1.

Geographical position

The Isle of Man is in the middle of the Irish Sea.The Isle of Man is geographically situated right in the
middle of Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales.The island consists of a central mountain mass
culminating in Snaefell (621 metres) and extending north and south in low-lying agricultural land. It is a
self-governing British Crown Dependency, similar to Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands.This
means the Isle of Man is not part of the UK or the EU and has its own parliament, government and laws.
It is 32 miles long and is 14 miles at its widest point, and has 20 monitored beaches, where the only
views of Ireland, Scotland and Wales all at the same time can be seen.

2. Population

At the 2016 census, the Isle of Man was home to 83,314 people, of whom 26,997 resided in the island's
capital, Douglas, and 9,128 in the adjoining village of Onchan. The population decreased by 1.4%
between the 2011 and 2016 censuses. By country of birth, those born in the Isle of Man were the largest
group (49.8%), while those born in the United Kingdom were the next largest group at 40% (33.9% in
England, 3% in Scotland, 2% in Northern Ireland and 1.1% in Wales), 1.8% in the Republic of Ireland and
0.75% in the Channel Islands. The remaining 8.5% were born elsewhere in the world, with 5% coming
from EU countries (other than Ireland).

3. National symbols

The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat originating on the Isle of Man, with a naturally occurring
mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as
being entirely tailless; this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the breed, along with elongated
hind legs and a rounded head. Manx cats come in all coat colours and patterns, though all-white
specimens are rare, and the coat range of the original stock was more limited. Long-haired variants are
sometimes considered a separate breed, the Cymric.

The flag of the Isle of Man is a triskelion, composed of three armoured legs with golden spurs, upon a
red background. It has been the official flag of Mann since 1 December 1932 and is based on the Manx
coat of arms, which dates back to the 13th century.

4. Historical background

5. Peel as a capital city

Peel was the capital of the island before the King of Mann moved his home and military base from Peel
Castle to Castle Rushen. The last King of Man, Magnús Óláfsson, is recorded in the Chronicle of Mann to
have died at Rushen Castle in 1265. Peel is the island's main fishing port and Peel Cathedral is the seat of
the Bishop of Sodor and Man. Peel is sometimes referred to as the "rose red city", due to the red
sandstone used to build the castle and other important buildings.As it is in the west, it is also called the
"sunset city". Peel is a popular seaside destination for Manx residents and visitors in summer. It has
narrow streets of fishermen's cottages and a Victorian promenade which was built on reclaimed land
and a small construction line built for this purpose, as well as sandy beaches. For many years the main
industries in the town were fishing, trading and shipbuilding.
6. Political status

The government of the Isle of Man is a parliamentary representative democracy. As a Crown

Dependency, it is not subordinate to the government of the United Kingdom. Although the Isle of Man is
not part of the United Kingdom, its people are British citizens under UK law — there is no separate Manx
citizenship.The Isle of Man is considered a low tax haven jurisdiction.There is an income tax for residents
at 10%, but companies are not subjected to it.

7. Interesting facts

The Manx is a breed of cat that actually comes from the Isle of Man, and it’s best known feature is its
taillessness. The breed also exhibits very large hind legs and a rounded head. There’s also a breed of
sheep from the island called the Manx Loaghtan, which is known for sometimes having four or six horns.

8. The Manx Mythology

In Manx folklore, there are many stories of mythical creatures and characters. These include the
Buggane, a malevolent spirit; the often helpful but unpredictable Fenodyree; the Glashtyn who may be a
hairy goblin or water-horse; and the Moddey Dhoo, a ghostly black dog.