Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Douglas
Administrative divisions:
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
Constitution:
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not
embody the Manx Constitution
Legal system:
English common law and Manx statute
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26
October 2002)
election results: Richard CORKILL elected chief minister by the
Tynwald
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected
by the Tynwald; election last held 6 December 2001 (next to be held
NA December 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Richard CORKILL (since 6 December
2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member
body 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 are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be
held NA November 2006)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man
Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats
by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3,
independents 19
Judicial branch:
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord
Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)
Political parties and leaders:
Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government
[leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
none
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 (Trinacria), 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