Isle of Man (United Kingdom)

The Isle of Man is a self- governing British Crown dependency 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 , acting 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 part of the six Celtic nations, along with Ireland , Cornwall , Brittany , 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. Some small islands such as Calf of Man , Saint Patrick and Saint Michael are located around it .

Summary

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• 1 Geography, climate and environment
  • 1 Environment
• 2 History
• 3 Government
  • 1 Political-administrative organization
• 4 Economy
• 5 Culture
• 6 National symbols
• 7 Sports
• 8 Trinacria
• 9 Sources

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 .

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 body of water of significant size within it.

The island’s terrain 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 northern end is exceptionally flat, consisting mainly of deposits augmented by the deposition of glacial advances.

There are gravel beaches, deposited more recently, at Ayre Point. The highest point on the island is Mount Snafell, which reaches 621 high at its highest point. According to an old Manx 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 Brittany and Ireland approximately 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 complete deforestation of the island during the Middle Ages further contributed to 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 establishing an Irish colony in the first millennium the Isle of Man was converted to Christianity and then 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 a possession of the Scottish crown, and then of the English crown. Since 1866, the Isle of Man has been a British Crown Dependency and as such has self-governing and democratic government.

Government

The United Kingdom is responsible for the international representation, defense and general good government 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, parliament and judicial system completely independent of the British one.

Political-administrative organization

The Isle of Man is distinguished by the relative absence of party politics. Most Manx 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 island’s largest political party is the newly established Liberal Vannin Party, which promotes greater Manx independence and greater government accountability. The Mec Vannin political party 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 is growing 2.5% a year in real terms and is approximately 2 billion pounds. The island attracts businesses 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 affirmed 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’, with no estate tax, stamp duty or inheritance tax levied on the island, and income tax capped at 20%.

The company Canonical Ltd. , creator of the GNU / Linux Ubuntu distribution, has its headquarters in the capital of this island. The Pokerstars company also has its headquarters on the island, as it holds its license from the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.

Culture

The culture of the Isle of Man is strongly influenced by its Celtic and Norse origins. However, due to its proximity to the United Kingdom , its popularity as a tourist destination among British people and the recent immigration of workers from the United Kingdom , British influence in the country has been dominant since the period of English rule. Several campaigns try to preserve what remains of the island’s original culture, after the long period of English influence. Increased interest in Manx, history and traditional music have been a 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 falcon 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 with 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 island’s inhabitants. 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 explained in a fantastic way in a Manx legend, which tells how the god Manannán avoided 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 the legs on fire and rolled them down a hill. The symbol is related to the emblem of Sicily (three bare legs around the head of Medusa).

Sports

The Isle of Man is represented as a nation at the Commonwealth Games and the Islands 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, many residents traditionally practice water sports such as swimming .

Cammag is the national sport of the Isle of Man. It is similar to English hockey, one exception is that the number of players per team had no limit, for this reason the playing fields were extended to enormous sizes. The stick with which it is played is called cammag and the ball is called crick. Once the most popular sport on the island, it stopped being played in the early 20th century , after the introduction of soccer to the island. It has recently been resurrected with an annual match at Saint John’s School on the island.

Trinacria

The Normans, arriving 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 of Sicily who marked on their shields a white leg bent at the knee as a symbol of strength.