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Isle of Man
Europe:: Isle of Man
(British crown dependency)
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| Introduction
::Isle of Man |
Background:
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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 or of the European
Union. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible
for its defense and international representation.
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Location:
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Western Europe, island in the Irish
Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland
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Geographic coordinates:
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54 15 N, 4 30 W
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total: 572
sq km
94
land:
572 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than three
times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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160 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12
nm
exclusive fishing zone:
12 nm
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Climate:
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Current Weather
temperate; cool summers
and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time
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Terrain:
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hills in north and south
bisected by central valley
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Irish
Sea 0 m
highest point:
Snaefell 621 m
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Natural resources:
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none
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Land use:
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arable land: 9%
permanent crops:
0%
other:
91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and
heathland) (2002)
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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waste disposal (both
household and industrial); transboundary air pollution
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Geography - note:
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one small islet, the Calf
of Man, lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary
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Population:
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76,913 (July 2010 est.)
99
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.7%
(male 6,590/female 6,279)
15-64 years:
66% (male 25,561/female 25,204)
65 years and over:
17.3% (male 5,521/female 7,758) (2010 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 40.4
years
male:
39.3 years
female:
41.6 years (2010 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.523% (2010 est.)
52
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Birth rate:
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10.7 births/1,000
population (2010 est.)
9
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Death rate:
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10.67 deaths/1,000
population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
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Net migration rate:
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5.2 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2010 est.)
3
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 51%
of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
-0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.052
male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.27
deaths/1,000 live births
85
male:
6 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.98
years
country comparison to the world: 38
male:
76.02 years
female:
82.1 years (2010 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.66 children born/woman
(2010 est.)
1
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Manxman
(men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective:
Manx
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Ethnic groups:
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Manx (Norse-Celtic
descent), Britons
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Religions:
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Anglican, Roman Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends
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Languages:
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English, Manx Gaelic
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Literacy:
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NA
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Education expenditures:
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NA
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form:
Isle of Man
abbreviation:
I.O.M.
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Dependency status:
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British crown dependency
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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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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Administrative divisions:
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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
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Independence:
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none (British crown
dependency)
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National holiday:
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Tynwald Day, 5 July
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Constitution:
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unwritten; note - The
Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx
Constitution
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Legal system:
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the laws of the UK where
applicable apply and Manx statutes
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Suffrage:
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16 years of age;
universal
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Executive branch:
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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 monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor
appointed by the monarch; the chief minister elected by the Tynwald for a
five-year term; election last held on 14 December 2006 (next to be held
in December 2011)
election results:
House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief
minister by the Tynwald
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Legislative branch:
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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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections:
House of Keys - last held on 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, Manx Labor Party 1,
independents 21
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Judicial branch:
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High Court of Justice
(justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the
nomination of the lieutenant governor)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Progressive
Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]; Manx Labor Party; Manx
Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin) [Bernard MOFFATT]
note:
most members sit as independents
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Alliance for Progressive
Government or APG (a government watchdog); Mec Vannin (political party
advocating a sovereign state and environment policies); note - has only
had one member elected to the Tynwald
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International organization participation:
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UPU
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (British crown
dependency)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (British crown
dependency)
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Flag description:
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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; the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun
symbol
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Economy - overview:
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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
contributions to 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.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$2.719 billion (2005
est.)
7
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$2.719 billion (2005
est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.2% (2005)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$35,000 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1%
industry:
13%
services:
86% (2000 est.)
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Labor force:
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39,690 (2001)
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Labor force -
by occupation:
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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)
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Unemployment rate:
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1.5% (December 2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
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Population
below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
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Budget:
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revenues: $965
million
expenditures:
$943 million (FY05/06 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.1% (December 2006 est.)
02
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$NA
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Agriculture - products:
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cereals, vegetables;
cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
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Industries:
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financial services, light
manufacturing, tourism
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Exports:
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$NA
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Exports - commodities:
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tweeds, herring,
processed shellfish, beef, lamb
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Imports:
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$NA
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Imports - commodities:
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timber, fertilizers, fish
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Debt - external:
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$NA
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Exchange rates:
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Manx pounds (IMP) per US
dollar - 0.6494 (2009), 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006),
0.5493 (2005)
note:
the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
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| Communications
::Isle of Man |
Telephones - main lines in use:
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51,000 (1999)
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Telephone system:
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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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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
(1998)
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Television
broadcast stations:
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0 (receives broadcasts
from the UK and satellite) (1999)
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Internet country code:
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.im
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Internet hosts:
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478 (2009)
4
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| Transportation
::Isle of Man |
Airports:
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1 (2009)
25
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2009)
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Railways:
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total: 63
km
29
narrow gauge:
6 km 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified); 57 km
0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)
note:
primarily summer tourist attractions (2008)
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Roadways:
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total: 500
km (2008)
93
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Merchant marine:
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total: 273
country comparison to the world: 31
by type:
bulk carrier 31, cargo 50, chemical tanker 48,
container 12, liquefied gas 41, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 73,
refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned:
181 (Chile 6, Denmark 29, France 1, Germany 56,
Greece 50, Ireland 1, Japan 6, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 20,
Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Turkey 2, US 4)
registered in other countries:
7 (Bahamas 1, Liberia 5, Marshall Islands 1)
(2008)
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Ports and terminals:
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Douglas, Ramsey
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 14,748
females age 16-49:
14,392 (2010 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
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male: 469
female:
449 (2010 est.)
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the UK
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| Transnational Issues
::Isle of Man |
Disputes - international:
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none
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