Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is represented by a lieutenant governor. The island has been inhabited since before 6500 BC. Gaelic cultural influence began in the 5th century AD, and the Manx language, a branch of the Gaelic languages, emerged. In 627, Edwin of Northumbria conquered the Isle of Man along with most of Mercia. In the 9th century, Norsemen established the Kingdom of the Isles. Magnus III, King of Norway, was also known as King of Mann and the Isles between 1099 and 1103. In 1266, the island became part of Scotland under the Treaty of Perth, after being ceded by Norway. After a period of alternating rule by the kings of Scotland and England, the island came under the feudal lordship of the English Crown in 1399. The lordship revolved between the English and Scottish Crowns throughout the Middle Ages. The island was a possession of the English Crown since 1814. Since 1866, the Isle of Man has been governed as a Crown dependency and has its own parliament, the Tynwald. The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, and has an independent judiciary, and its own laws. The island is located in the middle of the Irish Sea, and its geography is varied. The northern plain, the Manx Highlands in the centre, and the south are hilly. The highest point is Snaefell at 621 metres (2,037 ft). There are more than 60 rivers on the island, most of which flow into the sea on the north-western coast. The climate is cool and temperate, with mild winters and cool summers. The average annual rainfall is 1,100 millimetres (43 in), and the average annual temperature is 10 °C (50 °F). The Isle of Man is a popular tourist destination, and is known for its motor-sport heritage, and for its annual TT races. It also has a thriving financial sector, and is home to the Isle of Man Bank, the oldest surviving bank in the world.