Isle of Man (2007) | Spratly Islands (2008) | |
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 | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.1% (male 6,645/female 6,330)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 25,085/female 24,840) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,232/female 7,699) (2007 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry | - |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 3 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
Area - comparative | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC | NA |
Background | 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 Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. | The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim. |
Birth rate | 10.96 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $965 million
expenditures: $943 million (FY05/06 est.) |
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Capital | name: Douglas
geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 29 W time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
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Climate | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time | tropical |
Coastline | 160 km | 926 km |
Constitution | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution | - |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man abbreviation: I.O.M. |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
Death rate | 11.1 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (British crown dependency) | - |
Disputes - international | none | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government offers incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island; this has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. The Isle of Man also attracts online gambling sites and the film industry. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m |
Environment - current issues | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution | NA |
Ethnic groups | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons | - |
Exchange rates | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)
note: the Manx pound is at par with the British pound |
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Executive branch | chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K. HADDACKS (since 17 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Tony BROWN (since 14 December 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the chief minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2008) election results: House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief minister by the Tynwald |
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Exports | $NA | - |
Exports - commodities | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb | - |
Exports - partners | UK (2006) | - |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | - |
Flag description | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), 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 | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate | 5.2% (2005) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 54 15 N, 4 30 W | 8 38 N, 111 55 E |
Geography - note | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs |
Heliports | - | 3 (2007) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | $NA | - |
Imports - commodities | timber, fertilizers, fish | - |
Imports - partners | UK (2006) | - |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.2% (FY96/97) | - |
Industries | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 5.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.1% (December 2006 est.) | - |
International organization participation | UPU | - |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | 0 sq km |
Judicial branch | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) | - |
Labor force | 39,690 (2001) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% (2001) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | English, Manx Gaelic | - |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and Manx statutes | - |
Legislative branch | bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (11 seats; members composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 23 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2011) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Man Labor Party 1, independents 21 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.64 years
male: 75.3 years female: 82.17 years (2007 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
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Location | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines |
Map references | Europe | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
NA |
Merchant marine | total: 297 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,377,775 GRT/13,890,881 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 65, chemical tanker 54, combination ore/oil 1, container 17, liquefied gas 34, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 210 (Cyprus 4, Denmark 41, France 2, Germany 61, Greece 48, Ireland 1, Italy 1, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 33, Singapore 2, Sweden 3, Turkey 2, US 4) (2007) |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam |
National holiday | Tynwald Day, 5 July | - |
Nationality | noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
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Natural hazards | NA | typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard |
Natural resources | none | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential |
Net migration rate | 5.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]; Man Labor Party; Man Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin) [Bernard MOFFATT]
note: most members sit as independents |
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Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 75,831 (July 2007 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.513% (2007 est.) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Railways | total: 65 km
standard gauge: 7 km 1.067-m gauge (7 km electrified) narrow gauge: 58 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified) note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006) |
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Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends | - |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.951 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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Suffrage | 16 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 51,000 (1999) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) | - |
Terrain | hills in north and south bisected by central valley | flat |
Total fertility rate | 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 1.5% (December 2006 est.) | - |