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 (Tynwald); a Crown dependency of the UK

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); date Tynwald Day was first recorded

Constitution:
history: development of the Isle of Man constitution dates to at least the 14th century
amendments: proposed as a bill in the House of Keys, by the “Government,” by a “Member of the House,” or through petition to the House or Legislative Council; passage normally requires three separate readings and approval of at least 13 House members; following both House and Council agreement, assent is required by the lieutenant governor on behalf of the Crown; the constitution has been expanded and amended many times, last in 2015 (2016)

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 Sir Richard GOZNEY (since 27 May 2016)
head of government: Chief Minister Howard QUAYLE (since 4 October 2016)
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 4 October 2016 (next to be held in 2021)
election results: Howard QUAYLE (independent) elected chief minister; Tynwald vote - 21 of 33

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 (non-voting) - 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; 2 members directly elected by simple majority vote from 12 constituencies to serve 5-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held on 22 September 2016 (next to be held in September 2021)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Liberal Vannin 6.4%, independent 92.3%; seats by party - Liberal Vannin 3, other 1.3% independent 21

Judicial branch:
highest resident court(s): Isle of Man High Court of Justice (consists of 3 permanent judges or "deemsters" and 1 judge of appeal; organized into the Staff of Government Division or Court of Appeal and the Civil Division); the Court of General Gaol Delivery is not formally part of the High Court but is administered as though part of the High Court and deals with serious criminal cases; note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
judge selection and term of office: deemsters appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor; deemsters can serve until age 70
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)
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