Manx people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Manx (Manninagh) |
|---|
| Total population |
|
Uncertain (Population of Isle of Man 80,058, 2006 est., 47.6% born in the Isle of Man) |
| Regions with significant populations |
 Isle of Man
|
| Languages |
| English (see Anglo-Manx), Manx |
| Religions |
| Christianity, Protestant (mainly Anglicanism and Methodism), Roman Catholicism, secular and other minority groups |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Gaels, Scots, Irish, English, Bretons, Cornish, Welsh, Norwegians, Danes, Icelanders, Faroese |
The Manx are an ethnic group coming from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea in northern Europe. They are often described as a Celtic (or more specifically Gaelic) people.
As with other ethnic groups in the British Isles, the question of identity is not straightforward. Ethnic identity has been based as much – if not more – on cultural identity than on descent. For economic, and social reasons, many Manx people have been born off the island, or have sought work elsewhere.
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[edit] Make-up of Isle of Man population
According to the 2006 interim census,[1] the Isle of Man is home to 80,058 people, of whom 26,218 reside in the island's capital Douglas. Most of the population is born in the British Isles, with 47.6% born in the Isle of Man, 37.2% born in England, 3.4% in Scotland, 2.1% in Northern Ireland, 2.1% in the Republic of Ireland, 1.2% in Wales and 0.3% born in the Channel Islands.
Manx people living in the UK were commonly grouped by the 2001 census under "White British". As well as major immigration from England, the Isle of Man has had many Irish residents, and to a lesser degree, Scottish and Welsh people.
[edit] Languages
Manx people have traditionally had three vernaculars:
- Manx, a Gaelic language.
- English language
- Anglo-Manx, the distinctive indigenous English dialect of the Manx
- British English, the usual form of English used in the Isle of Man, especially for formal purposes.
Both English and Manx are official languages in the Tynwald.
[edit] Symbols
The most distinctive Manx symbol is the triskele which appears in the island's flags. It is believed to be very ancient in origin.
[edit] History and politics
The Isle of Man has had a complicated relationship with the United Kingdom over the years - it is technically neither part of the UK, nor the European Union, but is a British dependency.
The Isle of Man is one of six Celtic nations and its history reflects this.
The earliest known inhabitants of the Isle of Man appear to have been Brythonic; however, at some point, possibly c. 700 AD, it is assumed that Irish invasion or immigration formed the basis of the early Manx population, the Manx came to speak a Goidelic language, closely related to Irish, and more closely to Scottish Gaelic. This is evident in the change in language used in Ogham inscriptions.
During Viking times, the islands of the Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles were called the Súðreyjar or Sudreys ("southern isles") in contrast to the Norðreyjar ("northern isles") of Orkney and Shetland. This became Sodor. The Church of England diocese is still called the Diocese of Sodor and Man although it only covers Mann. When the Rev. W. V. Awdry wrote The Railway Series, he invented the island of Sodor as an imaginary island located between the Isle of Man and the Cumbrian coast.
The Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles was created by Godred Crovan in 1079. The Norse had a major impact on the island, leaving many placenames, and influencing its distinctive political system, Tynwald (from Old Norse, Þingvóllr), which is one of the oldest parliamentary democracies in the world - older than Westminster. Many of the Norse in the island would have been Norse-Gaels, of Norwegian origins.
In 1266, as dictated in the Treaty of Perth, Norway's King Magnus VI ceded the isles to Scotland. The Isle of Man came under English control in the fourteenth century and to the British Crown in 1765. Although Mann had some involvement with Scotland during the Middle Ages, it became increasingly tied to England politically, and anglicised as a result.
After 1866, when the Isle of Man obtained a measure of at least nominal Home Rule, the Manx people have made some progress, and at the present day form a community, with tax haven status and atourist industry.
The early 20th century saw a revival of music, dance, and the Manx language, but this proved only partially successful, as the last native speaker of Manx died in the 1970s. In the middle part of the twentieth century, the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera visited, and became so distressed at the lack of support for Manx that he immediately had two recording vans sent over. As the century progressed, the Manx tourist economy declined greatly, as the English and Irish started flying to Spain for package holidays. The Manx government responded to this situation by making the island a tax haven. While this has had beneficial effects on the Manx economy, it has had its detractors, who have pointed to corruption in the finance industry and money laundering. This has given the biggest impetus to Manx nationalism in recent years, spawning the parties Mec Vannin and the MNP, as well as the now defunct Fo Halloo (literally 'Underground'), which mounted a direct-action campaign of spray-painting and attempted house-burning.
The 1990s and early 21st century have seen a greater recognition of indigenous Manx culture, such as the first Manx language primary school, as well as a general re-evaluation of the island's economy.
[edit] Manx political parties
Manx politicians are usually independent candidates rather than party members. Two notable political parties are Liberal Vannin and the Manx Labour Party. Mec Vannin and the Manx National Party are examples of two nationalist parties in the island.
[edit] Work permits and immigration
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For more details on this topic, see External relations of the Isle of Man.
Manx people, as British citizens, may travel and work freely in the United Kingdom. Passports issued on the Island are marked 'British Islands - Isle of Man', instead of 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland', and these passports are issued to all British citizens resident on the island.
Manx people without a family link or past residency in the UK are restricted from exercising the right to live and work and in other EU countries.
The Isle of Man is part of the Common Travel Area, which means there are no immigration controls on travel to and from the UK and Republic of Ireland.
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