The

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

, between

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in Northern Europe, with a population of almost 85,000. It is a British Crown dependency. It has a small

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

, the

Calf of Man Calf of Man ( gv, Yn Cholloo ) is a island, off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man. It is separated from the Isle of Man by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. Like the nearby rocky islets of Chicken Rock and Kitterland, it is ...

, to its south. It is located at .

Dimensions

Area:
''Land:''
''Water:'' (100 ha)
''Total:'' This makes it: *slightly more than three times the size of

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

*slightly more than one third the size of Hertfordshire *slightly smaller than Saint Lucia.

Coast and Territorial Sea

The Isle of Man has a coastline of , and a

territorial sea The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and poten ...

extending to a maximum of 12 nm from the coast, or the midpoint between other countries. The total territorial sea area is about 4000 km² or 1500 sq miles, which is about 87% of the total area of the jurisdiction of the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man only holds exclusive fishing rights in the first 3 nm. The territorial sea is managed by the

Isle of Man Government The Isle of Man Government ( gv, Reiltys Ellan Vannin) is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, the personal representative of Charles III. The executive head is the Chief M ...

Department of Infrastructure. The

Raad ny Foillan ' ( en, The Way of the Gull) is a coastal long distance footpath in the Isle of Man. Because it is a closed loop around the coast, it can be walked in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction. Route and history The ' starts and finish ...

long-distance footpath runs around the Manx coast.

Climate

The Isle of Man enjoys a

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

climate, with cool summers and mild winters. Average rainfall is high compared to the majority of the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

, due to its location to the western side of Great Britain and sufficient distance from

for moisture to be accumulated by the prevailing south-westerly winds. Average rainfall is highest at

Snaefell Snaefell ( on, snjœ-fjall/snjó-fall – snow mountain) – ( gv, Sniaull) is the highest mountain and the only summit higher than on the Isle of Man, at above sea level. The summit is crowned by a railway station, cafe and several communica ...

, where it is around a year. At lower levels it can fall to around a year. Temperatures remain fairly cool, with the recorded maximum being at Ronaldsway.

Terrain

The island's terrain is varied. There are two mountainous areas divided by a central valley which runs between

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

and Peel. The highest point in the Isle of Man,

, is in the northern area and reaches above sea level. The northern end of the island is a flat plain, consisting of glacial

till image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...

s and marine sediments. To the south the island is more hilly, with distinct valleys. There is no land below sea level.

Land use

*Arable land: 43.86% *Permanent crops: 0% *Other: 56.14% (includes permanent pastures, forests, mountain and heathland) (2011)

Natural hazards and environmental issues

There are few severe natural hazards, the most common being high winds, rough seas and dense fog. In recent years there has been a marked increase in the frequency of high winds, heavy rains, summer droughts and

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

ing both from heavy rain and from high seas.

Snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

fall has decreased significantly over the past century while temperatures are increasing year round with

rainfall Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

decreasing.

Air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different typ ...

, marine pollution and

waste disposal Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitorin ...

are issues in the Isle of Man.

Protected or recognised sites for nature conservation

In order of importance, international first, non-statutory last. Note that ASSIs and MNRs have equal levels of statutory protection under the Wildlife Act 1990.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves

*The entire territory of the

, including all land, sea, freshwater, airspace and seabed is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Ramsar sites A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) * Permanent 8 ha (P) * Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) Marshes on inorganic soils: * Permanent (herb dominated) (Tp) *** P ...

Designated: * Ballaugh Curraghs (2006, 193.4 ha). Shares an identical boundary to the Ballaugh Curraghs ASSI. Candidate: * The Ayres (Proposed in 2004 & 2005, 600 ha) * Southern Coasts & Calf of Man (Proposed in 2004 & 2005, 2326 ha) * Central Valley Curragh (Proposed in 2004 & 2005, 164 ha) * Gob ny Rona, Maughold Head & Port Cornaa (Proposed in 2004 & 2005, 209 ha) * Dalby Peatlands (Proposed in 2004 & 2005, 58 ha)

Important Bird Areas An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Inte ...

The UK RSPB and UK

JNCC The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the public body that advises the UK Government and devolved administrations on UK-wide and international nature conservation. Originally established under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, J ...

have designated five areas of the Isle of Man which are of global significance to birdlife. * Isle of Man Sea Cliffs - 97 km of the east and west coasts *

- 250ha * The Ayres - c800ha * Ballaugh Curraghs - 374ha * Isle of Man Hills - 8650ha

National Nature Reserves

* The Ayres (2000, 272 ha)

Areas of Special Scientific Importance

There are 25 ASSIs on the Isle of Man as of November 2022. One additional ASSI has been designated but later rescinded (Ramsey Estuary). Dates below refer to year of formal confirmation. * Ballachurry Meadows (2010, 11.9 ha) * Ballacrye Meadow (2005, 0.55 ha) * Ballateare Meadow (2014, 0.96 ha) * Ballaugh Curraghs (2005, 193.4 ha) * Central Ayres (1996, 259.66 ha, extended 2008 by 98.68 ha, total 358.35 ha) * Cronk y Bing (2006, 17.71 ha) * Cronk y King (2014, extended in 2021 to 3.02 ha) * Curragh Pharrick (2022, 4.02 ha) * Dalby Coast (2010, 62.1 ha) * Dhoon Glen (2007, 20.92 ha) *

Douglas Head Douglas Head (Manx: ''Kione Ghoolish'') is a rocky point on the Isle of Man overlooking Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include Snaefell Mountain and Laxey. General Until 1870, the headland was owned by The Nunnery Estate when Sir ...

(2022) * Eary Vane (2007, 3.96 ha) *

Glen Maye Glen Maye (or Glenmaye, gv, Glion Muigh or ''Glion Meay'' – Luxuriant Glen) is a glen and a small village on the west coast of the Isle of Man, 2½ miles (4 km) south of Peel. The village is connected to Peel by a bus service. It is h ...

(2008, 15.92 ha) *

Glen Rushen A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower ...

(2007, 12.27 ha) * Greeba Mountain & Central Hills (2009, 1,080.95 ha) * Grenaby Gareys (2021, 74.82 ha) * Jurby Airfield (2005, 63.04 ha) * Langness, Derbyhaven & Sandwick (2001, 310 ha) *

Marine Drive Marine Drive may refer to: Roads Bangladesh * Cox Bazar-Tekhnaf Marine Drive, world's longest marine drive road. Canada *Marine Drive (Nova Scotia), a scenic route in Nova Scotia *Marine Drive (Greater Vancouver), a number of roadways in Metropo ...

(2021, 82.35 ha) * Maughold Cliffs & Brooghs (2011, 53.63 ha) * Port St Mary Ledges & Kallow Point (2011, 14.79 ha) * Poyll Vaaish Coast (2007, 44.76 ha) * Ramsey Estuary (designated but later rescinded in 2010 - 15.8 ha) * Ramsey Mooragh Shore (2006, 2.65 ha) * Rosehill Quarry, Billown (2006, 1.37 ha) * Santon Gorge & Port Soldrick (2012, 24.35 ha)

Marine Nature Reserve Marine nature reserve (MNR) is a conservation designation officially awarded by a government to a marine reserve of national significance. Republic of Ireland Lough Hyne, a marine lake off of County Cork, is Ireland's only marine nature reserve. Un ...
s

marine nature reserve Marine nature reserve (MNR) is a conservation designation officially awarded by a government to a marine reserve of national significance. Republic of Ireland Lough Hyne, a marine lake off of County Cork, is Ireland's only marine nature reserve. Un ...

was designated in

Ramsey Bay Ramsey Bay ( gv, Baie Rhumsaa) is a large bay and Marine Nature Reserve covering some 94 square kilometres off the northeastern coast of the Isle of Man. It runs for 18 kilometres from the Point of Ayre at the island's northern tip to Maughold ...

in Oct 2011. In 2018 nine further Marine Nature Reserves were given statutory protection. The ten Marine Nature Reserves found around the Isle of Man cover over 10% of the country's territorial waters, in accordance with international requirements. *

2011 * Baie ny Carrickey 2018 * Calf and Wart Bank 2018 * Douglas Bay 2018 *

Langness Langness ( gv, Langlish) is a peninsula which protrudes two kilometres at the southern extremity of the Isle of Man. Signifying a cape or extended promontory, ''Langness'' literally means "long promontory" in Old Norse. Formerly an island, Lang ...

2018 *

Laxey Bay Laxey Bay ( gv, Baie Laksaa) is a coastal feature and Marine Nature Reserve on the east coast of the Isle of Man in the north Irish Sea. Geographically it is bounded by Laxey Head ( gv, Kione Laksaa) to the north and Clay Head ( gv, Kione ny Cle ...

2018 * Little Ness 2018 *

Niarbyl Bay 250px, View to the south across Niarbyl Bay of the southwest coastline of the Isle of Man and Calf of Man. Niarbyl ( glv, Yn Arbyl), meaning "the tail" in Manx for the way it extends into the Irish Sea, is a rocky promontory on the southwest c ...

2018 *

Port Erin Bay A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

2018 * West Coast 2018

Areas of Special Protection

* Ayres Gravel Pit designated 2001, 4 hectares. In 2019 this became a nature reserve managed by Manx BirdLife.

Bird Sanctuaries

Bird Sanctuaries where formerly designated under the Wild Birds Protection Act 1932. This designation was superseded by Areas of Special Protection for Birds by the Wildlife Act 1990, however the following formerly designated Bird Sanctuaries remain protected: *'Barnell Reservoir (Patrick)' (1979) 0.02 km² *' Tynwald National Park and Arboretum' (1982) *'Langness, Derbyhaven, Langness and Fort Island and foreshores adjoining' (1936) *'Renscault and Ballachrink (West Baldwin)' (1978) 0.18 km² *'The Willows (Ballamodha, Malew)' (1984) 0.01 km²

Nature Reserves and Wildlife Sites

The Isle of Man has (as of August 2015) 92 non-statutory 'Wildlife Sites' sites covering 1229.65 ha in addition to the 10.5 km of coastline. As of 30 January 2009 this total was 45 wildlife sites, covering about 195 ha of land and an additional of inter-tidal coast. Wildlife Sites are not recognised in law, but are recognised in terms of Government policy, including planning and zonation (by the Isle of Man Strategic Plan) and agricultural policy (under Cross Compliance regulations).

Manx Wildlife Trust Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) was founded on 6 March 1973 and is the Isle of Man’s leading nature conservation charity. Nature Reserves The Manx Wildlife Trust (as of September 2022) manages 26 nature reserves, along with the Calf of Man (on behalf ...
Reserves

The

Manx Wildlife Trust Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) was founded on 6 March 1973 and is the Isle of Man’s leading nature conservation charity. Nature Reserves The Manx Wildlife Trust (as of September 2022) manages 26 nature reserves, along with the Calf of Man (on behalf ...

was founded on 6th March 1973 and (as of September 2022) manages 26 nature reserves, along with the

(on behalf of

Manx National Trust Manx National Heritage ( gv, Eiraght Ashoonagh Vannin) is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man. The organisation manages a significant proportion of the island’s physical heritage assets including over 3,000 acres of coastlin ...

). These reserves total , or 0.68% of the Isle of Man and include: *

Aust Aust is a small village in South Gloucestershire, England, about north of Bristol and about south west of Gloucester. It is located on the eastern side of the Severn estuary, close to the eastern end of the Severn Bridge which carries the M ...

, acquired 2016, * Ballachrink part of the Renscault & Ballachrink

Bird Sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...

, acquired 2011, * Ballachurry, acquired 2016, * Ballamoar Meadow, acquired 1994, * Barnell Reservoir, part of the Ballamoar

, acquired 1974 & 1984, * Breagle Glen and Cronk Aash, acquired 1988, 1991 & 2010, *

, owned by

, managed by Manx Wildlife Trust since 2005, * Close-e-Quayle, acquired 1994 & 2003, * Close Sartfield, acquired 1987, , part of the Ballaugh Curraghs ASSI and Ramsar Site * Close Umpson, acquired 1995, , part of the Ballaugh Curraghs ASSI and Ramsar Site * Cooildarry, acquired 1976 & 1979, * Cronk-y-Bing ASSI, acquired 1989, * Curragh Feeagh, acquired 1986, * Curragh Kionedroghad (Onchan Wetlands), acquired 1988 & 1990, * Dalby Mountain Moorland, acquired 1995, * Dalby Mountain Fields, acquired 1995, * Dobbie's Meadow, acquired 2013, * Earystane, acquired 1998, * Fell's Field, acquired 1998, * Glen Dhoo, acquired 1995, * Goshen, Isle of Man, Goshen, acquired 1995, 1998 & 2008, , part of Ballaugh Curraghs ASSI Ramsar Site * Hairpin Woodland Park, acquired 2019 & 2022, * Lough Cranstal, acquired 1989, * Lough Gat-e-Whing, acquired 2016, * Miss Gyler's Meadow, acquired 1989, * Moaney & Crawyn's Meadows, acquired 1995, , part of the Ballaugh Curraghs ASSI and Ramsar Site * Mullen-e-Cloie, acquired 2008,

Designated Wildlife Sites

* Gob ny Silvas *

Other Nature Reserves

* Ballalough Reedbeds: managed by Castletown Commissioners * Ballanette and Clay Head Brooghs: nature reserve, private but open to the public * Snaefell Valley: nature reserve, private but open to the public * Manx BirdLife Ayres National Reserve

Manx National Trust Manx National Heritage ( gv, Eiraght Ashoonagh Vannin) is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man. The organisation manages a significant proportion of the island’s physical heritage assets including over 3,000 acres of coastlin ...
Landholdings

The following properties are under the protection of Manx National Heritage: * The Ayres * Ballaugh Curraghs * Eary Cushlin & Creggan Mooar * Dhoon and Bulgham Brooghs * Killabrega *Land seaward of the

* Lower Silverdale *

Maughold Head Maughold Head is the easternmost point of the Isle of Man and the closest point in the Isle of Man to England, being from St. Bees Head in Cumbria. Maughold Head lies in the northeast of the island, some from Ramsey, at the southern end of R ...

& Brooghs and Gob ny Rona *

Niarbyl 250px, View to the south across Niarbyl Bay of the southwest coastline of the Isle of Man and Calf of Man. Niarbyl ( glv, Yn Arbyl), meaning "the tail" in Manx for the way it extends into the Irish Sea, is a rocky promontory on the southwest c ...

Sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' b ...

and the

* Upper Ballaharry

Geology

The majority of the island is formed from highly faulted and folded sedimentary rocks of the

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start of the Silurian Period Mya. T ...

period. There is a belt of younger Silurian rocks along the west coast between

and Peel, and a small area of Devonian sandstones around Peel. A band of Carboniferous period rocks underlies part of the northern plain, but is nowhere seen at the surface; however similar age rocks do outcrop in the south between Castletown, Silverdale and Port St Mary. Permo-

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Year#Abbreviations yr and ya, Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 ...

age rocks are known to lie beneath the Point of Ayre but, as with the rest of the northern plain, these rocks are concealed by substantial thicknesses of superficial deposits. The island has significant deposits of

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

, and plumbago (a mix of

graphite Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on lar ...

and

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

). There are also quarries of black

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

flags, clay

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

, and

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...

.
Quarries
' These are all modern, and there was no noticeable exploitation of metals or minerals prior to the modern era.

Demographics

The island has a census-estimated population of 84,497 according to the most recent 2011 census: up from 79,805 in 2006 and 76,315 in 2001. The island's largest town and administrative centre is

, whose population is 23,000 — over a quarter of the population of the island. Neighbouring Onchan,

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...

in the north, Peel in the west and the three southern ports of Castletown,

Port Erin Port Erin ( gv, Purt Çhiarn, meaning ''lord's port'') is a seaside village in the south-west of the Isle of Man, in the historic parish of Rushen. It was previously a seaside resort before the decline of the tourist trade. Administratively it ...

and Port St Mary are the island's other main settlements. Almost all its population lives on or very near the coast.

Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Geography of the Isle Of Man