Yes. The Isle of Man (also simply called “Mann”) is a self-governing Crown Dependency and is not part of the United Kingdom. At 33 miles long and 15 miles wide, Mann is not a country, not a territory (like Bermuda or the Falkland Islands), and not a member of the European Union. Queen Elizabeth was, and King Charles III is now, the Lord (never Lady) of Mann. They do use the British pound, the UK is responsible for its defense, and Brits sometimes use the Isle of Man as a tax haven.
The Manx cat (shown below) has the genetic mutation of having very little or no tail. Mann’s flag (above at top left) features a “triskelion,” an ancient Celtic symbol, known as the Three Legs of Mann (Tree Cassyn Vannin in Manx). (See also the flags of Sicily and the town of Füssen in Bavaria, Germany.) The three Bee Gees brothers were all born on Mann.
Since 1907, the Tourist Trophy (“TT”) cross-country motorcycle races are run most years in May or June. The event is called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world as many competitors have died. In the June 2022 race, started again after a two-year pandemic hiatus, five competitors died, bringing the historical count to 265. Detractors want to ban the race; TT fans note that an average of five climbers die every year on Mount Everest (as of 1922, that’s 311). TT racers can get up to speeds of 200 mph. Manx farms produce barley, oats, turnips, potatoes, and wheat. Cattle and sheep also graze the pastures of the central mountain range. South of the Isle of Man is the Calf of Man, a 600-acre island and bird sanctuary with a seasonal population of two: estate and ornithology wardens.
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