The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea , between Great Britain and Ireland. It is recognized as one of the Celtic nations and is the homeland of the Manx people, a Celtic ethnic group.
In the 9th century, Norsemen established the Kingdom of the Isles, which included the Isle of Man. Magnus III, King of Norway from 1093 to 1103, reigned as King of Man and the Isles between 1099 and 1103.
Humans have lived on the island since before 6500 BC Gaelic cultural influence began in the 5th century AD, when Irish missionaries following the teaching of St. Patrick began settling the island, and the Manx language, a branch of the Goldelic language, emerged. In 627, King Edwin of Northumbria conquered the Isle of Man along with most of Mercia.
In 1866, the Isle of Man obtained limited home rule, with partly democratic elections to the House of Keys, but the Legislative Council was appointed by the Crown. Since then, democratic government has been gradually extended.
During both World Wars, the island was used for the internment of people originating from enemy countries.
In recent times, the economy of the island has benefited from regulatory arbitrage in various contexts, such as low taxes. These have attracted wealthy individuals and, together with arguably lax regulation, industries such as offshore financial services and more recently gambling.
The Isle of Man has designated more than 250 historic sites.
The predominant religious tradition of the Isle of Man is Christianity, adhered to by 54.7%
Before the Protestant Reformation, the island had a long history as part of the unified Catholic Church. In the years following the Reformation, the religious authorities on the island, and later the population of the island, accepted the religious authority of the British monarchy, Anglicanism and the Chruch of England.
The Isle of Man also came under the influence of Irish religious tradition. The island forms a separate diocese called Sodor and Man, which in the distant past comprised the medieval kingdom of Man and the Scottish isles.
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