According to abbreviationfinder, the Isle of Man is a dependency of the British Crown with autonomous government made up of a main island and some islets located in the Irish Sea, between Ireland and the United Kingdom. The sovereign of the island is Queen Elizabeth II, as “Lord of Man.” This Lord of Man is represented by the Governor General. The island is not part of the United Kingdom, but its international representation, defense and good governance are the responsibility of the government of this country.
The Isle of Man has been inhabited since 6500 BC and has received Celtic influence since the 5th century AD. The island became a Viking kingdom in the Middle Ages, submissive to Anglo-Saxon influence.
In 979, the Tynwald, the world’s oldest continuously existing democratic parliament, was established. During its history the island has been part of the kingdoms of Norway, Scotland and England.
The Isle of Man is one of the six Celtic nations, along with Ireland, Cornwall, Britain, Scotland, and Wales.
The island has an area of 572 km² and little elevation above sea level, with a maximum altitude of 621 meters on Mount Snaefell. Around it are located some small islands such as Calf of Man, Saint Patrick and Saint Michael.
Geography, climate and environment
The Isle of Man is located in the northwest of the European continent, located in the Irish Sea, between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. See Isle of Man facts.
The island measures approximately 22 km wide, and 52 km long, with a total area of 572 km².
Its geographical coordinates correspond to 54 ° 15 ′ N (54.25 °) and 4 ° 30 ′ W (–4.5 °).
The Isle of Man has a total of 160 km of coastline, without having any significant body of water within it.
The terrain of the island is varied. There are mountainous areas in the north and south, divided by a central valley, which runs between the towns of Douglas and Peel. The extreme north is exceptionally flat, consisting mainly of deposits augmented by the deposition of glacial advances.
There are gravel beaches, deposited more recently, at Punta de Ayre. The highest point of the island is Mount Snafell, which reaches 621 in height at its highest point. According to an old Manx popular saying, on a clear day you can see six kingdoms from its summit: The Isle of Man, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and the sky.
Environment
The Isle of Man separated from the islands of Britain and Ireland about 8,500 years ago. Rising sea levels and retreating glaciers allowed a relatively short time for the island to be colonized by plant and animal species. The total deforestation of the island during the Middle Ages further contributed to the environmental deterioration. However, several protected areas have been established in recent times, such as the Curraghs Wildlife Park in the north of the island, which protect numerous species and receive financial support from various sectors of the Manx government. The island has a variety of bird species.
History
The colonization of the island was by sea around the year 6500 BC. n. and. (before our era). Throughout its history the island has been visited by pirates and merchants from many cultures. After an Irish colony was established in the first millennium the Isle of Man was converted to Christianity and later subjected to attacks by [[Norwegian Vikings. After being part of Norway under the name of the Kingdom of Man and the Islands, the Isle of Man became the possession of the Scottish crown, and then the English crown. Since 1866, the Isle of Man has been a Dependency of the British Crown and as such has an autonomous and democratic government.
Government
The United Kingdom is responsible for the international representation, defense and general good governance of the Isle of Man, while the island’s parliament has authority over all internal affairs. The sovereign of the Isle of Man is the King of the United Kingdom as Lord of Man (currently Queen Elizabeth II). He is represented on the island by a Governor General, who is elected by the Crown for a period of five years. The Isle of Man has a government, a parliament and a judicial system completely independent from the British.
Political-administrative organization
The Isle of Man is distinguished by the relative absence of party politics. Most Manese politicians run for election as independent candidates, that is, without belonging to a political party. Although there are political parties on the island, their influence and importance are not as strong as those of the parties in the United Kingdom.
The most important political party on the island is the newly established Liberal Vannin Party (Liberal Vannin Party), which promotes greater Manzan independence and greater responsibility on the part of the government. The political party Mec Vannin, seeks total independence from the United Kingdom and the establishment of a sovereign republic on the island.
Economy
The Isle of Man maintains one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and is in its 26th year of continuous growth. Even during the economic crisis of recent years, the island grows 2.5% a year in real terms and is approximately 2 billion pounds. The island attracts business thanks to its low-tax policy, high government support for businesses, excellent infrastructure, and good financial regulation. Various institutions external to the island, such as the International Monetary Fund(IMF) have asserted that the island’s defenses against money laundering meet the highest global standards and that the island cooperates fully in the fight against international financial crime.
The Isle of Man is a “low tax economy”, on the island there is no wealth tax, documented legal act tax or inheritance tax, and the income tax has a maximum of 20%.
The company Canonical Ltd., creator of the GNU / Li nux Ubuntu distribution, is headquartered in the capital of this island. Pokerstars is also headquartered on the island, as it is licensed by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.
Culture
The culture of the Isle of Man is heavily influenced by its Celtic and Norse origins. However, due to its proximity to the UK, its popularity as a tourist destination among the British, and the recent immigration of workers from the UK, British influence in the country has been dominant since the period of English rule. Several campaigns try to preserve what still remains of the original culture of the island, after the long period of English influence. Increased interest in Manx, history, and traditional music have been the result of these campaigns.
National symbols
Coat of arms of the Isle of Man; the Three Legs of Man in the center, the national motto at the bottom, and the hawk and raven on the sides.
The national symbol of the island is the Three Legs of Man, they were used as a national symbol for the first time in the 14th century. The symbol is a triskelion; three armed legs, bent at the knee and joined at the thigh, running around the hands of the clock and bearing the Latin motto ‘Quocunque Jeceris Stabit’ (‘Wherever you throw it, it will remain’). The motto is a representation of the independence and resistance of the residents of the island. The symbol also appears on the island’s shield, also accompanied by the national motto, a peregrine falcon on the left and a raven on the right.
The origin of the Three Legs is fantastically explained in a Manan legend, which tells how the god Manannán prevented the invasion of the island by transforming into three legs and rolling down the hill, defeating the invaders. Another version relates that in a fit of rage, Manannán set his legs on fire and rolled them down a hill. The symbol is related to the emblem of Sicily (three bare legs around Medusa’s head).
Sports
The Isle of Man is represented as a nation at the Commonwealth Games and the Island Games. The Isle of Man has participated in the Commonwealth Games since Cardiff in 1958. The island was a founder of the Islands Games in 1985.
Isle of Man teams and individuals participate in various sports on and off the island including rugby, gymnastics, field hockey, netball, bowling and cricket. Because it is an island traditionally many residents practice water sports such as swimming.
The cammag is the national sport of the Isle of Man. Similar to the English hockey is, an exception is that the number of players per team had no limit, for this reason the playing fields came to extend to enormous sizes. The club that is played with is called a cammag and the ball is called a crick. At some point the most popular sport on the island, stopped being played in the early 20th century, after the introduction of soccer to the island. He has recently been resurrected with an annual match at Saint John’s College on the island.
Trinacria
The Normans, who arrived in Sicily in 1072, “exported” the trinacria to the Isle of Man, which chose it as a symbol to replace a ship of Scandinavian origin. The chosen tricarnia (see flag and shield of this island) was that of the Spartan fighters from Sicily who marked on their shields a white leg bent at the knee as a symbol of strength.
