This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The island is about 32 miles (51 km) long and, at its widest, 14 miles (23 km) wide. It has been inhabited for over 8,500 years. The capital is Douglas. English is the main language spoken but the island has its own Manx language which is of Celtic origin. The Isle of Man parliament, known as Tynwald, is believed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world.