Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man
abbreviation: I.O.M.
etymology: the name "man" may be derived from the Celtic word for "mountain"

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Douglas
geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 29 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Tynwald Day, 5 July (1417, first recorded Day)

Constitution:
development of the Isle of Man constitution dates to at least the 14th century; the constitution has been expanded and amended many times, last in 2014 (2015)

Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and include Manx statutes

Citizenship:
see United Kingdom

Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]

Executive branch:
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Adam WOOD (since 7 April 2011)
head of government: Chief Minister Allan BELL (since 11 October 2011)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the lieutenant governor
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister indirectly elected by the Tynwald for a 5-year term (eligible for second term); election last held on 11 October 2011 (next to be held in December 2016)
election results: Allan BELL (independent) elected chief minister; Tynwald vote count - 27 of 30

Legislative branch:
description: bicameral Tynwald or the High Court of Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (11 seats; includes the President of Tynwald, 2 ex-officio members - the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the attorney general - and 8 members indirectly elected by the House of Keys with renewal of 4 members every 2 years; elected members serve 4-year terms) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held on 29 September 2011 (next to be held in September 2016)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 3, independent 21

Judicial branch:
highest resident court(s): Isle of Man High Courts of Justice (consists of 3 permanent judges called "deemsters" and 1 judge of appeal; organized into the Staff of Government Division or Court of Appeal and the Civil Division); note - appeals beyond the High Court of Justice are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor; judge tenure NA
subordinate courts: High Court; Court of Summary Gaol Delivery; Summary Courts; magistrate's Court; specialized courts

Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Vannin Party [Kate BEECROFT] Manx Labor Party Mec Vannin [Bernard MOFFATT]; (sometimes referred to as the Manx Nationalist Party; advocates a sovereign state and environment policies)
note: most members sit as independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Alliance for Progressive Government or APG (a government watchdog)

International organization participation:
UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:
red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (triskelion), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used; the flag is based on the coat-of-arms of the last recognized Norse King of Mann, Magnus III (r. 1252-65); the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun symbol

National symbol(s):
triskelion (a motif of three legs); national colors: red, white

National anthem:
name: "Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin" (O Land of Our Birth)
lyrics/music: William Henry GILL [English], John J. KNEEN [Manx]/traditional
note: adopted 2003, in use since 1907; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) and is played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present