement_on_the_Isle_of_Man |title=10,000 years of settlement on the Isle of Man |first=Institute of Historic Building |last=Conservation |website=designingbuildings.co.uk |access-date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=11 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611080233/https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/10,000_years_of_settlement_on_the_Isle_of_Man |url-status=live }}

Around the 5th century AD, large-scale migration from Ireland precipitated a process of Gaelicisation, evidenced by Ogham inscriptions, and the Manx language developed. It is a Goidelic language closely related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic.{{cite web |date=16 March 2012 |title=Celtic Farmers |url=http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/ironage/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316143141/http://www.gov.im/mnh/collections/archaeology/ironage/ |archive-date=16 March 2012 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man government}}

File:The Braaid - Isle of Man - kingsley - 21-APR-09.jpg in the central Isle of Man, with remnants of a Celtic-Norse roundhouse and two longhouses, {{circa|AD 650–950}}]]

In the 7th century, Man came under control of the Anglo-Saxon King Edwin of Northumbria, who then launched raids from Man into Ireland. How much influence the Northumbrians exerted on Man is unknown, but very few place names on Man are of Old English origin.{{Cite book |last=Moore |first=A.W. |title=The Surnames & Place-Names of the Isle of Man |publisher=Elliot Stock |date=1890 |location=London |page=303}}

File:Kingdom of Mann and the Isles-en.svg about the year 1100]]

Vikings arrived at the end of the 8th century. They established Tynwald and introduced many land divisions that still exist. In 1266 King Magnus VI of Norway ceded the islands to Alexander III, King of Scots, in the Treaty of Perth. But Scottish rule over Man did not become firmly established until 1275, when the Manx were defeated in the Battle of Ronaldsway, near Castletown.

In 1290 King Edward I of England sent Walter de Huntercombe to take possession of Man. It remained in English hands until 1313, when Robert the Bruce took it after besieging Castle Rushen for five weeks.{{cite book |author=Joseph George Cumming |title=The Story Of Rushen Castle And Rushen Abbey, In The Isle Of Man |isbn=1165077590}} In 1314, it was retaken for the English by John Bacach of Argyll. In 1317, it was retaken for the Scots by Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray and Lord of the Isle of Man. It was held by the Scots until 1333. For some years thereafter control passed back and forth between the two kingdoms until the English took it for the final time in 1346.{{Cite book |last=Barron |first=Evan MacLeod |title=The Scottish War of Independence |date=1997 |publisher=Barnes & Noble |page=411}} The English Crown delegated its rule of the island to a series of lords and magnates. Tynwald passed laws concerning the government of the island in all respects and had control over its finances, but was subject to the approval of the Lord of Mann.

In 1765, the Act of Revestment occurred, whereby the feudal rights of the Dukes of Atholl as Lords of Man were purchased and revested into the British Crown.{{cite web |title=History Pages Isle of Man -Act of Revestment |url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/history/revest.htm |website=www.isle-of-man.com |access-date=9 September 2009 |archive-date=3 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903110725/http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/history/revest.htm |url-status=live }}

In 1866, the Isle of Man obtained limited home rule, with partly democratic elections to the House of Keys, but the Legislative Council was appointed by the Crown. Since then, democratic government has been gradually extended. (The vote was extended to women on equal terms with men, and most of the Legislative Council is now elected by the House of Keys.)

During both World Wars, the island was used for the internment of people originating from enemy countries.[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Barbed-Wire-Remarkable-Internment/dp/0709077548] Island of Barbed Wire

In recent times, the economy of the island has benefited from regulatory arbitrage in various contexts, such as low taxes.{{Cite web |title=Rates and allowances |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/income-tax-and-national-insurance/individuals/residents/rates-and-allowances/ |access-date=January 26, 2025 |website=The Official Isle of Man Government Website}} These have attracted wealthy individuals and, together with relatively low government interference, industries such as offshore financial services and more recently gambling.{{Cite web |last=Blake |first=Alex |date=March 25, 2024 |title=Conversation needed over e-gaming, campaigner says |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw5z6knx720o |access-date=January 26, 2025 |website=BBC}}{{Cite web |title=Taxation: Council publishes an EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions |url=http://consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/12/05/taxation-council-publishes-an-eu-list-of-non-cooperative-jurisdictions/ |access-date=January 26, 2025 |website=European Council. Council of the European Union |archive-date=6 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206010502/http://consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/12/05/taxation-council-publishes-an-eu-list-of-non-cooperative-jurisdictions/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}

The Isle of Man has designated more than 250 historic sites as registered buildings.{{Cite web |title=Protected Buildings Register |url=https://pabc.gov.im/rbc/registered-buildings-and-conservation/protected-buildings-register/ |access-date=January 26, 2025 |website=Planning & Building Control, Isle of Man}}

{{Main|Geography of the Isle of Man}}

{{See also|Geology of the Isle of Man|List of islands of the Isle of Man|Biota of the Isle of Man}}

File:Isle of Man map-en.svg

The Isle of Man is an island located in the middle of the northern Irish Sea, almost equidistant from England to the east, Northern Ireland to the west and Scotland (closest) to the north, while Wales to the south is almost the distance of the Republic of Ireland to the southwest. It is {{convert|52|km}} long and, at its widest point, {{convert|22|km}} wide. It has an area of around {{convert|572|km2}}.{{cite web |title=Geography – Isle of Man Public Services |url=http://www.gov.im/isleofman/geography.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526201738/http://www.gov.im/isleofman/geography.xml |archive-date=26 May 2012 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man government}} Besides the island of Man itself, the political unit of the Isle of Man includes some nearby small islands: the seasonally inhabited Calf of Man,{{Cite book |last=Archer |first=Mike |title=Bird Observatories of Britain and Ireland |date=2010 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4081-1040-9 |edition=2nd}} Chicken Rock (on which stands an unstaffed lighthouse), St Patrick's Isle and St Michael's Isle. The last two of these are connected to the main island by permanent roads/causeways.

Ranges of hills in the north and south are separated by a central valley. The northern plain, by contrast, is relatively flat, consisting mainly of deposits from glacial advances from western Scotland during colder times. There are more recently deposited shingle beaches at the northernmost point, the Point of Ayre. The island has one mountain higher than {{convert|600|m}}, Snaefell, with a height of {{convert|620|m|ft|0}}. According to an old saying, from the summit one can see five kingdoms: those of Man, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and Heaven.{{cite web |title=Snaefell Mountain Railway |url=http://www.iomguide.com/mountainrailway.php |access-date=5 June 2008 |website=Isle of Man Guide |publisher=Maxima Systems |quote=From the top on a clear day it is said one can see the six kingdoms. The kingdom of Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Man and Heaven. |archive-date=9 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509190319/http://www.iomguide.com/mountainrailway.php |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Snaefell Mountain Railway |url=http://www.gov.im/tourism/culture/attractions/snaefell_attract.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505014518/http://www.gov.im/tourism/culture/attractions/snaefell_attract.xml |archive-date=5 May 2008 |access-date=5 June 2008 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}} Some versions add a sixth kingdom, that of the sea, or Neptune.{{cite web |title=Snaefell Summit |url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/tourism/pcards/snaefell.htm |access-date=5 June 2008 |website=Isle-of-Man.com |quote=It is the answer to the often posed question as to where can one see seven kingdoms at the same time? The seven Kingdoms being the four mentioned by Earl James, the Kingdom of Man, of Earth (in some answers that of Neptune) and of Heaven. |archive-date=14 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514221156/http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/tourism/pcards/snaefell.htm |url-status=live}}

File:Sound IOM.JPG seen from Cregneash]]

The Isle of Man has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Average rainfall is higher than averaged over the territory of the British Isles, because the Isle of Man is far enough from Ireland for the prevailing south-westerly winds to accumulate moisture. Average rainfall is highest at Snaefell, where it is around {{convert|1900|mm}} a year. At lower levels it can be around {{convert|800|mm}} a year. In drier spots, the Isle of Man is sunnier than either Ireland or the majority of England at 1,651 hours per year at the official Ronaldsway station.{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcsewtg52 |title=Ronaldsway (Isle of Man) UK climate averages |publisher=UK Met Office |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-date=19 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219043222/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcsewtg52 |url-status=live}} The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|28.9|C|F}} in Ronaldsway on 12 July 1983. Due to the moderate surface temperatures of the Irish Sea, the island does not receive bursts of heat that sometimes can hit Northern England. The stable water temperature also means that air frost is rare, averaging just ten occasions per year.

On 10 May 2019 Chief Minister Howard Quayle stated that the Isle of Man Government recognises that a state of emergency exists due to the threat of anthropogenic climate change.{{cite web |date=10 May 2019 |title=This is a climate change emergency |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=48378&headline=This%20is%20a%20climate%20change%20emergency§ionIs=NEWS&searchyear=2019 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=In the Manx Independent this week |archive-date=16 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916232136/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=48378&headline=This%20is%20a%20climate%20change%20emergency%C2%A7ionIs=NEWS&searchyear=2019 |url-status=live}}

{{Weather box

| location = Ronaldsway, Isle of Man (1991–2020)

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| Jan record high C = 13.3

| Feb record high C = 13.2

| Mar record high C = 17.1

| Apr record high C = 20.0

| May record high C = 24.0

| Jun record high C = 27.5

| Jul record high C = 28.9

| Aug record high C = 27.8

| Sep record high C = 26.5

| Oct record high C = 22.7

| Nov record high C = 16.3

| Dec record high C = 15.0

| year record high C = 28.9

| Jan avg record high C = 11.5

| Feb avg record high C = 11.2

| Mar avg record high C = 12.7

| Apr avg record high C = 15.7

| May avg record high C = 20.0

| Jun avg record high C = 21.8

| Jul avg record high C = 23.0

| Aug avg record high C = 21.3

| Sep avg record high C = 20.0

| Oct avg record high C = 17.1

| Nov avg record high C = 14.2

| Dec avg record high C = 12.4

| year avg record high C = 24.2

| Jan high C = 8.5

| Feb high C = 8.4

| Mar high C = 9.4

| Apr high C = 11.5

| May high C = 14.3

| Jun high C = 16.5

| Jul high C = 18.2

| Aug high C = 18.2

| Sep high C = 16.6

| Oct high C = 13.8

| Nov high C = 11.1

| Dec high C = 9.2

| year high C =

| Jan mean C = 6.4

| Feb mean C = 6.2

| Mar mean C = 7.0

| Apr mean C = 8.7

| May mean C = 11.2

| Jun mean C = 13.6

| Jul mean C = 15.4

| Aug mean C = 15.5

| Sep mean C = 14.0

| Oct mean C = 11.5

| Nov mean C = 8.9

| Dec mean C = 7.1

| year mean C =

| Jan low C = 4.3

| Feb low C = 3.9

| Mar low C = 4.5

| Apr low C = 5.8

| May low C = 8.1

| Jun low C = 10.6

| Jul low C = 12.5

| Aug low C = 12.7

| Sep low C = 11.4

| Oct low C = 9.2

| Nov low C = 6.7

| Dec low C = 4.9

| year low C =

| Jan avg record low C = -0.9

| Feb avg record low C = -0.8

| Mar avg record low C = -0.2

| Apr avg record low C = 1.1

| May avg record low C = 3.4

| Jun avg record low C = 6.5

| Jul avg record low C = 8.9

| Aug avg record low C = 8.4

| Sep avg record low C = 6.6

| Oct avg record low C = 3.6

| Nov avg record low C = 1.0

| Dec avg record low C = -0.7

| year avg record low C = -2.3

| Jan record low C = -7.8

| Feb record low C = -5.8

| Mar record low C = -6.0

| Apr record low C = -3.4

| May record low C = -0.8

| Jun record low C = 1.4

| Jul record low C = 5.3

| Aug record low C = 4.9

| Sep record low C = 1.0

| Oct record low C = -1.5

| Nov record low C = -4.0

| Dec record low C = -7.0

| year record low C = -7.8

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 82.5

| Feb precipitation mm = 65.5

| Mar precipitation mm = 62.5

| Apr precipitation mm = 55.1

| May precipitation mm = 54.6

| Jun precipitation mm = 62.4

| Jul precipitation mm = 59.1

| Aug precipitation mm = 67.4

| Sep precipitation mm = 70.6

| Oct precipitation mm = 103.3

| Nov precipitation mm = 105.2

| Dec precipitation mm = 95.0

| year precipitation mm =

| unit rain days = 1.0 mm

| Jan rain days = 14.2

| Feb rain days = 11.4

| Mar rain days = 10.9

| Apr rain days = 10.0

| May rain days = 9.8

| Jun rain days = 9.3

| Jul rain days = 10.2

| Aug rain days = 10.8

| Sep rain days = 11.2

| Oct rain days = 13.4

| Nov rain days = 15.8

| Dec rain days = 14.7

| year rain days =

| Jan sun = 54.6

| Feb sun = 82.8

| Mar sun = 127.3

| Apr sun = 181.9

| May sun = 235.3

| Jun sun = 213.4

| Jul sun = 203.5

| Aug sun = 190.2

| Sep sun = 145.9

| Oct sun = 105.4

| Nov sun = 63.9

| Dec sun = 47.0

| year sun =

| source 1 = Met Office{{cite web |title=Ronaldsway 1991–2020 averages |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcsewtg52 |publisher=Met Office |access-date=19 December 2021 |archive-date=19 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219034711/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcsewtg52 |url-status=live}}

| source 2 = Météo Climat,{{cite web |title=Météo climat stats Isle of Man records |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=506 |access-date=31 March 2017 |publisher=Météo Climat |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224012337/http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=506 |url-status=live}} Infoclimat{{cite web |url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/annee/1991/isle-of-man-ronaldsway-airport/valeurs/03204.html |title=Climatologie de l'année à Isle of Man/Ronaldsway Airport |publisher=Infoclimat |language=fr |access-date=24 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003225230/https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/annee/1991/isle-of-man-ronaldsway-airport/valeurs/03204.html |url-status=live }}

|date=May 2012

}}

{{Main|Isle of Man Government}}

The United Kingdom is responsible for the island's defence and ultimately for good governance, and for representing the island in international forums, while the island's own parliament and government have competence over all domestic matters.{{cite web |title=Political |url=http://www.isleofmanfinance.gov.im/About/political.xml |url-status=dead |website=isleofmanfinance.gov.im |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014033149/http://www.isleofmanfinance.gov.im/About/political.xml |archive-date=14 October 2008 |access-date=10 November 2017}}

{{See also|Manx law}}

The island's parliament, Tynwald, is claimed to have been in continuous existence since 979 or earlier, purportedly making it the oldest continuously governing body in the world, though evidence supports a much later date.{{cite web |title=Taking Liberties – Star Items – Chronicle of Mann |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/staritems/322chronicleofmann.html |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=BL.uk |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035553/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/staritems/322chronicleofmann.html |url-status=live}} Tynwald is a bicameral or tricameral legislature, comprising the House of Keys (directly elected by universal suffrage with a voting age of 16 years) and the Legislative Council (consisting of indirectly elected and ex-officio members). These two bodies also meet together in joint session as Tynwald Court.

The executive branch of government is the Council of Ministers, which is composed of Members of Tynwald (usually Members of the House of Keys, though Members of the Legislative Council may also be appointed as Ministers). It is headed by the Chief Minister.

Vice-regal functions of the head of state are performed by a lieutenant governor.

{{Main|External relations of the Isle of Man}}

In various laws of the United Kingdom, "the United Kingdom" is defined to exclude the Isle of Man. Historically, the UK has taken care of its external and defence affairs and retains paramount power to legislate for the Island. However, in 2007, the Isle of Man and the UK signed an agreement that established frameworks for the development of the international identity of the Isle of Man.{{cite web |title=Framework for developing the international identity of the Isle of Man |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/cso/iominternationalidentityframework.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420193544/http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/cso/iominternationalidentityframework.pdf |archive-date=20 April 2013 |access-date=14 November 2018 |website=gov.im |publisher=Government of the Isle of Man}} There is no separate Manx citizenship. Citizenship is covered by UK law, and Manx people are classed as British citizens. There is a long history of relations and cultural exchange between the Isle of Man and Ireland. The Isle of Man's historic Manx language and its modern revived variant are closely related to both Scottish Gaelic and the Irish language and, in 1947, Éamon de Valera, the Taoiseach of Ireland, spearheaded efforts to save the dying Manx language.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/one-small-step-for-man-1.99095 |title=One small step for Man |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029012347/https://www.irishtimes.com/country-cookie/ |archive-date=29 October 2021 |work=Irish Times |date=22 August 1997}}

The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom; however, the UK is responsible for its defence and external affairs.{{Cite report |title=Royal Commission on the Constitution 1969–1973, Volume I, Report (Cmnd 5460) |date=1973 |location=London}} There are no independent military forces on the Isle of Man, although HMS Ramsey was affiliated with the town of the same name.{{cite web |date=2009 |title=HMS Ramsey |url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/mine-countermeasure/sandown-class/hms-ramsey/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830150949/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/mine-countermeasure/sandown-class/hms-ramsey/ |archive-date=30 August 2010 |access-date=11 September 2011 |publisher=Royal Navy}} From 1938 to 1955, there existed the Manx Regiment of the British Territorial Army (TA), which saw extensive action during the Second World War.{{cite web |title=Regimental Museum – History |url=http://www.iomguide.com/douglas/regimental-museum.php |access-date=11 September 2011 |website=Isle of Man Guide |archive-date=3 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103083203/http://www.iomguide.com/douglas/regimental-museum.php |url-status=live}} During the English Civil War, the 7th Earl of Derby, who was also the Lord of Mann, conscripted 10 men from each parish (170 in total) to fight for the Royalist cause; the majority were killed at the Battle of Wigan Lane in 1651. In 1779, the Manx Fencible Corps, a fencible regiment of three companies, was raised; it was disbanded in 1783 at the end of the American War of Independence. Later, the Royal Manx Fencibles was raised at the time of the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. The 1st Battalion (of 3 companies) was raised in 1793. A 2nd Battalion (of 10 companies) was raised in 1795,See {{cite web |title=The Forgotten Army: Fencible Regiments of Great Britain 1793–1816 |url=http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/fencibles/c_fencibles2.html |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=The Napoleon Series |archive-date=5 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905025848/http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/fencibles/c_fencibles2.html |url-status=live}} for more detail. and it saw action during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The regiment was disbanded in 1802.{{Cite book |last=Scobie |first=Ian Hamilton Mackay |date=1914 |title=An Old Highland Fencible Corps: The history of the Reay Fencible Highland Regiment of Foot, or Mackay's Highlanders, 1794–1802, with an account of its services in Ireland during the rebellion of 1798 |url=https://archive.org/stream/oldhighlandfenci00scobuoft#page/415/mode/1up |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Blackwood |page=363}} A third body of Manx Fencibles was raised in 1803 to defend the island during the Napoleonic Wars and to assist the Revenue. It was disbanded in 1811.{{cite web |title=Regiments stationed on Isle of Man, 1765–1896 |url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/history/military/regts.htm |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=Isle-of-man.com |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191403/http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/history/military/regts.htm |url-status=live}} The Isle of Man Home Guard was raised during the Second World War for home defence.{{cite web |url=http://iomhomeguard.com/default.html |title=Isle of Man Home Guard Reenactment Society |access-date=28 January 2021 |archive-date=28 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128021410/http://iomhomeguard.com/default.html |url-status=live}} In 2015 a multi-capability recruiting and training unit of the British Army Reserve was established in Douglas.{{Cite news |date=October 2015 |title=British Army opens first reserve unit opens on Isle of Man since 1968 |work=BBC News |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-34401508 |access-date=24 October 2016 |archive-date=25 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025115619/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-34401508 |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Manx passport}}

File:Isle of Man Passport (Blue).png

There is no citizenship of the Isle of Man as such; Isle of Man residents are entitled to British citizenship and can obtain a full UK British passport or British Isle of Man passport.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

The Passport Office, Isle of Man, Douglas, accepts and processes applications for the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, who is formally responsible for issuing Isle of Man–issued British passports, titled "British passport – Isle of Man{{-"}}. The powers conferred on the UK Secretary of State by the British Nationality Act 1981 extend to and are exercised in the Isle of Man by the Lieutenant Governor.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/immigration/immigration-and-nationality-legislation |title=Isle of Man Government – Immigration and Nationality legislation |publisher=Government of the Isle of Man |website=gov.im |date= |access-date=15 March 2022 |archive-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320002138/http://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/immigration/immigration-and-nationality-legislation/ |url-status=live }}

Isle of Man-issued British passports can presently be issued to any British citizen resident in the Isle of Man and to British citizens who have a qualifying close personal connection to the Isle of Man but are now resident either in the UK or in either one of the two other Crown Dependencies, the Bailiwick of Jersey or the Bailiwick of Guernsey.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

{{update|section|Needs updating to reflect Brexit|date=January 2020}}

The Isle of Man was never part of either the EEC or the European Union (EU), nor did it have a special status, and thus it did not take part in the 2016 (Brexit) referendum on the UK's EU membership.{{Cite news |date=24 June 2016 |title=EU referendum: Brexit sends IoM on 'unknown journey' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36618855 |url-status=live |access-date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627063954/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36618855 |archive-date=27 June 2016}} However, it was included within the EU's customs area, as part of Protocol 3 of the UK's Act of Accession to the Treaty of Rome, allowing Manx goods to be traded throughout the EU without tariffs.{{cite web |title=Manx government explanation of Protocol 3 |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/ebusiness/advantages/protocol3.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910004526/http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/ebusiness/advantages/protocol3.pdf |archive-date=10 September 2008 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=gov.im |publisher=Government of the Isle of Man}}

It was not part of the EU's internal market and there were still limitations on the movement of capital, services and labour.{{Cite web |title=Request Rejected |url=https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/cabinet-office/eu-uk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement-2020/frequently-asked-questions/#accordion |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=www.gov.im}}

EU citizens were entitled to travel and reside, but not work, in the island without restriction.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Facts & Economic Data |url=http://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/iom-key-facts-guide/island-facts/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050532/https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/iom-key-facts-guide/island-facts/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=12 September 2010 |website=Isle of Man Finance |publisher=Isle of Man Government}}{{cite web |date=October 2006 |title=Immigration in the Isle of Man |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/cso/immigrationintheisleofmanpub.pdf |access-date=12 September 2010 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |page=12 |archive-date=11 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511200914/http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/cso/immigrationintheisleofmanpub.pdf |url-status=live}}

In 2017, the UK confirmed that the Crown Dependencies' positions were included in the Brexit negotiations.{{cite web |date=30 March 2017 |title=Legislating for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/604514/Great_repeal_bill_white_paper_print.pdf |publisher=Department for Exiting the European Union |access-date=16 May 2017 |archive-date=25 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425050851/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/604514/Great_repeal_bill_white_paper_print.pdf |url-status=live}} The Brexit withdrawal agreement explicitly included the Isle of Man in its territorial scope, but makes no other mention of it.{{cite web |date=14 November 2018 |title=Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/draft_withdrawal_agreement_0.pdf |publisher=European Commission |access-date=19 July 2019 |archive-date=1 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201222743/https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/draft_withdrawal_agreement_0.pdf |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Government – EU Exit and the Transition Period |url=https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/cabinet-office/eu-exit-and-the-transition-period/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620122427/https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/cabinet-office/eu-exit-and-the-transition-period/ |archive-date=20 June 2020 |access-date=30 April 2020 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}}

The Isle of Man is not a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. By virtue of its relationship with the United Kingdom, it takes part in several Commonwealth institutions, including the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Commonwealth Games. The Government of the Isle of Man has made calls for a more integrated relationship with the Commonwealth,{{cite web |title=The role and future of the Commonwealth |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmfaff/114/11410.htm |access-date=18 March 2013 |publisher=House of Commons |archive-date=6 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206123019/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmfaff/114/11410.htm |url-status=live}} including more direct representation and enhanced participation in Commonwealth organisations and meetings, including Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.{{cite web |title=Written evidence from the States of Guernsey |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmfaff/114/114we18.htm |access-date=18 March 2013 |publisher=Policy Council of Guernsey |archive-date=9 February 2013 |website=parliament.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209074131/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmfaff/114/114we18.htm |url-status=live}} The Chief Minister of the Isle of Man has said: "A closer connection with the Commonwealth itself would be a welcome further development of the island's international relationships."{{Cite news |date=23 November 2012 |title=Isle of Man welcomes report on Commonwealth future |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/news/cso/isleofmanwelcome5.xml |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |url-status=dead |access-date=19 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302143313/http://www.gov.im/lib/news/cso/isleofmanwelcome5.xml |archive-date=2 March 2013}}

File:IsleOfMan LocAuths and Sheadings2020.svg]]

{{Main|Politics of the Isle of Man}}

{{See also|List of political parties in the Isle of Man|Elections in the Isle of Man}}

Most Manx politicians stand for election as independents rather than as representatives of political parties. Although political parties do exist, their influence is not as strong as in the United Kingdom.

There are three political parties in the Isle of Man:

• The Liberal Vannin Party (established 2006) has one seat in the House of Keys; it promotes greater Manx autonomy and more accountability in government.
• The Manx Labour Party is active and for much of the 20th century had several MHKs. Since the 2021 general election there are two MLP members in the House of Keys, both of whom are women.
• The Isle of Man Green Party was established in 2016, but only has representation at local government level.{{Cite news |title=Isle of Man Green Party elects first councillor Andrew Bentley |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-45128963 |access-date=10 August 2018 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330183526/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-45128963 |url-status=live}}

There are also a number of pressure groups on the island. Mec Vannin advocate the establishment of a sovereign republic.{{cite web |title=Mec Vannin |url=http://www.mecvannin.im/ |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=Mecvannin.im |archive-date=9 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209181627/http://www.mecvannin.im/psmenu.html |url-status=live}} The Positive Action Group campaign for three key elements to be introduced into the governance of the island: open accountable government, rigorous control of public finances and a fairer society.{{cite web |title=PAG – Positive Action Group – Isle of Man – Positive Action Group – Isle of Man – Pag, Credit, Agreement, User, February |url=http://www.positiveactiongroup.org/ |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=Positiveactiongroup.org |archive-date=21 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321112422/http://www.positiveactiongroup.org/ |url-status=usurped}}

{{Main|Local government in the Isle of Man}}

Local government on the Isle of Man is based partly on the island's 17 ancient parishes. There are four types of local authorities:

• a corporation for the City of Douglas and bodies of commissioners for the town districts of Castletown, Peel and Ramsey
• the districts of Kirk Michael and Onchan
• the village districts of Port Erin and Port St Mary
• the 13 parish districts (those historic parishes, or combinations or parts of them, which do not fall within the districts previously mentioned).

Each of these districts has its own body of commissioners.

{{Main|LGBT rights in the Isle of Man}}

The Isle of Man was the last place in the British Isles to legalise same-sex sexual activity. While it had been legal in England and Wales since 1967, it remained illegal in the Isle of Man until 1992.{{Cite news |last=Pidd |first=Helen |date=5 October 2015 |title=Isle of Man leader draws line under 'dark days' and aims to legalise gay marriage |url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/05/isle-of-man-legalise-gay-marriage |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007022234/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/05/isle-of-man-legalise-gay-marriage |archive-date=7 October 2015 |access-date=9 August 2022 |work=The Guardian}}{{Cite news |last=Pidd |first=Helen |date=11 February 2022 |title=Isle of Man to pardon men convicted for homosexual acts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/11/isle-of-man-pardon-men-convicted-homosexual-acts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211165955/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/11/isle-of-man-pardon-men-convicted-homosexual-acts |archive-date=11 February 2022 |access-date=9 August 2022 |work=The Guardian}}

The Isle of Man's former Chief Minister Howard Quayle issued an "unqualified apology" to gay men convicted of same-sex offences under previous Manx laws.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Chief Minister apologises for anti-gay laws |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-51284696 |website=BBC News |access-date=19 March 2025 |date=28 January 2020 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031175948/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-51284696 |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Education in the Isle of Man}}

Public education is overseen by the Department of Education, Sport & Culture. Thirty-two primary schools, five secondary schools and the University College Isle of Man function under the department.{{cite web |date=21 November 2010 |title=Department of Education and Children Home Page |url=http://www.gov.im/education/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121125241/http://www.gov.im/education/ |archive-date=21 November 2010 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government }}

{{Main|Health in the Isle of Man|Healthcare in the Isle of Man}}

Two-thirds of residents of Man are overweight or obese, four in ten are physically inactive, one-quarter are binge drinkers, one in twelve smoke cigarettes and about 15% are in poor general health.{{cite web |last1=Butler |first1=Nadia |last2=Quigg |first2=Zara |last3=Bates |first3=Rebecca |last4=Sayle |first4=Madeleine |last5=Ewart |first5=Henrietta |date=September 2021 |title=Isle of Man Health and Lifestyle Survey 2019 |url=https://www.gov.im/media/1374813/isle-of-man-health-and-lifestyle-survey-2019_compressed-031221.pdf |via=gov.im |publisher=Liverpool John Moores University |access-date=23 February 2022 |archive-date=2 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402090910/https://www.gov.im/media/1374813/isle-of-man-health-and-lifestyle-survey-2019_compressed-031221.pdf |url-status=live }} Healthcare is provided via a public health scheme by the Department of Health and Social Care for residents and visitors from the UK.{{cite web |title=Healthcare on the Isle of Man |url=https://www.locate.im/article/practical-advice/healthcare-on-the-isle-of-man/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004140530/https://www.locate.im/article/practical-advice/healthcare-on-the-isle-of-man/ |archive-date=4 October 2017 |access-date=4 October 2017 |website=Locate Isle Of Man}}

The Crime Severity Rate in Man, which largely measures crimes directed against persons or property, remains substantially less than that in the United Kingdom, although the rate of violent crime has been increasing in recent years. Most violent crime is associated with the trade in illegal drugs.{{cite web |title=CHIEF CONSTABLE'S ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 |url=https://www.tynwald.org.im/business/opqp/sittings/20182021/2020-GD-0020.pdf |website=Tynwald – Parliament of the Isle of Man |access-date=24 February 2022 |archive-date=1 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501094832/https://www.tynwald.org.im/business/opqp/sittings/20182021/2020-GD-0020.pdf |url-status=live }}

The Government of Man has laid out a strategy entailing a "whole-Island approach" to address the serious problems of money laundering, financial crime and terrorism financing.{{cite web |date=June 2021 |title=Financial Crime Strategy 2021–23 |url=https://www.gov.im/media/1373450/isle-of-man-financial-crime-strategy-2021-2023.pdf |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |access-date=9 March 2022 |archive-date=9 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709100614/https://www.gov.im/media/1373450/isle-of-man-financial-crime-strategy-2021-2023.pdf |url-status=live }}

The Isle of Man Government maintains five emergency services.{{cite web |date=16 August 2013 |title=Emergency services |url=http://cf.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/emergency-services/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130816235226/http://cf.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/emergency-services/ |archive-date=16 August 2013 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}} These are:

• Isle of Man Constabulary (police)
• Isle of Man Coastguard
• Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service
• Isle of Man Ambulance Service
• Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps

All of these services are controlled directly by the Department of Home Affairs of the Isle of Man Government and are independent of the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, the Isle of Man Constabulary voluntarily submits to inspection by the British inspectorate of police,{{cite web |title=Welcome to the Isle of Man Constabulary |url=http://www.gov.im/dha/police/ |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303101639/http://www.gov.im/dha/police/ |archive-date=3 March 2007 |access-date=11 September 2011}} and the Isle of Man Coastguard contracts His Majesty's Coastguard (UK) for air-sea rescue operations.

The island's sole crematorium is located in Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, and operated by the Douglas Borough Council. Usually staffed by four, in March 2020 an increase of staff to 12 was announced by the Council leader, responding to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could require more staff.{{Cite news |date=13 March 2020 |title=More staff trained to operate island's crematorium |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-51861337 |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=13 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313085437/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-51861337 |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Economy of the Isle of Man}}

The Isle of Man has no capital gains tax, wealth tax, stamp duty, or inheritance tax{{cite web |title=Financial Services Sector – Isle of Man. Where You Can. |url=http://www.gov.im/iomfinance/tax/directtax.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419122502/http://www.gov.im/iomfinance/tax/directtax.xml |archive-date=19 April 2012 |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}} and a top rate of income tax of 22% (as of April 2024).{{cite web |date=2017 |title=Isle of Man Government: Rates & Allowances 2017/2018 |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/income-tax-and-national-insurance/individuals/residents/rates-and-allowances/ |access-date=2 December 2017 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=26 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626220519/https://www.gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/income-tax-and-national-insurance/individuals/residents/rates-and-allowances/ |url-status=live}} A tax cap is in force: the maximum amount of tax payable by an individual is £200,000 or £400,000 for couples choosing to have their incomes jointly assessed. Personal income is assessed and taxed on a worldwide income basis rather than a remittance basis. This means that all income earned throughout the world is assessable for Manx tax rather than only income earned in or brought into the island. The standard rate of corporation tax for residents and non-residents is 0%. Retail business profits above £500,000 and banking business income are taxed at 10%, while rental (or other) income from land and buildings situated on the Isle of Man is taxed at 20%.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Government: Corporate Tax Rules |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/income-tax-and-national-insurance/business-and-corporations/corporate-tax-rates/ |access-date=2 December 2017 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=29 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129171851/https://www.gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/income-tax-and-national-insurance/business-and-corporations/corporate-tax-rates/ |url-status=live}}

File:Peel - Peel Bay Beach - geograph.org.uk - 1719663.jpg is the island's main fishing port.]]

Man's low corporate tax burden{{cite web |url=https://taxfoundation.org/publications/corporate-tax-rates-around-the-world/ |title=Corporate Tax Rates Around the World |publisher=Tax Foundation |website=TaxFoundation.org |date=9 December 2021 |access-date=15 March 2022 |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628013745/https://taxfoundation.org/publications/corporate-tax-rates-around-the-world/ |url-status=live }} and absence of public registries of corporate ownership{{cite web |url=https://cpa.co.uk/jersey-guernsey-and-the-isle-of-man-to-reveal-who-owns-offshore-firms/ |title=Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man to reveal who owns offshore firms |publisher=The Credit Protection Association |website=CPA.co.uk |date=21 June 2019 |access-date=15 March 2022 |archive-date=17 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617035746/https://cpa.co.uk/jersey-guernsey-and-the-isle-of-man-to-reveal-who-owns-offshore-firms/ |url-status=live }} provides tax avoidance and tax evasion strategies for individuals and corporations; this results in a large influx of funds from those in pursuit of tax advantage and financial confidentiality.{{cite web |url=https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/books/071/29292-9781513575919-en/ch003.xml |title=Chapter 2 Europe's Shadow Economies: Estimating Size and Outlining Policy Options in: The Global Informal Workforce |publisher=Elibrary.imf.org |date=23 July 2021 |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=24 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224190148/https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/books/071/29292-9781513575919-en/ch003.xml |url-status=dead}} The relative importance of agriculture, fishing and tourism in the Isle of Man, the former mainstays of the economy, has accordingly declined.{{cite web |first=Pete |last=Hodson |url=https://theconversation.com/the-isle-of-man-is-a-tax-haven-but-its-prosperity-has-precarious-roots-87146 |title=The Isle of Man is a tax haven – but its prosperity has precarious roots |publisher=Theconversation.com |date=9 November 2017 |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=1 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501094835/https://theconversation.com/the-isle-of-man-is-a-tax-haven-but-its-prosperity-has-precarious-roots-87146 |url-status=live }} As is typical of the low-tax crown dependencies, Man's economy features financial services, shell corporations for high-technology companies, online gambling and online gaming,{{cite web |date=19 January 2021 |title=Isle of Man Government – Gambling and e-gaming |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/gambling-and-e-gaming/ |access-date=26 February 2022 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=20 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620205512/https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/gambling-and-e-gaming/ |url-status=live }} cinema production and tax havens for high net worth individuals.{{cite web |last1=Chittum |first1=Ryan |last2=Robinson |first2=Tim |last3=Garside |first3=Juliette |date=6 November 2017 |title=Paradise Papers: A two-hour stop in the Isle of Man can save you millions in tax on a private jet |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/paradise-papers-a-two-hour-stop-in-the-isle-of-man-can-save-you-millions-in-tax-on-a-private-jet-1.3281663 |access-date=26 February 2022 |publisher=The Irish Times |archive-date=6 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506030637/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/paradise-papers-a-two-hour-stop-in-the-isle-of-man-can-save-you-millions-in-tax-on-a-private-jet-1.3281663 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Garside |first=Juliette |date=6 November 2017 |title=How Isle of Man gives big refunds to super-rich on private jet imports |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/06/isle-of-man-refunds-super-rich-private-jets-paradise-papers |access-date=26 February 2022 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=11 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611135115/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/06/isle-of-man-refunds-super-rich-private-jets-paradise-papers |url-status=live }} These activities have brought some high-income jobs to Man, as hundreds of local residents serve as "straw man" directors and shareholders of shell companies.{{cite book |last1=Jancsics |first1=David |title=Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance |chapter=Shell Companies and Government Corruption |date=2018 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3566-1 |isbn=978-3-319-31816-5}} Similar schemes provide a means for high net worth individuals to reduce their tax obligations and to shield their financial dealings from public scrutiny.{{cite web |url=https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/elite-touch-down-on-isle-of-man-to-avoid-millions-in-tax/ |title=Elite touch down on Isle of Man to avoid millions in tax – ICIJ |date=25 August 2020 |access-date=24 February 2022 |archive-date=9 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609224455/https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/elite-touch-down-on-isle-of-man-to-avoid-millions-in-tax/ |url-status=live }} As described in the Paradise Papers,{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/paradise-papers |title=Paradise Papers: A special investigation | Paradise-papers |work=The Guardian |date= |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225143807/https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/paradise-papers |url-status=live }} the Isle of Man economy features extensive illegal economic activity including tax evasion, money laundering from drug sales, money transfers from weapons sales, and looting of public treasuries of other nation states (particularly Russia).{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/14/after-successive-offshore-scandals-are-there-signs-of-change-in-isle-of-man |title=After successive offshore scandals, are there signs of change in Isle of Man? | Paradise Papers |work=The Guardian |date=14 November 2017 |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628141344/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/14/after-successive-offshore-scandals-are-there-signs-of-change-in-isle-of-man |url-status=live }} These funds are mostly funneled into the London financial markets.{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmfaff/932/932.pdf |title=Moscow's Gold: Russian Corruption in the UK |author=House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee |date=15 May 2018 |access-date=3 July 2023 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303132809/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmfaff/932/932.pdf |url-status=live }} Online gambling sites provided about 10% of the Manx government's revenue in 2014.{{cite web |title=The Gambling Law Review |url=https://thelawreviews.co.uk/title/the-gambling-law-review/united-kingdom |website=thelawreviews.co.uk |date=29 May 2023 |access-date=3 July 2023 |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630140441/https://thelawreviews.co.uk/title/the-gambling-law-review/united-kingdom |url-status=live }}{{full citation needed|date=September 2023|reason=This is not a citation to an article, it's just a link to an entire department at the target website. This is not a source.}}

There has been an effort to regulate these illicit activities on Man, though the impact of legal measures instituted by the Man government remains uncertain.{{cite news |date=9 December 2021 |title=Isle of Man launches strategy to tackle bribery and corruption |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-59595491 |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=17 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617175148/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-59595491 |url-status=live }} As of June, 2023, Man remains out of compliance with standards for Anti-Money Laundering & Countering the Financing of Terrorism requirements according to Moneyval, the European Union's Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism.{{cite web |title=MONEYVAL: Financial crime challenges persist |url=https://www.financialmirror.com/2023/06/20/moneyval-financial-crime-challenges-persist/ |website=Financial Mirror |date=20 June 2023 |access-date=3 July 2023 |archive-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703194556/https://www.financialmirror.com/2023/06/20/moneyval-financial-crime-challenges-persist/ |url-status=live }}

The Isle of Man Department for Enterprise manages the diversified economy in 12 key sectors.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man: Key sectors |url=http://www.whereyoucan.com/sectors |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203153908/http://www.whereyoucan.com/sectors |archive-date=3 December 2017 |access-date=2 December 2017 |website=Isle of Man Government}} The largest sectors by GNP are insurance and online casino operations with 17% of GNP each, followed by ICT and banking with 9% each. The 2016 census lists 41,636 total employed.{{cite web |title=2016 Isle of Man Census Report |url=https://www.gov.im/news/2022/feb/02/first-details-of-2021-census-report-published/ |access-date=2 February 2022 |website= |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=1 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501095106/https://www.gov.im/news/2022/feb/02/first-details-of-2021-census-report-published/ |url-status=live }} The largest sectors by employment are "medical and health", "financial and business services", construction, retail and public administration.{{cite web |title=2016 Isle of Man Census Presentation |url=https://www.gov.im/media/1355783/2016-isle-of-man-census-presentation.pdf |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |access-date=2 December 2017 |archive-date=3 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203013850/https://www.gov.im/media/1355783/2016-isle-of-man-census-presentation.pdf |url-status=live}} Manufacturing, focused on aerospace and the food and drink industry,{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Manufacturing Sector |url=http://www.whereyoucan.com/manufacturing |access-date=2 December 2017 |website=whereyoucan.im |publisher=Department for Enterprise, Isle of Man |archive-date=3 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203153911/http://www.whereyoucan.com/manufacturing |url-status=live}} employs almost 2000 workers and contributes about 5% of gross domestic product (GDP). The sector provides laser optics, industrial diamonds, electronics, plastics and aerospace precision engineering. Tourism, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, now make very little contributions to the island's GDP. The unemployment rate on Man is less than 1%.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.im/news/2022/mar/15/labour-market-report-for-february-2022/ |title=Isle of Man Government – Labour market report for February 2022 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |access-date=19 March 2022 |archive-date=1 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501094828/https://www.gov.im/news/2022/mar/15/labour-market-report-for-february-2022/ |url-status=live }}

Trade takes place mostly with the United Kingdom. The island is in customs union with the UK, and related revenues are pooled and shared under the Common Purse Agreement. This means that the Isle of Man cannot have the lower excise revenues on alcohol and other goods that are enjoyed in the Channel Islands.

The Manx government promotes island locations for making films by offering financial support. Since 1995, over 100 films have been made on the island.{{cite web |date=27 September 2013 |title=Who We Are |url=https://www.isleofmanfilm.com/about/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204061234/https://www.isleofmanfilm.com/about/ |archive-date=4 December 2017 |access-date=3 December 2017 |website=Isle of Man Film}} Most recently the island has taken a much wider strategy to attract the general digital media industry in film, television, video and esports.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Digital Media Cluster. Strategic Directions for the Isle of Man |url=http://isleofmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Isle-of-Media-National-Strategy.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222064658/http://isleofmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Isle-of-Media-National-Strategy.pdf |archive-date=22 December 2017 |access-date=3 December 2017}}

The Isle of Man Government Lottery operated from 1986 to 1997. Since 2 December 1999 the island has participated in the United Kingdom National Lottery.{{cite web |title=ontheisleofman.com |url=http://www.ontheisleofman.com/can-i-play-the-national-lottery-on-the-isle-of-man/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630005340/http://www.ontheisleofman.com/can-i-play-the-national-lottery-on-the-isle-of-man/ |archive-date=30 June 2017 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=Ontheisleofman.com}}{{cite web |title=UK National Lottery Diary |url=http://lottery.merseyworld.com/Info/Diary.html |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=Merseyworld.com |archive-date=19 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319210353/http://lottery.merseyworld.com/Info/Diary.html |url-status=live}} The island is the only jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom where it is possible to play the UK National Lottery.{{cite web |title=National Lottery FAQ:Can I play while overseas? |url=http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/help/faqs.ftl#int_GetStarted2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703194651/https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/help/faqs.ftl#int_GetStarted2 |archive-date=3 July 2014 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=National-lottery.co.uk}} Since 2010 it has also been possible for projects in the Isle of Man to receive national lottery Good Causes Funding.{{Cite news |date=20 June 2010 |title=Manx charities to benefit from lottery |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10361512 |url-status=live |access-date=28 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922095859/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10361512 |archive-date=22 September 2014}}{{cite web |title=House of Lords – Constitution – Ninth Report |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldconst/151/15107.htm |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=Parliament.uk |archive-date=18 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218051045/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldconst/151/15107.htm |url-status=live}} The good causes funding is distributed by the Manx Lottery Trust.{{cite web |title=About |url=http://www.mlt.org.im/ |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=MLT.org.im |publisher=Manx Lottery Trust |archive-date=2 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302163433/http://www.mlt.org.im/ |url-status=live}} Tynwald receives the 12% lottery duty for tickets sold in the island.

Tourist numbers peaked in the first half of the 20th century, prior to the boom in cheap travel to Southern Europe that also saw the decline of tourism in many similar English seaside resorts. The Isle of Man tourism board has recently invested in "Dark Sky Discovery" sites to diversify its tourism industry. It is expected that dark skies will generally be nominated by the public across the UK. However, the Isle of Man tourism board tasked someone from their team to nominate 27 places on the island as a civil task. This cluster of the highest quality "Milky Way" sites{{cite web |title=Dark Sky Discovery Sites |url=http://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dark-sky-discovery-sites/map.html#sites |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=Darkskydiscovery.org.uk |archive-date=10 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110012420/http://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dark-sky-discovery-sites/map.html#sites |url-status=live}} is now well promoted within the island. This government push has effectively given the island a headstart in the number of recognised Dark Sky sites. However, this has created a distorted view when compared to the UK where this is not promoted on a national scale. There, Dark Sky sites are expected to be nominated over time by the public across a full range of town, city and countryside locations rather than en masse by government departments.{{cite web |title=Stargazing Sites in the Isle of Man – Isle of Man |url=http://www.visitisleofman.com/placestovisit/darkskysites/darkskies.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911125709/http://www.visitisleofman.com/placestovisit/darkskysites/darkskies.xml |archive-date=11 September 2016 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=Visitisleofman.com}}

In 2017 an office of The International Stock Exchange was opened to provide a boost for the island's finance industry.{{cite web |date=9 March 2017 |title=Carolyn Gelling to lead new stock exchange company |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=32400&headline=Carolyn%20Gelling%20to%20lead%20new%20stock%20exchange%20company§ionIs=news&searchyear=2017 |website=IOMToday |access-date=11 March 2017 |archive-date=12 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312044209/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=32400&headline=Carolyn%20Gelling%20to%20lead%20new%20stock%20exchange%20company§ionIs=news&searchyear=2017 |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Communications on the Isle of Man}}

File:cmglee_Douglas_Isle_of_Man_aerial_view.jpg

The main telephone provider on the Isle of Man is Manx Telecom. The island has two mobile operators: Manx Telecom, previously known as Manx Pronto, and Sure. Cloud9 operated as a third mobile operator on the island for a short time but has since withdrawn.{{cite web |title=Telecompaper |url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/isle-of-man-operators-launch-mobile-number-portability--673548 |access-date=2 June 2022 |website=telecompaper.com |archive-date=2 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602141904/https://www.telecompaper.com/news/isle-of-man-operators-launch-mobile-number-portability--673548 |url-status=live }}

Broadband internet services are available through four local providers: Wi-Manx, Domicilium, Manx Computer Bureau and Manx Telecom, non-local offerings have begun to offer coverage with recent investment from Starlink which is available island wide. The island does not have its own ITU country code but is accessed via the British country code (+44). Telephone numbers are part of the British telephone numbering plan, with local dialling codes 01624 for landlines and 07524, 07624 and 07924 for mobiles. Calls to the island from the UK, however, are generally charged differently from those within the UK and may or may not be included in any "inclusive minutes" packages.{{cite web |title=Phone Tariff Residential |url=http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/assets/downloads/BT_PhoneTariff_Residential.pdf |website=BT.com |publisher=BT Group |access-date=30 May 2017 |archive-date=14 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914151455/http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/assets/downloads/BT_PhoneTariff_Residential.pdf |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Calling abroad from the UK |url=http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/calling_abroad_from_uk |website=O2.com |publisher=Telefónica Europe |access-date=30 May 2017 |archive-date=25 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525225346/http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/calling_abroad_from_uk |url-status=live}}

In 1996, the Isle of Man Government obtained permission to use the .im national top-level domain (TLD) and has ultimate responsibility for its use. The domain is managed from day to day by Domicilium, an island-based internet service provider. In December 2007, the Manx Electricity Authority and its telecommunications subsidiary, e-llan Communications, commissioned the laying of a new fibre-optic link that connects the island to a worldwide fibre-optic network. In August 2021 it was reported that Elon Musk's satellite internet service, Starlink, had been granted a licence to operate from a ground station on the island.

The Isle of Man has three radio stations: Manx Radio, Energy FM and 3FM.

There is no insular television service, but local transmitters retransmit British mainland digital broadcasts via the free-to-air digital terrestrial service Freeview. The Isle of Man is served by BBC North West for BBC One and BBC Two television services, and ITV Granada for ITV.

Many television services are available by satellite, such as Sky and Freesat from the group of satellites at 28.2° East, as well as services from a range of other satellites around Europe such as the Astra satellites at 19.2° east and Hot Bird.

The Isle of Man has three newspapers, all weeklies and owned by Isle of Man Newspapers, a division of the Edinburgh media company Johnston Press.{{cite web |title=Our Business |url=http://www.johnstonpress.co.uk/jpplc/ourbusiness/publishingdivision/division.jsp |access-date=12 September 2011 |publisher=Johnston Press}}{{dead link|date=March 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The Isle of Man Courier (distribution 36,318) is free and distributed to homes on the island. The other two newspapers are Isle of Man Examiner (circulation 13,276) and the Manx Independent (circulation 12,255).{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Newspapers |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/newspaper.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822194758/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/newspaper.aspx |archive-date=22 August 2008 |access-date=4 September 2008 |website=IOMToday |publisher=Isle of Man Newspapers}}

Postal services are the responsibility of the Isle of Man Post Office, which took over from the UK's General Post Office in 1973. Independent postal services such as DHL, FedEx and Hermes Europe are also present.

{{Main|Transport in the Isle of Man}}

File:Douglas Sea Terminal - Isle of Man - kingsley - 20-APR-09.jpg

There is a comprehensive bus network, operated by the government-owned bus operator Bus Vannin.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Government – Bus and Rail |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/ |access-date=12 November 2017 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=10 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110151806/https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/ |url-status=live}}

The Isle of Man Sea Terminal in Douglas has regular ferries to and from Heysham and to and from Liverpool, with a more restricted timetable operating in winter. The two vessels are Manannan and Manxman. The latter, named by the public in mid 2020 and built by Hyundai, arrived in 2023 and soon had largely taken over from the Ben My Chree. There are also limited summer-only services to and from Belfast and Dublin. The Dublin route also operates at Christmas. At the time of the Isle of Man TT a limited number of sailings operate to and from Larne in Northern Ireland. All ferries are operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.{{cite web |title=Steam Packet Company |url=https://www.steam-packet.com/?__SPCoWinID=fb3a8cbb-61ce-40aa-bf27-95e1d8d2e301 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=Steam-packet.com |archive-date=15 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015203048/https://www.steam-packet.com/?__SPCoWinID=fb3a8cbb-61ce-40aa-bf27-95e1d8d2e301 |url-status=live}}

The only commercial airport on the island is the Isle of Man Airport at Ronaldsway. There are direct scheduled and chartered flights to numerous airports in the United Kingdom and Ireland.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Airport |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/isle-of-man-airport/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015202056/https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/isle-of-man-airport/ |archive-date=15 October 2017 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website= |publisher=Isle of Man Government}}

The island has a total of {{convert|688|mi}}{{cite web |title=Isle of Man – About the Island |url=http://www.isleofman.com/tourism/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225093426/http://www.isleofman.com/tourism/about |archive-date=25 February 2008 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=Isleofman.com}} of public roads, all of which are paved. There is no overriding national speed limit; only local speed limits are set, and some roads have no speed limit. Rules about reckless driving and most other driving regulations are enforced in a similar way to the UK.{{cite web |date=2005 |title=Driving on the Isle of Man |url=http://www.iomguide.com/drivingontheisleofman.php |access-date=8 June 2010 |website=Isle of Man Guide |publisher=Maxima Systems |archive-date=18 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118164713/http://www.iomguide.com/drivingontheisleofman.php |url-status=live}} There is a requirement for regular vehicle examinations for some vehicles (similar to the MOT test in the UK).{{cite web |date=1 January 1988 |title=Vehicle examination |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/drivers-and-vehicles/vehicle-registration-and-licensing/vehicle-examination/ |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219230208/https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/drivers-and-vehicles/vehicle-registration-and-licensing/vehicle-examination/ |url-status=live}}

The island used to have an extensive narrow-gauge railway system, both steam-operated and electric, but the majority of the steam railway tracks were taken out of service many years ago and the track removed. {{as of|2023}}, there is a steam railway between Douglas and Port Erin, an electric railway between Douglas and Ramsey and an electric mountain railway which climbs Snaefell.

One of the oldest operating horse tram services is located on the sea front in the capital, Douglas. It was founded in 1876.{{cite web |date=2017 |title=Heritage Railways |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/heritage-railways/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190315110306/https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/heritage-railways/ |archive-date=15 March 2019 |access-date=8 November 2017 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}}

The Isle of Man has become a centre for emerging private space travel companies.{{cite web |last=Goodman |first=Mike |date=22 July 2011 |title=Lift-off for Isle of Man's quest to join space race |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/offshorefinance/8644850/Lift-off-for-Isle-of-Mans-quest-to-join-space-race.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724020838/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/offshorefinance/8644850/Lift-off-for-Isle-of-Mans-quest-to-join-space-race.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 July 2011 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=The Daily Telegraph}} A number of the competitors in the Google Lunar X Prize, a $30 million competition for the first privately funded team to send a robot to the Moon, are based on the island. The team summit for the X Prize was held on the island in October 2010.{{cite web |date=18 October 2010 |title=Lunar Entrepreneurs Converge on Isle of Man for Google Lunar X PRIZE Summit |url=http://www.googlelunarxprize.com/media-center/press-release/lunar-entrepreneurs-converge-on-isle-of-man-for-google-lunar-x-prize-summ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402103131/http://www.googlelunarxprize.com/media-center/press-release/lunar-entrepreneurs-converge-on-isle-of-man-for-google-lunar-x-prize-summ |archive-date=2 April 2012 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=GoogleLunarXPrize.com}} In January 2011 two research space stations owned by Excalibur Almaz arrived on the island and were kept in an aircraft hangar at the airfield at the former RAF Jurby near Jurby.{{cite web |date=6 January 2011 |title=Research space stations arrive on Isle of Man |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-12128590 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720041420/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-12128590 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=BBC News}}

The electricity supply on the Isle of Man is run by the Manx Utilities Authority. The Isle of Man is connected to Great Britain's national grid by a 40 MW alternating current link (Isle of Man to England Interconnector). There are also hydroelectric, natural gas and diesel generators. The government has also planned a 700 MW offshore wind farm, roughly half the size of Walney Wind Farm.{{cite web |date=1 February 2017 |title=Isle of Man Offshore Wind Farm |url=https://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/windfarms.aspx?windfarmid=IM01 |access-date=14 November 2018 |website=4C Offshore |archive-date=15 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915122234/https://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/windfarms.aspx?windfarmid=IM01 |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Isle of Man gas industry}}

Gas for lighting and heating has been supplied to users on the Isle of Man since 1836, firstly as town gas, then as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); since 2003 natural gas has been available. The future use of hydrogen as a supplementary or substitute fuel is being studied.{{cite web |title=Impact report Appendix 19 |url=https://www.gov.im/media/1368072/appendix-19-gas-grid.pdf |access-date=29 January 2022 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=6 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506030314/https://www.gov.im/media/1368072/appendix-19-gas-grid.pdf |url-status=live }}

In June 2021, the law prohibiting commercial cultivation of cannabis on the Isle of Man was repealed, and the government of Man, for the first time, offered licences for production and export of cannabis. In February 2022, Man resident and local billionaire John Whittaker, through his firm Peel NRE, proposed to spend US$136 million for the construction of warmhouses for cannabis cultivation and research facilities, and to develop the business. It was announced that zoning permits had been granted for development of the facility. Although the availability of medical cannabis is heavily restricted within the UK, there has been an effort to develop the cannabis industry on the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey.{{cite web |url=https://hightimes.com/news/isle-of-man-plans-136-million-facility-off-coast-of-u-k/ |title=Isle Of Man Plans $136 Million Facility Off Coast of U.K. |publisher= |work=High Times |date=21 February 2022 |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=9 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609225851/https://hightimes.com/news/isle-of-man-plans-136-million-facility-off-coast-of-u-k/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-60404400 |title=Plans outlined for £100m Isle of Man medicinal cannabis complex |work=BBC News |date=16 February 2022 |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=10 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610064914/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-60404400 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/28/billionaire-john-whitaker-hopes-to-set-up-cannabis-farm-on-isle-of-man.html |title=Property billionaire hopes to set up huge cannabis farm on a tiny island in the Irish Sea |website=CNBC |date=28 February 2022 |access-date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=1 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501094828/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/28/billionaire-john-whitaker-hopes-to-set-up-cannabis-farm-on-isle-of-man.html |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Culture of the Isle of Man}}

The Manx are a Celtic nation.{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NwvoM-ZFoAgC |title=One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups |date=31 January 2000 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=9780313309847 |via=Google Books |access-date=7 May 2020 |archive-date=21 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321014815/http://books.google.com/books?id=NwvoM-ZFoAgC |url-status=live}}

The culture of the Isle of Man is often promoted as being influenced by its Celtic and, to a lesser extent, its Norse origins. Proximity to the UK, popularity as a UK tourist destination in Victorian times and immigration from Britain have all meant that the cultures of Great Britain have been influential at least since Revestment. Revival campaigns have attempted to preserve the surviving vestiges of Manx culture after a long period of Anglicisation, and there has been significantly increased interest in the Manx language, history and musical tradition.

{{Main|Languages of the Isle of Man}}

{{Infobox ethnonym

|country=Isle of Man (Mannin, Ellan Vannin)

|person=Manxie; Manxman, -woman (Manninagh)

|people=Manx (Manninee)

|language=Manx (Manninish; Gaelg, Gailck;{{indent|5}}Ghlare Vanninagh)
BSL (Glare Chowree)

}}

File:Douglas Isle of Man welcome sign.jpg and English]]

The official languages of the Isle of Man are English and Manx. Manx has traditionally been spoken but has been stated to be "critically endangered".{{cite web |date=19 August 2009 |title=UNESCO accepts Manx language is not 'extinct' |website=gov.im |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/news/cso/unescoacceptsman.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511200853/http://www.gov.im/lib/news/cso/unescoacceptsman.xml |archive-date=11 May 2011 |access-date=20 August 2009 |publisher=Isle of Man Government}} However, it now has a growing number of young speakers. It is increasingly evident on the island: for instance, in public notices and its increasing use in the Tynwald ceremony.

Manx is a Goidelic Celtic language and is one of a number of insular Celtic languages spoken in the British Isles.{{cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Rachel N. |date=2011 |title=Mind Your P's and Q's: Revisiting the Insular Celtic hypothesis through working towards an original phonetic reconstruction of Insular Celtic |url=http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/Linguistics/2011thesis/PDFs/CarpenterBMC.pdf |access-date=17 September 2011 |archive-date=14 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014050617/http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/Linguistics/2011thesis/PDFs/CarpenterBMC.pdf |url-status=live}} Manx has been officially recognised as a legitimate autochthonous regional language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, ratified by the United Kingdom on 27 March 2001 on behalf of the Isle of Man government.{{cite web |last=Kelly |first=Phil |title=Manx today by Phil Kelly |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/multilingual/manx.shtml |access-date=17 September 2011 |website=BBC News |archive-date=11 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811163952/http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/multilingual/manx.shtml |url-status=live}}

Manx is closely related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic but is orthographically sui generis.

On the island, the Manx greetings {{lang|gv|moghrey mie}} (good morning) and {{lang|gv|fastyr mie}} (good afternoon) can often be heard.{{Cite book |last=Davies |first=Alan |title=An Introduction to Applied Linguistics |date=2007 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-3354-8 |edition=2nd The Manx}} As in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, the concepts of "evening" and "afternoon" are referred to with one word.{{cite web |title=Manx Culture |url=http://www.visitisleofman.com/culture/ |access-date=17 September 2011 |website=VisitIsleOfMan.com |archive-date=29 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329103039/http://www.visitisleofman.com/culture/ |url-status=live}} Two other Manx expressions often heard are Gura mie eu ("Thank you"; familiar 2nd person singular form Gura mie ayd) and {{lang|gv|traa dy liooar}}, meaning "time enough", which represents a stereotypical view of the Manx attitude to life.{{Cite book |last=Arthur William |first=Moore |title=The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man |date=1971 |publisher=Forgotten Books |isbn=1-60506-183-2 |edition=Reprint |page=274}}{{cite web |date=8 January 2011 |title=Moscow Manx cheese |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/education/moscow_manx_cheese_1_2908142?showResult=true&pollContentId=7.52601 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804201941/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/education/moscow_manx_cheese_1_2908142?showResult=true&pollContentId=7.52601 |archive-date=4 August 2012 |access-date=17 September 2011 |website=IOMToday}}

In the 2011 Isle of Man census, approximately 1,800 residents stated that they could read, write and speak the Manx language.{{cite web |title=Isle of Man Census Report 2011 |url=https://www.gov.im/media/207882/census2011reportfinalresized_1_.pdf |access-date=19 July 2019 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |archive-date=6 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606130246/https://www.gov.im/media/207882/census2011reportfinalresized_1_.pdf |url-status=live}}

File:The Legs of Man - Isle of Man Triskelion - kingsley - 19-APR-09.jpg in front of Ronaldsway Airport terminal]]

For centuries, the island's symbol has been the so-called "three legs of Man" ({{langx|gv|Tree Cassyn Vannin}}), a triskelion of three legs conjoined at the thigh. The Manx triskelion, which dates back with certainty to the late 13th century, is of uncertain origin. It has been suggested that its origin lies in Sicily, an island which has been associated with the triskelion since ancient times.{{Cite book |title=Archeologia del Mediterraneo: Studi in onore di Ernesto De Miro |date=2003 |publisher=L'Erma di Bretschneider |isbn=978-88-8265-134-3 |editor-last=Fiorentini |editor-first=Graziella |pages=735–736 |editor-last2=De Miro |editor-first2=Ernesto |editor-last3=Calderone |editor-first3=Anna |editor-last4=Caccamo Caltabiano |editor-first4=Maria}}{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=RJA |date=2000 |title=On the Trail of the Triskeles: From the McDonald Institute to Archaic Greek Sicily |journal=Cambridge Archaeological Journal |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=35–61 |doi=10.1017/S0959774300000020 |s2cid=162858347|issn = 0959-7743}} The two islands' symbols could be related via the Norman rulers of Sicily: the Hauteville family.{{cite web | url=https://www.keeping-up.co.uk/Travel/Islands/Islands1.htm | title=Two Islands - Six Legs }}

The symbol appears in the island's official flag and official coat of arms, as well as its currency. The Manx triskelion may be reflected in the island's motto, Quocunque jeceris stabit, which appears as part of the island's coat of arms. The Latin motto translates as "whichever way you throw, it will stand" or "whithersoever you throw it, it will stand".{{cite web |title=Island Facts |url=http://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/iom-key-facts-guide/island-facts/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050532/https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/iom-key-facts-guide/island-facts/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=15 January 2016 |website=gov.im |publisher=Public Services, Isle of Man Government}} It dates to the late 17th century when it is known to have appeared on the island's coinage.{{Cite book |last=Kinvig |first=R.H. |title=The Isle of Man: A social, cultural and political history |date=1975 |publisher=Charles E. Tuttle |isbn=0-8048-1165-2 |location=Rutland, Vermont |pages=91–92}} It may be understood to refer to the caltrop, a military device with one spike always pointing upwards. The motto itself originally featured on the family badge of the Byzantine/Roman General Flavius Belisarius (505 – 565 AD) along with a representation of a caltrop.{{Cite web |title=IOM Stamps – The Three Legs of Man |date=20 May 2013 |url=https://namanx.org/iom-stamps-the-three-legs-of-man |access-date=16 August 2023 |archive-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816142242/https://namanx.org/iom-stamps-the-three-legs-of-man |url-status=live }} It has also been suggested that the motto originally referred to the poor quality of coinage which was common at the time—as in "however it is tested it will pass".{{cite web |title=The Three Legs of Man |url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/history/legs.htm |access-date=15 September 2011 |website=Isle-of-Man.com |archive-date=11 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611134019/http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/history/legs.htm |url-status=live}}. This webpage cited: {{Cite journal |last=Wagner |first=A. R. |title=The Origin of the Arms of Man |date=1959–1960 |volume=6 |journal=Manx Museum}}. This webpage also cited: {{Cite journal |last=Megaw |first=B. R. S. |title=The Ship Seals of the Kings of Man |date=1959–1960 |volume=6 |journal=Manx Museum}}

The ragwort or cushag has been referred to as the Manx national flower.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.im/media/402197/cushag_code_july_2013.pdf |title=The Cushag Code: A code of best practice for the management of common ragwort Senecio jacobaea |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government |date=July 2013 |access-date=15 July 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=15 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415095824/https://www.gov.im/media/402197/cushag_code_july_2013.pdf}}

{{See also|Diocese of Sodor and Man}}

File:Peel Cathedral 01.JPG]]

The predominant religious tradition of the Isle of Man is Christianity, adhered to by 54.7% of the Manx according to the 2021 census. At the same time, 43.8% of the population had no religion, 0.5% adhered to Islam, 0.5% to Buddhism, 0.4% to Hinduism, 0.2% to Judaism and 0.2% to other religions.

Before the Protestant Reformation, the island had a long history as part of the unified Catholic Church. In the years following the Reformation, the religious authorities on the island, and later the population of the island, accepted the religious authority of the British monarchy, Anglicanism and the Church of England.{{cite web |last=Moore |first=A. |title=Diocesan Histories. Sodor and Mann. |url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/dh1893/index.htm |access-date=24 February 2009 |archive-date=10 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410123532/http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/dh1893/index.htm |url-status=live}} The Isle of Man also came under the influence of Irish religious tradition. The island forms a separate diocese called Sodor and Man, which in the distant past comprised the medieval kingdom of Man and the Scottish isles ("Suðreyjar" in Old Norse). Nowadays, it consists of sixteen parishes,{{cite web |last=Gumbley |first=Ken |date=1 March 2012 |title=Diocese of Sodor and Man |url=http://www.gumbley.net/diocese.htm |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=Welcome to Kirk Braddan |archive-date=14 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614124455/http://www.gumbley.net/diocese.htm |url-status=live}} and since 1541Act of Parliament (1541) 33 Hen.8 c.31 has been part of the Province of York.{{cite web |date=28 May 2012 |title=England-Sodor & Man |url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=214 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528223800/http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=214 |archive-date=28 May 2012 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=Anglican Communion}}

Other Christian denominations and other religions also operate on the Isle of Man. The second largest denomination is the Methodist Church, whose Isle of Man District is close in numbers to the Anglican diocese. Then, there are eight Catholic parish churches, included in the Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool,{{cite web |title=The Archdiocese of Liverpool |url=http://www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=Liverpool Catholic |archive-date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025120855/http://liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/ |url-status=live}} as well as a presence of Eastern Orthodox Christians. Additionally, there are five Baptist churches, four Pentecostal churches, the Salvation Army, a ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, two congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses, two United Reformed churches, as well as other Christian churches.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

The Manx Muslim community has a mosque in Douglas, while Jews also have a history on the island.{{cite web |date=28 May 2012 |title=Religious Faiths and Organisations |url=http://www.gov.im/IsleOfMan/religion.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030608055741/http://www.gov.im/IsleOfMan/religion.xml |archive-date=8 June 2003 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}} In 2022, the island's first Buddhist temple was established in Baldrine.{{cite web |last=Nettle |first=Gemma |date=12 December 2022 |title=Island's first Buddhist temple now open to the public |url=https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/islands-first-buddhist-temple-now-open-to-the-public-581996 |website=Isle of Man Today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212161102/https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/islands-first-buddhist-temple-now-open-to-the-public-581996 |archive-date=12 December 2022 |url-status=live}}

File:Isle of Man Peel Castle.jpg]]

In Manx mythology, the island was ruled by the sea god Manannán, who would draw his misty cloak around the island to protect it from invaders. One of the principal folk theories about the origin of the name Man is that it is named after Manannán.

In the Manx tradition of folklore, there are many stories of mythical creatures and characters. These include the {{lang|gv|Buggane}}, a malevolent spirit which according to legend, blew the roof off St Trinian's Church in a fit of rage; the {{lang|gv|Fenodyree}}; the {{lang|gv|Glashtyn}}; and the {{lang|gv|Moddey Dhoo}}, a ghostly black dog which wandered the walls and corridors of Peel Castle.

The Isle of Man is also said to be home to fairies, known locally as "the little folk" or "themselves". There is a famous Fairy Bridge, and it is said to be bad luck if one fails to wish the fairies good morning or afternoon when passing over it. It used to be a tradition to leave a coin on the bridge to ensure good luck. Other types of fairies include the {{lang|gv|Arkan Sonney}}.

An old Irish story tells how Lough Neagh was formed when Ireland's legendary giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (commonly anglicised to Finn McCool) ripped up a portion of the land and tossed it at a Scottish rival. He missed and the chunk of earth landed in the Irish Sea, thus creating the island.

Peel Castle has been proposed as a possible location of the Arthurian Avalon{{cite web |title=Avalon's Location |url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/avalon.htm |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=Electricscotland.com |archive-date=23 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323023956/http://www.electricscotland.com/history/avalon.htm |url-status=live}} or as the location of the Grail Castle, site of Lancelot's encounter with the sword bridge of King Maleagant.King Arthur, Norma Lorre Goodrich, Harper and Row, 1989, p. 318

One of the most oft-repeated myths is that people found guilty of witchcraft were rolled down Slieau Whallian, a hill near St John's, in a barrel. However, this is a 19th-century legend derived from a Scottish legend, which in turn comes from a German legend. Separately, a witchcraft museum was opened at the Witches Mill, Castletown in 1951, despite there never being a witches' coven on that site; the myth was only created with the opening of the museum.{{cite web |title=Manx witchcraft and sorcery probed by academic – Isle of Man Today |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/manx-witchcraft-and-sorcery-probed-by-academic-1-1744837 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227154121/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/manx-witchcraft-and-sorcery-probed-by-academic-1-1744837 |archive-date=27 December 2015 |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=Iomtoday.co.im}} However, there has been a strong tradition of herbalism and the use of charms to prevent and cure illness and disease in people and animals.{{Cite book |last1=Nisbet |first1=Robert A |title=Yn Lioar Manninagh: The Journal of the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society |last2=Rhys |first2=John |date=1897 |publisher=Brown & Sons |volume=3 |location=Douglas |pages=303–314 |chapter=Folk-Medicine in the Isle of Man – A. W. Moore, M. A. |oclc=1110392917 |chapter-url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/iomnhas/lm3p303.htm |access-date=20 June 2019 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225083154/http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/iomnhas/lm3p303.htm |url-status=live}}{{Cite book |last1=Chiverrell |first1=R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjHHVG_aiOAC&pg=PA353 |title=A New History of the Isle of Man: The modern period 1830–1999 |last2=Belchem |first2=J. |last3=Thomas |first3=G. |last4=Duffy |first4=S. |last5=Mytum |first5=H. |publisher=Liverpool University Press |date=2000 |isbn=978-0-85323-726-6 |page=353 |access-date=15 August 2019 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803113305/https://books.google.com/books?id=yjHHVG_aiOAC&pg=PA353 |url-status=live}}

{{main|Music of the Isle of Man}}

File:Bee Gees Plaque - Union Mills IOM - kingsley - 21-APR-09.jpg plaque at Maitland Terrace/Strang Road intersection in Union Mills, Isle of Man]]

The music of the Isle of Man reflects Celtic, Norse and other influences, including from its neighbours, Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales. A wide range of music is performed on the island, such as rock, blues, jazz and pop.

Its traditional folk music has undergone a revival since the 1970s, starting with a music festival called {{lang|gv|Yn Chruinnaght}} in Ramsey.{{cite web |title=Trad music in the Isle of Man |url=http://www.ceolas.org/Regions/Manx-article.html |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=Ceolas.org |archive-date=13 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413002917/http://www.ceolas.org/Regions/Manx-article.html |url-status=live}} This was part of a general revival of the Manx language and culture after the death of the last native speaker of Manx in 1974.

Orchestral and song composer Haydn Wood grew up on the Isle of Man, moving there in 1885, aged three years old. The island and its folk tunes inspired Wood's music, resulting in the compositions Manx Rhapsody (Mylecharaine), Manx Countryside Sketches, Manx Overture, and the 1933 tone poem {{lang|gv|Mannin Veen}} (Manx for "Dear Isle of Man"), based on four Manx folk tunes and scored for wind band.{{Cite web |url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/Haydnwood.htm |title=The Music of Haydn Wood by Philip Scowcroft |website=Musicweb-international.com |access-date=14 March 2018 |archive-date=10 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310032641/http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/Haydnwood.htm |url-status=live }} His older brother Harry Wood (1868–1939) was also a musician: a violinist, composer and conductor who became known as "Manxland's King of Music".[https://manxnationalheritage.im/shop/product/the-life-and-times-of-harry-wood/ The Life and Times of Harry Wood, Manxland's King of Music]{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}, Manxnationalheritage.im, Maurice Powell, 2018

The Isle of Man is mentioned in the Who song "Happy Jack" as the homeland of the song's titular character, who is always in a state of ecstasy, no matter what happens to him. The song "The Craic was 90 in the Isle of Man" by Christy Moore describes a lively visit during the Island's tourism heyday. The Island is also the birthplace of Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb, of the Bee Gees; a bronze statue of the trio was unveiled on Douglas promenade in July 2021.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-57769115 |title=Isle of Man Bee Gees statue unveiled on Douglas seafront |work=BBC News |date=8 July 2021 |access-date=20 February 2022 |archive-date=31 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131123745/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-57769115 |url-status=live}}

In the past, the basic national dish of the island was spuds and herrin, boiled potatoes and herring.{{Cite web |title=Isle of Man Cuisine. Isle of Man Attractions Essentials |url=https://www.isleofman.com/guide/essentials/view |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=www.isleofman.com |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} This plain dish was supported by the subsistence farmers of the island, who for centuries crofted the land and fished the sea. Chips, cheese and gravy, a dish similar to poutine, is found in most of the island's fast-food outlets. It consists of thick-cut chips, covered in shredded Cheddar cheese and topped with a thick gravy.{{cite web |last=isleofman.com |title=Attractions :: isleofman.com |url=http://www.isleofman.com/attractions/cuisine/ |access-date=10 November 2017 |website=Isleofman.com |archive-date=26 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226050135/http://www.isleofman.com/attractions/cuisine |url-status=live}} However, as of the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival 2018, queen scallops (queenies) have been crowned the Manx national dish{{cite web |title=National Dish of the Isle of Man – Locate Isle of Man |url=https://www.locate.im/articles/national-dish-of-the-isle-of-man- |access-date=20 May 2020 |website=locate.im |archive-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824083028/https://www.locate.im/articles/national-dish-of-the-isle-of-man- |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Queenies crowned Isle of Man's national dish |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-45547406 |website=BBC News |date=17 September 2018 |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-date=15 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615023410/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-45547406 |url-status=live }} with many restaurants, hotels and pubs serving local wild queen scallops.

Seafood has traditionally accounted for a large proportion of the local diet. Although commercial fishing has declined in recent years, local delicacies include Manx kippers (smoked herrings) which are produced by the smokeries in Peel on the west coast of the island, albeit mainly from North Sea herring these days.{{Cite journal |date=November 1971 |title=American Motorcyclist |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ffYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 |journal=American Motorcyclist: The Monthly Journal of the American Motorcyclist Association |publisher=American Motorcyclist Association |page=22 |issn=0277-9358 |access-date=12 September 2011 |archive-date=9 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509180417/http://books.google.com/books?id=ffYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 |url-status=live}} The smokeries also produce other specialities including smoked salmon and bacon.

Crab, lobster and scallops are commercially fished; further, the queen scallop is regarded as a particular delicacy, with a light, sweet flavour.{{cite web |last=Evans |first=Ann |date=30 May 2009 |title=Scallops the main ingredient of unique gathering for foodies; SUN, sea, sand and shellfish |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Scallops+the+main+ingredient+of+unique+gathering+for+foodies%3B+SUN,...-a0200817093 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=Coventry Evening Telegraph |publisher=Coventry Newspapers |via=TheFreeLibrary.com |archive-date=25 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025021554/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Scallops+the+main+ingredient+of+unique+gathering+for+foodies%3B+SUN,...-a0200817093 |url-status=live}} Cod, ling and mackerel are often angled for the table, and freshwater trout and salmon can be taken from the local rivers and lakes, supported by the government fish hatchery at Cornaa on the east coast.

Cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry are all commercially farmed; Manx lamb from the hill farms is a popular dish. The Loaghtan, the indigenous breed of Manx sheep, has a rich, dark meat that has found favour with chefs,{{cite web |last=Kallaway |first=Jane |title=Award winning organic lamb |url=http://www.langleychase.co.uk/ |access-date=12 September 2011 |publisher=Langley Chase Organic Farm |archive-date=4 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904024332/http://www.langleychase.co.uk/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Purely Isle of Man |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/iomfinance/factsheets/isleofmanproduce.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012054640/http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/iomfinance/factsheets/isleofmanproduce.pdf |archive-date=12 October 2012 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=gov.im |publisher=Department of Finance, Isle of Man}} featuring in dishes on the BBC's MasterChef series.

Manx cheese has also found some success, featuring smoked and herb-flavoured varieties, and is stocked by many of the UK's supermarket chains.{{cite web |date=2010 |title=Isle of Man Oak Smoked Mature Cheddar Wins Bronze Medal at The British Cheese Awards 2010 |url=http://isleofman.isle-news.com/archives/isle-of-man-oak-smoked-mature-cheddar-wins-bronze-medal-at-the-british-cheese-awards-2010/6768/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325175544/http://isleofman.isle-news.com/archives/isle-of-man-oak-smoked-mature-cheddar-wins-bronze-medal-at-the-british-cheese-awards-2010/6768/ |archive-date=25 March 2012 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=Isle News}}{{cite web |date=15 October 2003 |title=Bumper Sales for Manx Cheese |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/bumper_sales_for_manx_cheese_1_1750532 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803063502/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/bumper_sales_for_manx_cheese_1_1750532 |archive-date=3 August 2012 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=IOMToday}}{{cite web |date=22 March 2007 |title=Success at World Cheese Awards |url=http://www.isleofman.com/News/article.aspx?article=5017 |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=IsleOfMan.com |archive-date=22 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322062013/http://www.isleofman.com/News/article.aspx?article=5017 |url-status=live}} Manx cheese took bronze medals in the 2005 British Cheese Awards and sold 578 tonnes over the year. Manx cheddar has been exported to Canada where it is available in some supermarkets.{{cite web |title=PC Black Label English Isle of Man Extra Old Cheddar Cheese |url=http://www.provigo.ca/en_CA/products/productlisting/pc-black-label-isle-of-man-extra-old-cheddar-cheese-aged-14-mont0.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118035745/http://www.provigo.ca/en_CA/products/productlisting/pc-black-label-isle-of-man-extra-old-cheddar-cheese-aged-14-mont0.html |archive-date=18 November 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |website=Provigo}}

Beer is brewed on a commercial scale by Okells Brewery, which was established in 1850 and is the island's largest brewer. Other breweries include Bushy's Brewery, Hooded Ram, Odin, Radical Brewing, Noa Brewhouse and Kaneens Brewery. The Isle of Man's Pure Beer Act of 1874, which resembles the German {{lang|de|Reinheitsgebot}}, is still in effect: under this Act, brewers may only use water, malt, sugar and hops in their brews.{{cite web |title=Purely Isle of Man |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/iomfinance/factsheets/isleofmanproduce.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430164916/http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/iomfinance/factsheets/isleofmanproduce.pdf |archive-date=30 April 2013 |access-date=10 June 2015 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}}

{{Main|Sport in the Isle of Man}}

The Isle of Man is represented as a nation in the Commonwealth Games and the Island Games and hosted the IV Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011. Manx athletes have won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, including the one by cyclist Mark Cavendish in 2006 in the Scratch race. The Island Games were first held on the island in 1985 and again in 2001. FC Isle of Man was founded in 2019 and is a North West Counties League team.

File:The National Sports Centre (geograph 3710042).jpg

Isle of Man teams and individuals participate in many sports both on and off the island including rugby union, football, gymnastics, field hockey, netball, taekwondo, bowling, obstacle course racing and cricket. The FC Isle of Man will compete in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division in the next league campaign.{{cite web |title=FC Isle of Man promoted after historic play-off final victory |url=https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-sport/fc-isle-of-man-promoted-after-historic-play-off-final-victory/ |website=Manx Radio |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-date=19 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619022827/https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-sport/fc-isle-of-man-promoted-after-historic-play-off-final-victory/ |url-status=live }} It being an island, many types of watersports are also popular with residents.

{{further|Isle of Man TT}}

The main international event associated with the island is the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race, colloquially known as "The TT",Wright, David. 100 Years of the Isle of Man TT: A Century of Motorcycle Racing. The Crowood Press, 2007 which began in 1907. It takes place in late May and early June. The TT is now an international road racing event for motorcycles, which used to be part of the World Championship, and is long considered to be one of the "greatest motorcycle sporting events of the world".Disko, Sasha. The Image of the "Tourist Trophy" and British Motorcycling in the Weimar Republic. International Journal of Motorcycle Studies, Nov 2007 Taking place over a two-week period, it has become a festival for motorcycling culture, makes a huge contribution to the island's economy and has become part of Manx identity.Vaukins, Simon. The Isle of Man TT Races: Politics, Economics and National Identity. International Journal of Motorcycle Studies, Nov 2007 For many, the Isle carries the title "road racing capital of the world".Faragher, Martin. "Cultural History: Motor-Cycle Road Racing." A New History of the Isle of Man Volume V: The Modern Period 1830–1999. Ed. John Belchem. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2000

The Manx Grand Prix is a separate motorcycle event for amateurs and private entrants that uses the same {{cvt|60.70|km|mi}}{{cite web |date=2009 |title=2009 Manx Grand Prix Supplementary Regulations |url=http://www.manxgrandprix.org/Competitors/MGP%20regulations%2009.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310131221/http://www.manxgrandprix.org/Competitors/MGP%20regulations%2009.pdf |archive-date=10 March 2012 |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=manxgrandprix.org |page=4}} Snaefell Mountain Course in late August and early September.

{{Main|Cammag}}

Prior to the introduction of football in the 19th century, cammag was the island's traditional sport.{{cite web |title=The Game of Cammag |url=http://www.celticlife.ca/index.php/Sports/the-game-of-cammag.html |access-date=12 September 2011 |website=Celticlife.ca |archive-date=29 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029012448/http://celticlife.com/ |url-status=live}} It is similar to the Irish hurling and the Scottish game of shinty. Nowadays there is an annual match at St John's.

Built in 1899, to the designs of architect Frank Matcham,{{cite web |url=https://www.villagaiety.com/about-us/history/ |title=History |website=villagaiety.com |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=10 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610062006/https://www.villagaiety.com/about-us/history/ |url-status=live }} and restored in 1976 to its original splendor, the government-owned Gaiety Theatre and Opera House{{cite web |url=https://www.visitisleofman.com/experience/gaiety-theatre-p1293051 |title=Gaiety Theatre |website=visitisleofman.com |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=12 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612072739/https://www.visitisleofman.com/experience/gaiety-theatre-p1293051 |url-status=live }} on the Douglas Promenade presents plays, musicals, concerts and comedy shows year-round. Within the Gaiety Theatre Complex, the Broadway Cinema has a capacity of 154 and doubles as a conference venue.{{cite web |title=Broadway Cinema |url=http://www.gov.im/villagaiety/broadway.xml/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306124729/http://www.gov.im/villagaiety/broadway.xml |archive-date=6 March 2013 |access-date=6 March 2013 |website=gov.im |publisher=Isle of Man Government}}

The Palace Cinema is located next to the derelict Castle Mona hotel and is operated by the Sefton Group. It has two screens: Screen One holds 293 customers, while Screen Two is smaller with a capacity of just 95. It was extensively refurbished in August 2011.{{cite web |title=Cinemas Refurbishment |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/lifestyle/manx-entertainment-news/palace-cinema-reopens-1-3782747/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130412224857/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/lifestyle/manx-entertainment-news/palace-cinema-reopens-1-3782747/ |archive-date=12 April 2013 |access-date=6 March 2013 |website=Iomtoday.co.im}}

{{Main|Manx cat|Manx Loaghtan|Biota of the Isle of Man|Extinct animals from the Isle of Man}}

File:Black Manx cat.JPG

Two domestic animals are specifically connected to the Isle of Man, though they are also found elsewhere.

The Manx cat is a breed of cat noted for its genetic mutation resulting in a shortened tail. The length of this tail can range from a few inches{{clarify|date=October 2023}}, known as a "stumpy", to being completely nonexistent, or "rumpy". Manx cats display a range of colours and usually have somewhat longer hind legs compared to most cats. The cats have been used as a symbol of the Isle of Man on coins and stamps; and at one time the Manx government operated a breeding centre to ensure the continuation of the breed.{{Cite book |last=Commings |first=Karen |url=https://archive.org/details/manxcats00kare/page/7 |title=Manx Cats: Everything about Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Grooming, and Behavior |date=1999 |publisher=Barron's Educational |isbn=978-0764107535 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/manxcats00kare/page/7 7–10] |url-access=registration}}

File:Manx loaghtan.jpg sheep are bred on the island for their meat.]]

The Manx Loaghtan sheep is a breed native to the island. It has dark brown wool and four, or sometimes six, horns. The meat is considered to be a delicacy.{{Cite news |date=16 November 2009 |title=Farming the Manx Loaghtan sheep |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/isleofman/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8333000/8333801.stm |access-date=15 August 2019 |archive-date=6 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506065202/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/isleofman/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8333000/8333801.stm |url-status=live}} There are several flocks on the island and others have been started in England and Jersey.

A more recent arrival on the island is the red-necked wallaby, which is now established on the island following an escape from the Wildlife Park.{{Cite news |date=14 August 2016 |title=Wallabies flourishing in the wild on Isle of Man |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/14/wallabies-isle-of-man-wild-australia |access-date=10 November 2017 |archive-date=8 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108181734/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/14/wallabies-isle-of-man-wild-australia |url-status=live}} The local police report an increasing number of wallaby-related calls.{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=Francesca |date=7 September 2018 |title=Calls for wallaby warning signs to be implemented on the Isle of Man to tackle growing numbers |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/07/calls-wallaby-warning-signs-implemented-isle-man-tackle-growing/ |access-date=15 August 2019 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=9 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909222009/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/07/calls-wallaby-warning-signs-implemented-isle-man-tackle-growing/ |url-status=live}}

There are also many feral goats in Garff, a matter which was raised in Tynwald Court in January 2018.Tynwald Hansard 16 January 2018, Question 9

In March 2016, the Isle of Man became the first entire territory to be adopted into UNESCO's Network of Biosphere Reserves.{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Hugh |title=Isle of Man awarded UNESCO status |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/isle-of-man/articles/isle-of-man-added-to-unesco-biosphere-reserve-list/ |access-date=28 June 2016 |archive-date=31 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531184249/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/isle-of-man/articles/isle-of-man-added-to-unesco-biosphere-reserve-list/ |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Demographics of the Isle of Man}}

{{Further|Manx people}}

At the 2021 census, the Isle of Man was home to 84,069 people, of whom 26,677 resided in the island's capital, Douglas. The population increased by 755 people between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.

The Isle of Man Full Census, last held in 2021, has been a decennial occurrence since 1821, with interim censuses being introduced from 1966. It is separate from, but similar to, the Census in the United Kingdom.

:0–14 years: 16.27% (male 7,587, female 6,960)

:15–24 years: 11.3% (male 5,354, female 4,750)

:25–54 years: 38.48% (male 17,191, female 17,217)

:55–64 years: 13.34% (male 6,012, female 5,919)

:65 years and over: 20.6% (male 8,661, female 9,756) (2018 est.){{CIA World Factbook|article=Isle of Man|access-date=25 September 2022 |date=2019}}

:131 people/km² (339 people/sq mi) (2005 est.)

:Total: 4 deaths/1,000 live births

:Male: 4 deaths/1,000 live births

:Female: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

:Country comparison to the world: 191

: Total population: 81.4 years

: Male: 78.1 years

: Female: 83.6 years (2021 est.)

: Country comparison to the world: 29

: Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (2018 est.)

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

: adjective: Manx

: White: 94.7%

: Asian: 3.1%

: Black: 0.6%

: Other: 0.6%

: Mixed: 1.0%

: Christianity: 54.7%

: No religion: 43.8%

: Buddhism: 0.5%

: Islam: 0.5%

: Hinduism: 0.4%

: Judaism: 0.2%

: Isle of Man: 49.6%

: United Kingdom: 38.2%

: Scotland : 3.0%

: Northern Ireland: 2.0%

: Ireland: 1.8%

: Wales: 1.1%

: Another country: 8.5%

{{Portal|Geography|Europe}}

• History of the Isle of Man
• Outline of the Isle of Man
• List of people from the Isle of Man
• List of places in the Isle of Man
• United Kingdom–Crown Dependencies Customs Union
• Public holidays in the Isle of Man

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Arthur William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FvsEAAAAIAAJ |title=Manx Names |date=1903 |publisher=Elliot Stock |edition=Revised Cheap |location=London |publication-date=1906 |author-link=Arthur William Moore |via=Google Books |access-date=7 October 2023 |archive-date=6 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506031549/https://books.google.com/books?id=FvsEAAAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}
• {{Cite book |last=Sacheverell |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIYNAAAAYAAJ |title=An Account of the Isle of Man |date=1859 |publisher=The Manx Society |editor-last=Cumming |editor-first=Joseph George |editor-link=Joseph George Cumming |location=Douglas |publication-date=1859 |via=Google Books |access-date=7 October 2023 |archive-date=6 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506031548/https://books.google.com/books?id=dIYNAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}
• {{Cite book |last=Waldron |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ix4tAAAAMAAJ&pg=PAPR5 |title=A Description of the Isle of Man |date=1726 |publisher=The Manx Society |editor-last=Harrison |editor-first=William |location=Douglas |publication-date=1865 |via=Google Books |access-date=7 October 2023 |archive-date=6 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506031604/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ix4tAAAAMAAJ&pg=PAPR5#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}

{{refend}}

• {{Cite journal |last=Russel |first=G. |date=1988 |title=Distribution and development of some Manx epiphyte populations |journal=Helgolander Meeresunters. |volume=42 |issue=3–4 |pages=477–492 |bibcode=1988HM.....42..477R |doi=10.1007/BF02365622 |ref=none |doi-access=free}}
• {{Cite book |last=Goodwin |first=Sarah |title=A Brief History of the Isle of Man |date=2011 |publisher=Loaghtan Books |isbn=978-1-908060-00-6 |location=Surrey}}

{{Wikivoyage|Isle of Man}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|https://www.gov.im/}}
• {{OSM relation |6041206}}
• {{cite web |date=25 July 2019 |title=Europe :: Isle of Man |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/isle-of-man/ |access-date=15 August 2019 |website=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |archive-date=12 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112154850/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/isle-of-man |url-status=live }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100716045013/http://isleofman.isle-news.com/ Isle of Man News]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110727082404/http://mhkstheyworkforyou.org/default.aspx Information on the work and duties of Members of the House of Keys]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121108050329/http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/results.aspx?index=0&mainQuery=&searchType=all&form=basic&theme=&county=ISLE%20OF%20MAN&district=&placeName= Images of the Isle of Man] at the English Heritage Archive

{{Isle of Man}}

{{Navboxes |list =

{{British Isles}}

{{Celts}}

{{United Kingdom constituents and affiliations}}

{{English official language clickable map}}

{{Sovereign states of Europe}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Man, Isle of}}

*

Category:British Islands

Category:British Isles

Isle

Isle

Isle of Man

Isle

Isle

Isle