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Isle of Man Man is a 33-mile long island in the middle of the Irish Sea 60 miles west of England’s Lancashire coast. It is a Crown dependency with its own parliament, laws, currency, culture and postage stamps. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, it is a popular destination for English tourists. Man maintains a great deal of its Victorian-era transportation system, including a steam railway and horse-drawn trams. It is also home to one of the oldest motor-racing series, the Tourist Trophy, an important element in the development of automobiles and motorcycles. The island is known for its pastoral countryside, its woolens and, of course, its famous tail-less Manx cats. The island’s flag holds The Three Legs of Man: a symbolic figure made up simply of three legs joined at the hip, the knees bent as if running. This fulfills the kingdom’s defiant motto, which, loosely translated says: “Whichever way you throw me, I stand. |
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