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
Continental shelf: no precise definition
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

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

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

Population: 3,489,165 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.3% (1991)

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: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)

Birth rate: 15 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 9 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation

Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 79 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)

Literacy: 98% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none

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: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

Constitution: 29 December 1937; 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 at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990; Head of Government--Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as Prime Minister)

Legislative branch: Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (GARDA)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NEA, OECD, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

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 Richard A. MOORE; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone [353] (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 Ireland IrelandIreland

Economy overview: The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 37% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 26% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to 3.3% in 1990. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, is a serious problem. A 1990 unemployment rate of 16.6% placed Ireland along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in Western Europe.

Agriculture products: accounts for 10% of GNP and 15% of the labor force; 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: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal

Industrial production growth rate: 4.7% (1990; accounts for 37% of GDP

Labor force: 1,293,000; services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 26.1%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 15.0%, energy and mining 1.9% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 16.6% (1990)

Budget: revenues $11.3 billion; expenditures $11.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (1990)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $24.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodities: chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live animals, animal products
Partners: EC 74% (UK 34%, FRG 11%, France 10%), US 8%

Imports: $20.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodities: food, animal feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing
Partners: EC 66% (UK 41%, FRG 9%, France 4%), US 16%

Debt external: $16.0 billion (1990)

Exchange rates: Irish pounds (5Ir) per US$1--0.5656 (January 1991), 0.6030 (1990), 0.7472 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced, 4,080 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $458 million, 1.6% of GDP (1990 est.)

Airports: 40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: natural gas, 225 km

Waterways: limited for commercial traffic

Merchant marine: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 138,967 GRT/164,628 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger, 31 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6 bulk

Disputes 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)