Isle of Man: Government#
| 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 | Douglas
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 bills in the House of Keys by the "Government," by a "Member of the House," or by outside bodies or private individuals through petition to the House or Council; passage normally requires three separate readings and approval of at least 13 House members; following both House and Legislative Council agreement, assent is required by the lieutenant governor acting 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 |
| 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 count - 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 91.7%; seats by party - Liberal Vannin 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; advocates a sovereign state and environment policies) 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 |