The Tynwald, one of the world’s oldest parliamentary institutions, meets on the Isle of Man.
The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, positioned between Great Britain and Ireland. Its legislature is called Tynwald, a name derived from the Old Norse word thingvǫllr, meaning meeting place or assembly field.
Tynwald consists of two chambers: the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly elected Legislative Council. Its annual open-air ceremony takes place at Tynwald Hill in St John’s on 5 July, when laws are formally promulgated.
The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, although the UK is responsible for its defence and international representation. The island is also distinct from the Channel Islands, including Jersey and Guernsey, which have separate governments and legal traditions.