Island of Man

Etymology

The name " Man" (mannois mann ) comes from the name of the legendary hero Manannan Mac Lir, god-warrior sovereign of the Other Celtic World; Manannan Mac Lir seems to be only one aspect of the god-king Lugh.

History

Prehistory

Recent research would tend to show that before 8500 av. J. - C., Man was connected to the Cumbrie by means of a strip of land which was gradually invaded by the sea. There however does not exist proof that at that time Man was inhabited.

The arrival of human groups on the island of Man seems however former of at least thousand years to the principal vestiges of the Neolithic which one finds on several sites.

It is the Neolithic era which left the most vestiges on the island of Man. The site of Minorca, close to the small town of Laxey, shelters a Cairn, called the “Tomb of king Orry” and allotted wrongly to the hero mannois Godred Crovan (death in 1095). This 12 meters length tomb is very former and goes back to -4000 approximately for him. One dates from the same period the site of Mull Hill, in the south of the island, stone circle 18 meters in diameter. The site of Cashtal yn Ard.

This time marks also the beginning of the defensive military structures, as on the hill of South Barrule. Two Rempart S circulars strengthened let suppose that the community felt the need there for linking itself to face the adversity.

Celtic period

The installation of the Celtic people goes up towards 500 av. J. - C.. The language mannoise, pertaining to the connects Gaelic Celtic Langues, will be different from the Erse only as from the 15th century.

It is commonly allowed that the Christianisme was imported on the island of Man by the monk Irish Saint Patrick and that, thereafter, of the monks come from Celtic countries, and of Ireland in particular, voyages missionaries as from year 500 carried out.

These missionaries contributed to the construction of small vaults in which they requested. But the exiguity of the places obliged to practice the baptisms and preaching outside.

One counts on the island 35 Celtic crosses (named keeills ) probably at that time going up, but there were at least 174 that old documents quote. These crosses were generally set up on monuments. Many churches and vaults were built on the site of keeills .

Scandinavian period

One can dissociate two times during the Scandinavian domination of the island of Man : before the conquest of the island by Godfred {{IV}} Crovan, in 1079, and after this conquest. The first period was marked by the war, whereas the second is more peaceful.

Between 800 and 815, the Vikings came in Man primarily for plundering. Between 850 and 990, they are established on the island and this last master key under the control of the Scandinavian kings of Dublin. Between 990 and 1079 finally, the island is prone powerful jarls the Orkneys.

During all the Scandinavian period, the island was nominally under the suzerainty of kings de Norvège, but the latter on only seldom the occasion to take advantage of their rights, except for Harald {{I}} {{er}} of Norway into 885, of Magnus {{III}} of Norway, at the end of the 11th century, and of Håkon {{IV}} of Norway, as from 1217.

Few things are known on Godfred {{IV}}, which conquered Man in 1079. It would have established its domination on Dublin and most of the Leinster. It remained in the traditions of the island of Man under the name of King Gorse, or Orry. The islands placed under its control are called Sudr-eyjar , the islands of the South (island of Man and all small islands in the west of the Scotland), in opposition to the Nordr-Eyjar , the islands of North (the Orkneys and Shetlands).

The son of Godfred V, Olaf {{I}} {{er}} of Man, exerts a considerable capacity and his alliance with the kings of Ireland and Scotland east established so well that the island knows peace during the whole of its reign (1137-1152). During the years 1130, the Church sends Wimund on the island of Man so that it founds the évêché first there. Little time afterwards, it gives up its episcopate and launches out in piracy through the close Scotland and islands.

The son of Olaf er, Godfred {{V}} of Man, reign temporarily on Dublin, before losing part of the islands, except for those located on the coast of Argyll.

To the beginning of the E century, Ragnald {{IV}} of Man lends homage to the king d' Angleterre Jean without Ground. It is the first time that England involves itself in the businesses of the island. It will take however one long period of Scottish domination before the island does not become really English.

British period

The decades which follow are the theater of competitions between Scotland and England for the domination of the island of Man. But the Scottish dynasty weakening as of the end of the 13th century, it is without opposition that the king of England Edouard Ier asserts the island and takes possession in of it 1290.

In 1333, the new king, Edouard III, gives the island to William Montagu, first count de Salisbury. Several sovereigns with the pay of England will dominate the island of Man, but it will be necessary to await 1405 to see a dynasty settling there in the long run: the counts de Derby. Their representative emblematic, James Stanley, will equip the island with defensive and political infrastructures of quality. The dynasty of the Derby will continue until James Stanley, 10th count de Derby, who will die the 1736 without male heir. If its title of count de Derby passes to his cousin Edward Stanley, that of lord of Man and Baron Strange return on the other hand to the house of Atholl, represented by James Murray.

James Murray dies in 1764 with Dunkeld (Scotland), without having of male descendant surviving. For this reason, it is its nephew, John Murray which inherits the title of duke of Atholl and the seigniory of the island of Man. England intervenes in the management of the island whereas John Murray is with the head of an illicit network of traffic of goods. For this reason, the Couronne persuades it to sell the island of Man for 70000 [[pounds sterling]], this one is suddenly named governor, which will alleviate it definitively (1793 with 1828).

Contemporary period

In 1866, the island of Man obtains an autonomous local government; this autonomy is initially only formal, but was wide little by little. During the First and the Second world war, the British government interns on the island of Man the civilians amenable to the enemy powers.

At the beginning of the 20th century, one could observe a revival of the music and traditional dances, like, to a lesser extent, of the language mannoise - what did not prevent the last speaker, Ned Maddrell, to die out in the years 1970.

In the years 1960-1970, tourism coming from British Isles started with péricliter, partly because of the rise of the civil aviation and the new attraction exerted by the Spain. The government mannois reacts to this situation by making island a tax shelter, which stimulated the economy, in spite of some corruption affairs.

Since the Years 1990 and the beginning of the 21e century, the culture mannoise is the object of a greater recognition, which tends to show the opening of the first elementary school whose courses are given in mannois; the economic growth begins again.

Geography

See also: Geography of the island of Man

The island of Man is located in the Irish Sea, at equal distance from the coasts of Ireland, England and Scotland. It recovers a surface of 572 km ².

Like Scotland, it rests on an old base hercynien made up of schists. Raised by a tectonic movement then planed by the ices of quaternary, the island culminates with the mount Snaefell to 621 Mr. the moraines generated a triangular plain in the north which contrasts with the mountains of the interior.

Subdivisions

See also: Subdivisions of the island of Man

Historically, the island of Man was divided into 2 zones (north and south) modified later in sides (north-western and south-eastern) subdivided in 17 parishes known as “insular” ( Insular Parish , still used in a traditional way, for the needs geographical or cultural mainly), and which include/understand 15 old religious parishes and the two current districts). The limits of the parishes and even some sheadings varied with time (thus the 2 current districts were parishes before).

Sheadings

The current principal administrative subdivision is composed of 6 Sheading S, listed in the traditional order mannois in the direction of the needles of a watch:

on the north-western side (primarily rural):

the sheading of Glenfaba (where the town of Peel is located),
the sheading of Michael (not to be confused with the village or homonymous district ),
the sheading of Ayre;

on the south-eastern side (more populated aujourd `today):

the sheading of Garff (where the town of Ramsey is located),
the sheading of Middle (where the capital city of Douglas is located),
the sheading of Rushen (where the town of Castletown is located).

Two of the current sheadings, Garf and Middle, are different from their historical definition since 1796, date on which the parish of Onchan (become village then) was moved first towards the second.

Administrative parishes

The sheadings are them same subdivided administratively of 24 generally indicated entities “administrative parishes” (to distinguish them from the 17 traditional parishes) or very often parishes ( parish , in the plural parishes ); in fact these administrative parishes are of 4 different types (according to their population density, and not of their surface or total population):

4 cities ( towns ) (of which the capital Douglas) sometimes also called “urban parishes” ( town parishes ) in certain official documents;
4 villages ( villages ) (including 2 districts , denomination preferred in the current documents for the least populated villages, formed of rural boroughs);
and 15 others parishes ( parishes ) rural (from which the current definition is sometimes different, smaller, of that of the old insular parishes, from which were excluded the current cities).

Electoral constituencies

For the electoral needs, the archipelago is cut out of 23 electoral constituencies (which can include/understand parts of several sheadings) gathering the entities above, without crossing however old traditional division between the north-western and south-eastern sides:

4 districts subdivide the capital city (the historical center is in the district of Douglas West),
19 other districts gather the 23 other administrative subdivisions.

Fauna

A famous race of Cat originating in the island of Man, the manx, has as a characteristic to have a very short tail, even goes away.

Another typical race of the island, the Sheep Loaghtan.

Flora

Government

Structure

The bailliages of Jersey, Guernesey and of the island of Man are considered by the Council of Europe (by the office of the treaties and its legal departments) as of the territories whose United Kingdom ensures the international relations. These territories do not have the international legal personality which would enable them to be part with treaties of the Council of Europe. On the other hand, when the United Kingdom left to a treaty the Council of Europe, it can, in agreement with the territories concerned, to declare that the aforementioned treaty applies (or not) to these territories.

The legal absence of personality does not want to say in so far as they are compared to the United Kingdom, whose State was formed by the union of the old kingdoms of England and Scotland and of the duchy of Wales. But, historically, the Duchy of Normandy forever formally ceased existing as a State (become independent of the kingdom of France) while at the same time there remained then only on its last insular grounds. It is in the same way here with the old kingdom of Man, become duchy of Man when it became vassal Crown, but which had not left to the treaty forming the Union the kingdoms England and Scotland and the duchy Wales in only one State, nor later at the time of the conquest and the fastening of Ireland (or of its partial independence).

Before although gathered under name " British Isles " ( British Isles , not to confuse with British Islands ), the bailliages acquired a more important autonomy with the creation of the States like here in Man, independent of the States of Jersey and those of Guernesey.

The question thus arises today as for the recognition of the bailliages of the Crown as a State, even deprived of legal personality to the international plan (what seems more not to be the case since the creation of the " States de Jersey" , " states de Guernesey" and of " those of Man" - to note plural), and modernization in the course of the old medieval legislation founded on the honorary titles, and right of blood of the former mannoises big families, of which some do not have any more any resident on the island since several generations and do not take part any more in the territorial administration of the island).

Local government

Policy

See also: Political of the island of Man

The archipelago enjoys a particular status: it forms part neither of the the United Kingdom (formally) nor of the European Union but depends on the Crown of England. Its self government issues the laws, takes the taxes and manages the budget.

See also: List of the political parties of the island of Man

Economy

Demography

See also: Demography of the island of Man

The archipelago counts approximately 76 000 inhabitants. Its population has been clearly raises some for a few years, grace especially to immigration coming from England.

Culture

Emblems

See also: Flag of the island of Man, Armorial bearings of the island of Man, Arrane Ashoonagh Dy Vannin

Language

The official languages are the English and the Mannois, a Celtic Langue of the group Gaelic, near of the Irish and even nearer to the Scottish Gaélique. The use of the mannois by the government is especially symbolic system, but a growing number of linguistic militants revive the language whose last famous speaker to have spoken it like native tongue, Ned Maddrell, died the 27 December 1974. Today, it is estimated that a little more 2 % of the population of the island can be expressed in mannois. This situation makes mannois a language in danger.

The Company of the Gaélique Mannois informs also the public opinion on the culture mannoise in general (books, music, songs mannoises) and diffuse of the messages intended to encourage the use of the mannois like its teaching. Currently there is approximately: 2000 mannophones, of which an about sixty speaks the language like native tongue (all the children to a Maternelle). According to a recent survey, 50 % of the children mannois expressed the desire to learn the language.

The population in general appears of agreement with this promotion of bilingualism symbolic system, but remains very reticent with any form of coercion on this subject, because it also should be stressed that more half of the islanders were not born in the island, the latter coming primarily from England, of Ireland, of the Wales or Scotland.

Religion

Anglicans, catholics, methodists, Baptists, presbytériens.

Sport

Gastronomy

Data processing

The island of Man is the domiciliation of the company Canonical Ltd which finances the project Ubuntu.

Codes

The island of Man has as a code:

GBM, according to the international Code list of the number plates,

See too

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