Jan Mayen (2005) | Isle of Man (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.) |
Agriculture - products | - | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2004 est.) | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 373 sq km
land: 373 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the northernmost active volcano on earth. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 10.96 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $965 million
expenditures: $943 million (FY05/06 est.) |
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 |
Climate | arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time |
Coastline | 124.1 km | 160 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: Jan Mayen |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man abbreviation: I.O.M. |
Death rate | - | 11.1 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island. | 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. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m |
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution |
Ethnic groups | - | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons |
Exchange rates | - | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)
note: the Manx pound is at par with the British pound |
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 |
Exports | - | $NA |
Exports - commodities | - | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb |
Exports - partners | - | UK (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of Norway is used | 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.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 5.2% (2005) |
Geographic coordinates | 71 00 N, 8 00 W | 54 15 N, 4 30 W |
Geography - note | barren volcanic island with some moss and grass | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3.1% (December 2006 est.) |
International organization participation | - | UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 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: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002) |
Languages | - | English, Manx Gaelic |
Legal system | the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply | 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 78.64 years
male: 75.3 years female: 82.17 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland |
Map references | Arctic Region | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 4 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
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) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Norway | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | - | Tynwald Day, 5 July |
Nationality | - | noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
Natural hazards | dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970 | NA |
Natural resources | none | none |
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 |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2005 est.) |
75,831 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 0.513% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998) |
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) |
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.) |
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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 51,000 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) |
Terrain | volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers | hills in north and south bisected by central valley |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 1.5% (December 2006 est.) |