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| Country Guide > Europe > United Kingdom > Isle of Man |
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General Information Area 572 sq km (221 sq miles). Population 76,315 (2001). Population Density 133.4 per sq km. Capital Douglas. Population: 25,347 (2001). Geography The Isle of Man is situated in the Irish Sea, 114km (71 miles) from Liverpool and 133km (83 miles) from Dublin. The island has a mountain range down the middle, the highest peak being Snaefell at 620m (2036ft) and a flat northern plain to the Point of Ayre, the most northerly point. The Calf of Man, an islet off the southwest coast, is administered as a nature reserve and bird sanctuary by the Manx Museum and National Trust. Government Crown Dependency with own parliament. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Lieutenant-Governor Ian MacFadyen since 2000. Head of Government: Chief Minister Richard Corkhill since 2001. Language Manx Gaelic, the indigenous language, is related to Scots and Irish Gaelic. At one time spoken by all the Manx, the tongue was replaced by English during the last century, and now only 600 or so people speak it to some degree. On Tynwald Day, summaries of the new laws are read out in Manx and English. Manx Gaelic evening classes are regularly held, and a weekly radio programme and newspaper column appear in the language. Time GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October). Electricity 240 volts AC, 50Hz. COMMUNICATIONS Telephone To telephone the Isle of Man from the UK, the STD (area) code is 01624. Mobile telephone See main United Kingdom section. Also, Manx Telecom (website: www.manx-telecom.com) operates GSM 900 network, with roaming agreements with most European and international providers. Fax Services are available. Internet Internet access is available on the island. Main ISP is Manx Telecom (website: www.manx-telecom.com). Post Services are administered by the Isle of Man Post Office Authority which issues its own postage stamps, recognised internationally under the auspices of the Universal Postal Union. Only Isle of Man Post Office Authority stamps are valid for postal purposes on the island. Press There are several local papers published on the island and English papers are widely available. |