Geography of the Isle of Man
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The Isle of Man is an island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland in Western Europe, with a population of over 75 000. It is a British Crown Dependency. It has a small islet, the Calf of Man, to its south. It is located at .
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[edit] Dimensions
Area:
total: 572 km²
land: 572 km²
water: 0 km²
This makes it:
- slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
- slightly more than one third the size of Hertfordshire
- slightly smaller than Saint Lucia.
[edit] Coast
The Isle of Man has a coastline of 160 km, and claims 12 nm of exclusive fishing zone and of territorial waters.
[edit] Climate
The Isle of Man enjoys a temperate climate, with cool summers and mild winters. Average rainfall is high compared to the majority of the British Isles, due to its location to the western side of Great Britain and sufficient distance from Ireland for moisture to be accumulated by the prevailing south-westerly winds. Average rainfall is highest at Snaefell, where it is around 1900 mm a year. At lower levels it can fall to around 800 mm a year.
Temperatures remain fairly cool, with the recorded maximum being 28.9 C at Ronaldsway. The Isle of Man is known for its overcast skies and low levels of sunshine.
[edit] Terrain
The island's terrain is varied. There are two mountainous areas divided by a central valley which runs between Douglas and Peel. The highest point on the island, Snaefell, is in the northern area and reaches 621m. The northern end of the island is a flat plain, consisting of glacial tills and marine sediments. To the south the island is more hilly, with distinct valleys. There is no land below sea level.
[edit] Land Use
- Arable land: 9%
- Permanent crops: 0%
- Permanent pastures: 46%
- Forests and woodland: 6%
- 'Other: 39% (includes 25% mountain and heathland)
[edit] 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, high rains, summer droughts and flooding from both from heavy rain and from high seas. Snow fall has decreased significantly over the past century while temperatures are increasing year round with rainfall decreasing.
Air pollution, marine pollution and waste disposal are both issues on this small island.
Global Warming and a sea level rise potentially poses a great threat to the Isle of Man. All of the Island's major towns are at threat from rising sea levels while the Northern Plain, a large, flat and low-lying plain composed of soft marine sediments and glacial material which makes up about a quarter of the Island's landmass is in danger of being lost to the sea over the next two centuries. The same is true for the considerably smaller Southern Plain surrounding the settlements of Castletown and Ballasalla and including Ronaldsway Airport[1].
See also Environment of the Isle of Man
[edit] Geology
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[edit] Demographics
The island has a preliminary census estimated population of 79 805, as of September 2006. This is up on the government's last census in 2001, which recorded 76 315 people, itself a rise of 9.1% on the previous 1991 census.
The island's largest town and administrative centre is Douglas, whose population is 23 000, over a third of the entire island's. Neighbouring Onchan, Ramsey in the north, Peel in the west and the three southern ports of Castletown, Port Erin and Port St. Mary are the island's other main settlements. Almost all its population lives on or very near to the coast.
[edit] See also
- Towns in the Isle of Man
- List of rivers in the Isle of Man
- Climate change and the Isle of Man
[edit] References
- Isle of Man Government
- http://www.gov.im/dlge/enviro/climatechange.xml
- This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
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