The Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is approx 30 miles (48 km) long by 10 miles (16 km) wide, its main axis being south-west to north-east. It has an area of 221 square miles (572 square km). The island consists of a central mountain mass culminating in Snaefell (2,034 feet [620 m]) and extending north and south in low-lying agricultural land. Mann's coastline is rocky and has fine cliff scenery. The grass-covered slate peaks of the central massif are smooth and rounded as a result of action during various glacial periods. The island's landscape is treeless except in sheltered places. To the south-west lies an islet, the Calf of Man, with precipitous cliffs, which is administered by the Manx National Trust as a bird sanctuary.

POPULATION
The Isle of Man has a population of approx 80,000 the majority of which are immigrants from the United Kingdom, and more recently to a somewhat lesser extent from Asia and South Africa. Unlike other British offshore jurisdictions the Isle of Man has no residency restrictions. 

CRIME
Compared to most of Britain, the Isle of Man is relatively safe.  However, the island does have problems with drug and alcohol abuse. In fact per head of population, the island has one of the worst records in relation to alcohol abuse in Europe.  Recently, the Manx police have started to get a lot tougher on drug related crime and have staged a number of dawn raids on the islands drug pushers. Although, the Manx police try to control the islands drug problem, the fact that pushers can make two to three times the average UK street price by selling drugs into the Isle of Man, have made drug related crime a problem.      

CLIMATE
The climate here is maritime temperate, with cool summers and mild winters. The average mean temperature in February is 4 degrees C and 14.3 degrees C in August. The average annual rainfall is 45 inches (1,140 mm). The native flora and fauna are of little interest, but the domestic Manx cat, a distinctive tailless breed, is traditionally believed to have originated on the island.

TRANSPORT
There is a modern airport near Castletown, and a car ferry terminal in Douglas, connecting Mann with the British mainland. However, be warned, traveling to and from the Island by air can be very, expensive! In fact, it is often more expensive to fly from England to the Isle of Man, than it is to fly from England to the USA. Traveling by sea can be unpleasant.  The flag ship of the local ferry service is little better than a converted cargo ship, with little or no deck access. It can be extremely unstable in choppy water, and on occasion has even caused vehicles to overturn on its car deck. 

ROADS
Most of the roads on the island are adequate and out of town the island has some of the most beautiful countryside you could expect to find anywhere in Britain, making driving an enjoyable experience.   Local residents do however have to endure frequent road closure orders, that literally, bring traffic to a stand still.  Historically, roads were closed to allow such events as the world famous TT Races to take place. Nowadays however residents will find main roads are closed for everything from vintage car rally's to cycle racing!

POSTAL SERVICE
Communication to and from the island are excellent.  Postage rates are generally lower than in the UK and there is a considerable number of ancillary services. These include: Courier Services, International Business Reply, Freepost, Business Reply, PO Box's and Mail Redirection.  The post office will even hold mail for up to 2 months, whilst individuals are away, and then deliver it on a requested date!

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
The island's telecommunications which are provided by Manx Telecom (a subsidiary of British Telecom) are again excellent.  Manx Telecom provide both microwave and fiber optic submarine cable links to and from the British mainland, along with wide spread implementation of both ISDN and ADSL throughout the island.

MEDIA  
The island has three national news papers, all of which are owned by a company based in Edinburgh. It also has it's own radio station (Manx Radio) that despite being government owned, provides an excellent and independent news service 365 days a year. The island also enjoys a comprehensive television news service from Border Television, who although based in Carlisle, provide a permanent local news crew to cover local issues.

HISTORY
The Isle of Man has been inhabited by humans since the Mesolithic Period. It became the home of many Irish missionaries in the centuries following the teaching of St. Patrick (5th century AD). Among its earliest inhabitants were Celts, and their language, Manx, which is closely related to Gaelic, remained the everyday speech of the people, until the first half of the 19th century. The number of Manx speakers is now negligible, however. Norse (Viking) invasions began about AD 800, and the isle was a dependency of Norway until 1266. During this period Man came under a Scandinavian system of government which has remained practically unchanged ever since.

In 1266 the King of Norway sold his suzerainty over Mann to Scotland, and the island came under the control of England in 1341. From this time on, the island's successive feudal lords, who styled themselves as "Kings of Mann," were all English. In 1406 the English crown granted the island to Sir John Stanley, and his family ruled it almost uninterruptedly until 1736. (The Stanley's refused to be called "kings" and instead adopted the title "Lord of Mann," which still holds.) The Lordship of Mann passed to the Dukes of Athol in 1736, but in the decades that followed, the island became a major centre for the contraband trade, thus depriving the British Government of valuable customs revenues. In response, the British Parliament purchased sovereignty over the island in 1765, and acquired the Athol family's remaining prerogatives on the island in 1828.

POLITICAL
The island has its own very stable, forward thinking and capable government "Tynwald" and although it  has to tolerate a Lieutenant Governor, who is the envoy of the British Monarch, and the "Lord of Mann", remains fiercely independent of the United Kingdom.

The island's internal government consists of a Legislative Council, or upper house and a popularly elected House of Keys, or lower house. The two houses function as separate legislative bodies, but come together to form what is known as the Tynwald Court to transact legislative business. The Tynwald Court and the House of Keys constitute one of the most ancient legislative assemblies in the world.

FINANCE
Though fishing, agriculture, tourism and even smuggling were formerly important, the island now relies on attracting offshore financial business, to form the base of the island's economy. However, it is a misconception to think that the Isle of Man is merely an offshore "tax haven", it is much more than that.  In fact, it is rapidly becoming one of the world's foremost centres of financial expertise. 

EMPLOYMENT
Although unemployment is low on the Isle of Man, the average take home earnings are not high with public sector, and manual workers receiving the lowest pay.  Also the cost of living is expensive, when compared to the United Kingdom.

EDUCATION
Education is good, with schools in the south and west of the island being seen by many, as providing the better standards.  If you have children, it is important when deciding to relocate to the island, you choose "the right area" as the Isle of Man Department of Education will try to insist that your child attends a school within your local catchment area. Furthermore, unlike the rest of Britain, the Manx Department of Education refuse to publish league tables which would highlight the best and worst performing schools.

ENTERTAINMENT
If you don't drink or play sport, there is little to do on the Isle of Man.  What you will find is a quality of life that is unsurpassed almost anywhere in Britain.  Also, if you are a keen sportsman  then you will find more than enough to keep you from coming down with a case of cabin fever.  Furthermore, for two weeks of the year the island becomes the unquestionable road racing capital of the world, when it hosts the annual TT races. More than the world's most testing motorcycle races, held on just over 37 miles of closed public roads, it is an entire festival that is unsurpassed.

CONCLUSION
So, would I recommend the Isle of Man as a place to live?  Unquestionably, yes. True, living on an island can have its down sides, but these are made up for by the quality of life that the Isle of Man provides. However, it is very expensive - property especially is overpriced.  The situation is not helped by a fast growing immigrant population, and the fact that new building is almost totally dominated by one or two fat cat development companies, who without competition exploit their positions to the full. 

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