Statistical information Ireland 1997

Ireland in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 8 00 W
Map reference:
EuropeAreaTotal: 70,280 km²
Land: 68,890 km²
Water: 1,390 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundariesTotal: 360 km
Border countries: (1) UK 360 kmCoastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claimsContinental 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Carrauntoohill 1,041 m
Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver
Land useArable land: 13%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 68%
Forests and woodland: 5%
Other: 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: NA
GeographyNote: 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
top of pagePopulation: 3,606,952 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: -0.33% (1997 est.)
NationalityNoun: 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: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 23% (male 415,747; female 393,181)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,203,792; female 1,185,935)
65 years and over: 11% (male 173,566; female 234,731) (July 1997 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: -0.33% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 13.43 births/1000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 8.6 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.49 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 6.1 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 75.98 years
Male: 73.24 years
Female: 78.89 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98% (1981 est.)
Male: NA%
Female: NA%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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 areasIndependence: 6 December 1921 (from UK)
National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite
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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990)
Head of government: Prime Minister John BRUTON (since 15 December 1994)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 9 November 1990 (next to be held NA November 1997); prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president
Election results: Mary Bourke ROBINSON elected president; percent of vote - Mary Bourke ROBINSON 52.8%, Brian LENIHAN 47.2%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats, 49 elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote and proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held NA February 1992 (next to be held NA February 1997); House of Representatives - last held 25 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1997)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fianna Fail 26, Fine Gael 16, Labor 9, Progressive Democrats 2, Democratic Left 1, independents 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - 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 by party - Fianna Fail 68, Fine Gael 45, Labor Party 33, Progressive Democrats 10, Democratic Left 4, Greens 1, independents 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president on the advice of the government (prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dermot A. GALLAGHER (will return to Dublin in July)
In the us chancery: 2,234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462-3,939
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-5,993
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Kennedy SMITH
From the us embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [353] (1) 6,688,777
From the us FAX: [353] (1) 6,689,946
Flag description
: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of 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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The economy is small and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 38% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 26% 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. Since the 1980s, 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.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,800 (1996 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 8.9%
Industry: 38.6%
Services: 52.5% (1994)
Agriculture products: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; meat and dairy products
Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal
Industrial production growth rate: 8.9% (1995 est.)
Labor forceTotal: 1.474 million (1996 est.)
By occupation services: 62.3%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 26.0%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 10.6%
By occupation utilities: 1.1% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.9% (April 1996)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $22.6 billion
Expenditures: $23.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.3 billion (1995)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsTotal value: $43.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live animals, animal products
Partners: EU 70% (UK 26%, Germany 14%, France 9%), US 6%
ImportsTotal value: $32.7 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
Commodities: food, animal feed, data processing equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing
Partners: EU 58% (UK 37%, Germany 7%, France 4%), US 17%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $17.5 billion (1995)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Irish pounds (£Ir) per US$1 - 0.6123 (January 1997), 0.6248 (1996), 0.6235 (1995), 0.6676 (1994), 0.6816 (1993), 0.5864 (1992)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 3.62 million kW (1994)
Production: 17.9 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 4,343 kWh (1995 est.)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 900,000 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay
Domestic: microwave radio relay
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $618 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 1.3% (1994)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 40 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 37
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
With paved runways under 914 m: 29 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (1996 est.)
HeliportsPipelines: natural gas 225 km
RailwaysTotal: 1,947 km
Broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified; 485 km double track) (1996)
RoadwaysWaterways: limited for commercial traffic
Merchant marineTotal: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 130,029 GRT/148,516 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 27, chemical tanker 2, container 5, oil tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3 (1996 est.)
Ports and terminalsIreland - Transnational issues 1997
top of pageDisputes international: Northern Ireland question with the UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; transshipment point for heroin and cocaine