Is the Isle of Man a part of the UK?
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THE Isle of Man is famous for its annual motorcycle race, it’s location in the Irish sea, and Peel Castle.
The small island has become a popular tourist destination and has left Brits wondering – is the Isle of Man part of the UK?
1
Where is the Isle of Man located?
The Isle of Man is located in the Irish sea, in between England and Ireland.
It is roughly equidistant between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
British and Irish citizens are able to enter and live on the island without a visa or clearance from the Immigration office.
Is the Isle of Man a part of the UK?
Despite it’s location between England and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man is not – and never has been – part of the UK.
It’s also not a part of the European Union and therefore isn’t represented at Westminster or Brussels.
The island is a self-governing British Crown Dependency.
This means the island has its own parliament, government, and laws but is not considered to be British Overseas Territories.
Islands including Jersey and Guernsey are also self-governing British Crown Dependencies.
Despite not being a part of the UK or Great Britain, the Isle of Man is included in the British Isles.
As such, sports people from the island can represent Team GB at the Olympics, such as cyclist Mark Cavendish.
However, the nation is included in the Commonwealth Games in its own right.
On behalf of the crown, the UK government is responsible for the isle’s international relations.
The Isle of Man is famous for the Manx cat, which is known for being tail-less.
It is also the home of the TT races, an annual motorcycle racing event on the island.
What is the Isle of Man capital?
Douglas is the largest town on the Isle of Man and has been the capital since 1869.
It has a population of 27,938.
The town is located at the mouth of the River Douglas which forms part of the towns harbour and main commercial port.
Douglas grew rapidly during the 18th century and is the island’s main hub for business, finance, legal services, transport, shipping, entertainment, and shopping.
What language do they speak?
The language spoken on the Isle of Man is known as Manx.
It belongs to the Gaelic group of the Celtic languages.
Similarly to Scots Gaelic, Manx was an offshoot of Irish.
The earliest record of the language is back in 1610, when a version of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer was translated into Manx.
It was in danger of dying out, but now it’s enjoying a revival.
What is the currency?
The currency on the Isle of Man is the Manx pound, which is divided into 100 pence.
Notes and coins, denominated in pounds and pence, are issued by the Isle of Man Government.
It is in parity with sterling, and all notes and coins used in the United Kingdom are legal tender on the island.
However, Manx Pounds are not considered legal tender in the United Kingdom.
How long is the flight to the Isle of Man?
There is only one airport on the Isle of Man, Ronaldsway.
It’s located towards the south of the island.
From London, a flight takes just over 1 hour 20 minutes to the Isle of Man.
However, a flight from Manchester to the Isle of Man is only 49 minutes long.
