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.

Land boundaries: 360 km with UK

Coastline: 1,448 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 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

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

Land use: 14% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 71% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 10% other

Population: 3,550,352 (July 1989), growth rate 0.2% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.; adjective - Irish

Ethnic groups: Celtic, with English minority

Languages: Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard

Religions: 94% Roman Catholic, 4% Anglican, 2% other

Birth rate: 16 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 9 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation

Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1989)

Literacy: 99%

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of 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

Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK)

National holiday: St. Patrick's Day, 17 March

Constitution: 29 December 1937; Constitution adopted 1937

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

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State - President Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY (since 3 December 1976; Head of Government - Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as prime minister)

Legislative branch: Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps

International organization participation: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC - International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2,234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 462-3,939; there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco; US - Ambassador Margaret M. O. HECKLER; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone Õ353å (1) 688,777

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast 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

Economy overview: The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 35% of GNP and about 80% of exports and employs 20% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to about 2% in 1988. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, is a serious problem. A 1988 unemployment rate of 18.5% placed Ireland second only to Spain as the country with the worst jobless record in Western Europe.

Agriculture products: livestock and dairy products, turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; 85% self-sufficient; food shortages - grains, fruits, vegetables

Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal

Industrial production growth rate: 5.6% (1988)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 18.5% (1988)

Budget: revenues $12.3 billion; expenditures $14.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.1 billion (1988 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $17.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: live animals, animal products, chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery
Partners: EC 74% (UK 34%, FRG 11%, France 9%), US 8%

Imports: $14.6 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: food, animal feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing
Partners: EC 66% (UK 42%, FRG 8%, France 4%), US 17%

Debt external: $16.4 billion (1987)

Exchange rates: Irish pounds (LIr) per US$1 - 0.6856 (January 1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 4,647,000 kW capacity; 13,794 million kWh produced, 3,890 kWh per capita (1988)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $169 million, 4.3% of central government budget (1987 est.)

Airports: 40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: natural gas, 225 km

Waterways: limited for commercial traffic

Merchant marine: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 115,779 GRT/138,411 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 28 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 5 bulk

Disputes international: maritime boundary with the UK; 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)