Map of Ireland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Growing Irish nationalism resulted in independence from the United Kingdom in 1921, with six largely Protestant northern counties remaining within the UK. After World War II bloody strife between Catholics and Protestants over the status of Northern Ireland cost thousands of lives.


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Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 70,280 km²
Land: 68,890 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: Total 360 km, U.K. 360 km

Coastline: 1,448 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specified
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: Temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

Terrain: Mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Carrauntoohill 1,041 m

Elevation

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 14%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 71%
Forests and woodland: 5%
Other: 10%

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(men), Irish (collective plural)
Adjective: Irish

Ethnic groups: Celtic, English

Languages: Irish (Gaelic), spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard, English is the language generally used

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over: 12% (male 173,150; female 233,720) (July 1996 est.) 12% (male 175,781; female 237,098) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
International agreements: party to_Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified_Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
International agreements note: Strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 60 miles of Dublin

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.58 years (1996 est.), 75.99 years (1995 est.)
Male: 72.88 years (1996 est.), 73.15 years (1995 est.)
Female: 78.46 years (1996 est.), 79 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1981 est.)
Total population: 98%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Ireland

Government type: Republic

Capital: Dublin

Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 December 1921 (from U.K.)

National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebescite

Legal system: Based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990); election last held 9 November 1990 (next to be held November 1997); results_Mary Bourke ROBINSON 52.8%, Brian LENIHAN 47.2%
Head of government: Prime Minister John BRUTON (since 15 December 1994)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by president with previous nomination of the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives

Legislative branch: Bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) Senate (Seanad Eireann):Elections last held NA February 1992 (next to be held NA February 1997; results_percent of vote by party NA; seats_(60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 26, Fine Gael 16, Labor 9, Progressive Democrats 2, Democratic Left 1, independents 6 House of Representatives (Dail Eireann):Elections last held on 25 November 1992 (next to be held by November 1997; results_Fianna Fail 39.1%, Fine Gael 24.5%, Labor Party 19.3%, Progressive Democrats 4.7%, Democratic Left 2.8%, Sinn Fein 1.6%, Workers' Party 0.7%, independents 5.9%; seats_(166 total) Fianna Fail 68, Fine Gael 45, Labor Party 33, Progressive Democrats 10 Democratic Left 4, Greens 1, independents 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, UN, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed_orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is small and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 37% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. Ireland has substantially reduced its external debt since 1987, to 40% of GDP in 1994. Over the same period, inflation has fallen sharply and chronic trade deficits have been transformed into annual surpluses. Unemployment remains a serious problem, however, and job creation is the main focus of government policy. To ease unemployment, Dublin aggressively courts foreign investors and recently created a new industrial development agency to aid small indigenous firms. Government assistance is constrained by Dublin's continuing deficit reduction measures.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 10% of GDP; principal crops_turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock_meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 8.9% (1995 est.), 8.5% (1994 est.), accounts for 37% of GDP

Labor force: 1.37 million
By occupation services: 57.0%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 28%
By occupation forestry and fishing: 13.5%
By occupation energy and mining: 1.5% (1992)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $19.3 billion
Expenditures: $20.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.6 billion (1994)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: total value. $29.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$25.3 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $19.5 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Irish pounds (#Ir) per US$1_0.6315 (January 1996), 0.6235 (1995), 0.6676 (1994), 0.6816 (1993), 0.5864 (1992), 0.6190 (1991), 0.6030 (1990)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 14.9 billion kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 3,938 kWh (1993)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 900,000 telephones; modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave radio relay
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $618 million, 1.3% of GDP (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 29

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 1
2438 to 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 3
914 to 1523 m: 3 (1995 est.)
Under 914 m: 29

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: Natural gas 225 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: Limited for commercial traffic

Merchant marine
Total: 40
Ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 27, chemical tanker 1, container 3, oil tanker 2, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2 (1995 est.) Airports:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: Transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to the U.K. and Netherlands