The Isle of Man is a dependency of the British Crown formed by a main island and some islets located in the Irish Sea, between Ireland and Great Britain. The sovereign is the British monarch, acting as Lord of Man, who is represented by the Governor General, whose international representation and defense are the responsibilities of the Government of the United Kingdom. Like the other dependencies, it is not part of the United Kingdom, nor of the European Union or the European Economic Area, although it belongs to the customs union of the European Union, in accordance with Protocol 3 of the Law of Accession of the United Kingdom., so it benefits from the free movement of industrial and agricultural goods.
As a member of the Common Travel Area, the free movement of citizens of the European Economic Area is also permitted. The Isle of Man has been inhabited since 6,500 BC. C. And has received Celtic influence since the fifth century AD. C. The island became a Viking kingdom in the Middle Ages, submissive to the Anglo-Saxon influence. In 979 the Tynwald was established, the oldest surviving democratic parliament in the world. During its history, the island has belonged to the kingdoms of Norway, Scotland and England. The Isle of Man today forms part of the six Celtic nations, along with Brittany, Cornwall, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The island has 572 km ² of surface and little elevation on the level of the sea, with 621 meters of maximum altitude in the Snaefell mount.
Around it some small islands are located, like Calf of Man, St Patrick and St Michael.