Isle of Man

Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of 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, but its foreign relations and defence are the responsibility of the British Government.

Did you know that:
1. The Isle of Man three legged symbol is known the world over, and is derived from the island's mythological past. The symbol is said to have derived from a story from the Celtic Sea God, Manannan Mac Lir, who turned himself into a three legged creature in order to frighten off maurauding invaders.
2. The isle of Man is famous the world over for it's motorcycle T.T races, traditionally held every year in the last week in May. T.T stands for Tourist Trophy, and it's first ever tournament was in 1907, when the contest was held on a 15 mile ( 21km ) road course around the island.
3. The island has it's own indiginous breed of sheep, the Loaghtan ( ovis aries ). It is classified as a Rare Breed, and is recognised for it's unusual brown coloured coat and for having six horns, which grow both straight and curly.
4. Another animal breed which originated on the Isle of Man is the Manx Cat. The Manx Cat is a tailless breed of cat which is descended from the common, domestic cat, which became a recognised breed during the late 1800's.5. The people of Man have their own passport, a variant of the British passport, which is written, British Island - Isle Of Man.
6. English is the official language of the island, but the language Manx has been synonomous with the island for centuries. The Manx language is therefore derived from ancient Gaelic, or Goideligh, which is related to Scots and Irish Gaelic, but not the same as it is a more pure form of classical Gaelic