| Douglas, Isle Of Man |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN | |
| towns on the isle of man | |
| ports and harbours of the isle of man | |
| douglas | |
| british capitals | |
| port cities in europe | |
| irish sea | |
Douglas (''Doolish'' in Manx ) is the Capital of the Isle Of Man and its largest town. It is the Island's hub for business, finance, shipping, transport, shopping and entertainment. It is also home of the Isle Of Man Government . HISTORY The discovery of a Bronze weapon in central Douglas, and the large Ballaquayle Viking treasure hoard on the outskirts, both in the 1890s , hint at the early importance of the site now occupied by Douglas. The initial growth and development of the town owed much to its natural harbour (now the Inner Harbour), since greatly expanded and improved. The burgeoning 'Running Trade' ( Smuggling ) from 1670 to 1765 gave a stimulus for the town to expand. There were later phases of prosperity, the first due to the low cost of living, and favourable legal status enjoyed by English debtors and half pay officers. Later, from around 1870 onwards, the town was transformed into a leading holiday resort and is now home to the Island's offshore financial services industry. Douglas has been capital of the Isle of Man since 1863 , an honour previously held by Castletown , a smaller town in the south of the Island. The Victorian and later modernisation of the town was achieved at the expense of the original maze-like layout of the oldest streets. These were cleared away in the new street schemes and slum clearances of the 1870s to 1920s . In the absence of any Archaeological data, it is possible that the origins of the town may be revealed by analysis of the original street and plot pattern. Tynwald , the Manx Parliament, meets in Douglas (except on Tynwald Day , when it instead meets on Tynwald Hill in St John's - a small village near the west coast of the island). During World War I and World War II , Douglas and other parts of the Isle of Man were home to internment camps for 'enemy aliens'. A section of the Promenade was cordoned off and many guest houses were used for this purpose. In 2011 Douglas is scheduled to host the Commonwealth Youth Games . GEOGRAPHY Douglas is situated on the east of the island near the Confluence point of two rivers, the Dhoo and the Glass . At Douglas, the rivers flow through the Quay and into Douglas Bay . A gently sloping valley runs inland. Hills lie to the north-west and south-east. The town is surrounded by several other smaller towns and villages, most notably Onchan to the north (which forms a Conurbation with Douglas) and Union Mills to the west. DEMOGRAPHY Douglas has a population of 26,218 according to the 2006 census report (2001 25,347), which is almost one-third of the Isle of Man's entire population. LANDMARKS welcome signs]] Douglas has a number of attractions and items of interest:
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