Map of Ireland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. Norman invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. The Irish famine of the mid-19th century saw the population of the island drop by one third through starvation and emigration. For more than a century after that the population of the island continued to fall only to begin growing again in the 1960s. Over the last 50 years Ireland's high birthrate has made it demographically one of the youngest populations in the EU. The modern Irish state traces its origins to the failed 1916 Easter Monday Uprising that touched off several years of guerrilla warfare resulting in independence from the UK in 1921 for 26 southern counties; six northern counties remained part of the UK. Unresolved issues in Northern Ireland erupted into years of violence known as the 'Troubles' that began in the 1960s. The Government of Ireland was part of a process along with the UK and US Governments that helped broker what is known as The Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998. This initiated a new phase of cooperation between the Irish and British Governments. Ireland was neutral in World War II and continues its policy of military neutrality. Ireland joined the European Community in 1973 and the euro zone currency union in 1999. The economic boom years of the Celtic Tiger (1995-2007) saw rapid economic growth which came to an abrupt end in 2008 with the meltdown of the Irish banking system. Today the economy is recovering fueled by large and growing foreign direct investment especially from US multi-nationals.


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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: 53 00 N 8 00 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 70,273 km²
Land: 68,883 km²
Water: 1390 km²
Rank: 120
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 443 km
Border countries: (1) UK 443 km

Coastline: 1448 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Carrauntoohil 1041 m

Natural resources: natural gas peat copper lead zinc silver barite gypsum limestone dolomite

Land use
Agricultural land: 66.1%
Forest: 10.9%
Other: 23%

Irrigated land: 11 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 52 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin


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Population: 4,892,305 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 123
Growth rate: 1.25% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 94
Below poverty line: 5.5% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Irishman Irishwoman(women) Irish (collective plural)
Adjective: Irish

Ethnic groups: Irish 84.5% other white 9.8% Asian 1.9% black 1.4% mixed and other 0.9% unspecified 1.6% (2011 est.)

Languages: English (official the language generally used) Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official spoken by approximately 38.7% of the population as a first or second language in 2011; mainly spoken in areas along the western coast)

Religions: Roman Catholic 84.7% Church of Ireland 2.7% other Christian 2.7% Muslim 1.1% other 1.7% unspecified 1.5% none 5.7% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.5%
15-24 years: 11.84%
25-54 years: 43.82%
55-64 years: 10.23%
65 years and over: 12.61% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 53.7%
Youth dependency ratio: 33.5%
Elderly dependency ratio: 20.2%
Potential support ratio: 5%

Median age
Total: 36.1 years
Male: 35.8 years
Female: 36.4 years

Population growth rate: 1.25% (2015 est.)
Rank: 94

Birth rate: 14.84 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 132

Death rate: 6.48 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 150

Net migration rate: 4.09 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 31

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 63.2% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.58% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: DUBLIN (capital) 1.169 million (2015)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution especially of lakes from agricultural runoff
International agreements party to: Air Pollution Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.07 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.32 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 198

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.68 years
Male: 78.39 years
Female: 83.11 years
Rank: 31

Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 123

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 64.8%
Note: percent of women aged 18-49

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.67 physicians/1000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.28% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 87
People living with hivaids: 8,000 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 102
Deaths: 100 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 122

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27% (2014)
Rank: 57

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.2% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 31

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 19 years
Male: 19 years
Female: 18 years

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: republic parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Dublin
Geographic coordinates: 53 19 N 6 14 W
Time difference: UTC 0
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 28 counties and 3 cities*; Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Cork* Donegal Dublin* Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Fingal Galway Galway* Kerry Kildare Kilkenny Laois Leitrim Limerick Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon Sligo South Dublin Tipperary Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 December 1921 (from the UK by treaty)

National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day 17 March

Constitution: previous 1922; latest drafted 14 June 1937 adopted by plebiscite 1 July 1937 effective 29 December 1937; amended many times last in 2015 (2015)

Legal system: common law system based on the English model but substantially modified by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Dual citizenship recognized: yes

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Michael D. HIGGINS
Head of government: Taoiseach Enda KENNY (since 9 March 2011)
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister appointed by the president approved by the lower house of Parliament
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by majority popular vote for a 7-year term ; election last held on 29 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); taoiseach (prime minister) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann) appointed by the president
Election results: Michael D. HIGGINS elected president; percent of vote - Michael D. HIGGINS 39.6% Sean GALLAGHER (independent) 28.5% Martin MCGUINNESS (Sinn Fein) 13.7% Gay MITCHELL (Fine Gael) 6.4% David NORRIS (independent) 6.2% other 5.6%

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann and the Parliament or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held in 27 April 2011 ; House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2011 (next to be held probably in 2016)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fine Gael 19 Fianna Fail 14 Labor Party 12 Sinn Fein 3 independent 12; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fine Gael 36.1% Labor Party 19.5% Fianna Fail 17.5% Sinn Fein 9.9% United Left Alliance 2.6% independent and other 14.4%; seats by party - Fine Gael 76 Labor Party 37 Fianna Fail 20 Sinn Fein 14 United Left Alliance 5 independent 14

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court of Ireland
Judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the prime minister and Cabinet and appointed by the president; chief justice serves in the position for 7 years; judges can serve until age 70
Subordinate courts: High Court Court of Appeal; circuit and district courts; criminal courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) Australia Group BIS CD CE EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU ESA EU FAO FATF IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINURSO MONUSCO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA PFP UN UNCTAD UNDOF UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNOCI UNRWA UNTSO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Anne Colette ANDERSON
In the us chancery: 2,234 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 462-3,939
In the us FAX: [1] 232-5,993
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Austin Boston Chicago New York San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin F. O'MALLEY
From the us embassy: 42 Elgin Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [353] 668-8,777
From the us FAX: [353] 668-9,946

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) white and orange; officially the flag colors have no meaning but a common interpretation is that the green represents the Irish nationalist (Gaelic) tradition of Ireland; orange represents the Orange tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange); white symbolizes peace (or a lasting truce) between the green and the orange
Note: similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange 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: harp shamrock (trefoil); national colors: blue green

National anthem
Name: 'Amhran na bhFiann'
Lyrics and music: Peadar KEARNEY [English] Liam O RINN [Irish]/Patrick HEENEY and Peadar KEARNEY
Note: adopted 1926; instead of 'Amhran na bhFiann' the song 'Ireland's Call' is often used at athletic events where citizens of Ireland and Northern Ireland compete as a unified team

National heritage


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Economy overview: Ireland is a small modern trade-dependent economy. Ireland was among the initial group of 12 EU nations that began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002. GDP growth averaged 6% in 1995-2007 but economic activity dropped sharply during the world financial crisis and the subsequent collapse of its domestic property market and construction industry. Faced with sharply reduced revenues and a burgeoning budget deficit from efforts to stabilize its fragile banking sector the Irish Government introduced the first in a series of draconian budgets in 2009. These measures were not sufficient to stabilize Ireland’s public finances. In 2010 the budget deficit reached 32.4% of GDP - the world's largest deficit as a percentage of GDP. In late 2010 the former COWEN government agreed to a $92 billion loan package from the EU and IMF to help Dublin recapitalize Ireland’s banking sector and avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. In March 2011 the KENNY government intensified austerity measures to meet the deficit targets under Ireland's EU-IMF bailout program. In late 2013 Ireland formally exited its EU-IMF bailout program benefiting from its strict adherence to deficit-reduction targets and success in refinancing a large amount of banking-related debt. In 2014 the economy rapidly picked up and GDP grew by 3.6%. The recovering economy assisted lowering the deficit to 4.2% of GDP. In late 2014 the government introduced a fiscally neutral budget marking the end of the austerity program. In the wake of the collapse of the construction sector and the downturn in consumer spending and business investment the export sector dominated by foreign multinationals has become an even more important component of Ireland's economy. Ireland’s low corporation tax of 12.5% has been central to encouraging business investment. Loose tax residency requirements made Ireland a common destination for international firms seeking to avoid taxation. Amid growing international pressure the government announced it would phase in more stringent tax laws effectively closing a loophole.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 61

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 51

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 21

Gross national saving:
Rank: 62

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 47%
Government consumption: 14.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 19.3%
Investment in inventories: 1%
Exports of goods and services: 113.7%
Imports of goods and services: -95.4%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.6%
Industry: 25.6%
Services: 72.8%

Agriculture products: barley potatoes wheat; beef dairy products

Industries: pharmaceuticals chemicals computer hardware and software food products beverages and brewing; medical devices

Industrial production growth rate: 6.8% (2014 est.)
Rank: 23

Labor force: 2.157 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 121
By occupation agriculture: 5%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 76%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 125

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 5.5% (2009 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.9%
Highest 10: 27.2%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 98

Budget
Revenues: $85.97 billion
Expenditures: $96.11 billion
Surplus or deficit: -4% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 150

Taxes and other revenues: 34.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 68

Public debt:
Note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds such as for retirement medical care and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Rank: 11

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 34

Central bank discount rate:
Note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Rank: 136

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 167

Stock of narrow money:
Note: see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Rank: 27

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 38

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 31

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 42

Current account balance:
Rank: 28

Exports:
Rank: 33
Commodities: machinery and equipment computers chemicals medical devices pharmaceuticals; foodstuffs animal products
Partners: US 20.6% UK 16% Belgium 14.1% Germany 6.8% Switzerland 6.3% France 5.6% Netherlands 4.1% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 38
Commodities: data processing equipment other machinery and equipment chemicals petroleum and petroleum products textiles clothing
Partners: UK 38.8% US 10.3% Germany 8.5% Netherlands 6.2% China 4% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 124

Debt external:
Rank: 148

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 11

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 10

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 25.85 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 69
Consumption: 24.24 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 69
Exports: 388 million kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 72
Imports: 2.508 billion kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 55
Installed generating capacity: 8.759 million kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 63
Generation sources fossil fuels: 71% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 105
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 84
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 132
Generation sources other renewable sources: 23% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 11

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 128
Crude oil exports: 4,866 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 73
Crude oil imports: 66,490 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 52
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 127

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 57,790 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 78
Products consumption: 142,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 67
Products exports: 23,020 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 70
Products imports: 105,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 50

Natural gas
Production: 152 million m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 79
Consumption: 4.408 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 62
Exports: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 91
Imports: 4.246 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 33
Proven reserves: 9.911 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 80

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 35.49 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 72

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2.02 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42
Fixed lines rank: 57
Mobile cellular total: 4.9 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 101
Mobile cellular rank: 119

Telephone system
General assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay
Domestic: system privatized but dominated by former state monopoly operator; increasing levels of broadband access particularly in urban areas
International: country code - 353; landing point for the Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US Canada and UK; satellite earth stations - 81

Broadcast media: publicly owned broadcaster Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) operates 2 TV stations; commercial TV stations are available; about 75% of households utilize multi-channel satellite and TV services that provide access to a wide range of stations; RTE operates 4 national radio stations and has launched digital audio broadcasts on several stations; a number of commercial broadcast stations operate at the national regional and local levels (2014)

Internet
Country code: .ie
Users total: 3.9 million
Users percent of population: 81.6%
Users rank: 79

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 126

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service recruits to the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF; 18-27 years of age for the Naval Service); 18-28 for cadetship (officer) applicants; 18-35 years of age for the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF); maximum obligation 12 years (PDF officers) 5 years (PDF enlisted) 3 years RDF (4 years for Naval Service Reserves); EU citizenship refugee status or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2014)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 40 (2013)
Rank: 105
With paved runways total: 16
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 5
With unpaved runways total: 24
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways: 21 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 2,147 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 3,237 km
Broad gauge: 1872 km 1.600-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1365 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 54

Roadways
Total: 96,036 km
Paved: 96,036 km (2014)
Rank: 49

Waterways: 956 km (pleasure craft only) (2010)
Rank: 67

Merchant marine
Total: 31
By type: cargo 28 chemical tanker 2 container 1
Foreign owned: 5
Registered in other countries: 33 (2010)
Rank: 84

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Dublin Shannon Foynes
River port: Cork Waterford (Suir)
Container port: Dublin (1,931,001)


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Disputes international: Ireland Iceland and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 99

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; increasing consumption of South American cocaine; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation narcotics-related money laundering - using bureaux de change trusts and shell companies involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern