Man (The Kalmar Union)

The Kingdom of Man, Man, The Isles, is a constitutional monarchy centred on the Isle of Man in the Manx Sea (OTL Irish Sea). To the West it borders the three Irish states, Ulster, Connacht and Munster. To the South across the Manx Sea lies the newly independent Ynys Mons, and Gwynnedd. To the East it borders Anglia and Wessex-Normandy. To the North it borders Scotland and Orkney. The capital is Douglas and the population is around 5.7 million.

The current Head of State is King Eric V.

The official languages are Manx, Irish, Welsh and North Saxon.

The currency is the Manx Punt (MPT).

History
Settled by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries the largely Celtic population was ruled by Norse kings throughout the early medieval period where Manx politics were tightly entwined with that of Ireland. Hordaland would often exercise direct control over Man's growing realm and it was often united with Orkney and Hordaland itself.

Man grew to dominate the politics of Ireland and a union of the crowns of Man and Leinister followed the marriage of King Sigurd III and Queen Cacht in 1273. From to 1457 the Kings of Man were also High kings of Ireland. On the exitinction of the House of Magnus the crown reverted to Hordaland.

Hordaland took a more confrontational approach to the politics of the British Isles, seeking to conquer Ireland outright as well as push Wessex out of Wales which it increasingly viewed as its own domain. This was a as much an attempt to build a rival to Demark's growing lands as a result of the fractured state of politics in the region. It also removed influence of the bishop of Tara and subsituted the bishop of Nidaros over the Manx church. This would in turn ensure that the island moved smoothly into the Lutheran church during the reformation, although its dependent territories took much longer to accomodate. Leinister remained Catholic after the 1564 revolt, in which Protestant churches and were burnt and adherants persecuted. Distracted by war elsewhere Man was unable to properly impose its will and order was only restored to the province on the election of King Haakon VIII whose first speech to the Tynwald was concilatory and tolerant. Leinister would remain a hotbed of counter-reformation plots however and until the settlement of 1783 a large amount of Man's time and energy would be spend dealing with dissent there.

The Manx army would prove a valuable asset in many European campaigns and many respected and feared commanders of national armies earned their spurs and worked their way up through the ranks of the 'Manx Company'. This Free Company was available to the highest bidder throughout much of Middle Ages before its final destruction in the mire of the 2nd Hungarian War. The Company's numbers often far outstripped the numbers available to national armies. Many people blame the severe fracture of North Italian politics on the legacy of the Manx Company's activities in the area during the 14th-17th centuries.

After the effects of 'The Accommodation' (1783) Man, as well as Orkney, was separated from the Hordaland crown. The highest noble of Man, Earl Harald was chosen as the new king and his descendants continue to rule to this day.

On the 12th December 2010 Ynys Mons was given independence. Fears that Man's other territories would also seek independence have so far been unfounded. This is as much a result of the cosmopolitan nature of Manx society and politics as it is the wide autonomy Man allows its territories.

Government
The Tywald, arguably Europe's earliest parliament represents all of the Kingdom's land. Traditionally the North Saxon representatives are opposed by those from Leinister with the remaining territories holding the key to the balance. The effect that the loss of the representatives of Ynys Mons will have are yet to be seen.

The head of state is King Eric V and the First Minister is William Kewish.

It is a signatory to the 4th Kalmar Union. Under the terms of the treaty the Manx armed forces form the 3rd Kalmar battalion.

Ynys Mons
On the 12th December 2010 Ynys Mons was given independence after a popular but peaceful movement. An independent assembly was created but King Eric V is still the head of state.