Isle of Man
From Wikinfo
The Isle of Man is a British crown dependency, situated in the Irish Sea almost equidistant from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. With an area of 572 km² (221 square miles) and a population of around 64,000 it has the "Oldest Continuous Parliament in the World" — the Tynwald — founded in 979.
It is a common misconception that it is part of the United Kingdom; under British law it is not, though the United Kingdom is responsible for its external affairs. The Isle of Man is not part of the European Union either.
Background: The Isle of Man was a Viking outpost from c. 700 A.D. - 900 A.D. and part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland. The isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx language.
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
From the CIA World Factbook 2000.
- Geography of the Isle of Man
- Demographics of the Isle of Man
- Government of the Isle of Man
- Economy of the Isle of Man
- Communications on the Isle of Man
- Transportation on the Isle of Man
see also:
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Isle of Man" http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man August 6, 2003
