Isle of Man

Man, Isle of, island, 227 sq mi (588 sq km) in the Irish Sea off the northwestern coast of Great Britain; the capital is Douglas. It became the base for Irish missionaries after St. Patrick, and at one time was a Norwegian dependency sold to Scotland (1266). A dependency of the British Crown since 1765, it has its own legislature (Court of Tynwald) and representative assembly (House of Keys). Tourism is the main industry. The Manx language is now virtually extinct.