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 was responsible for a drop in the island's population by more than one quarter through starvation, disease, and emigration. For more than a century afterward, 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 (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. Deep sectarian divides between the Catholic and Protestant populations and systemic discrimination 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 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.

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: 490 km
Border countries: (1) UK 490 km

Coastline: 1448 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200
Note: 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
Mean elevation: 118 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 66.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 10.9% (2011 est.)
Other: 23% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: rare extreme weather events

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

Population
Distribution: population distribution is weighted to the eastern side of the island, with the largest concentration being in and around Dublin; populations in the west are small due to mountainous land, poorer soil, lack of good transport routes, and fewer job opportunities: 5,176,569 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 122
Growth rate: 1.04% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 100
Below poverty line: 8.2% (2013 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Irish 82.2%, Irish travelers 0.7%, other White 9.5%, Asian 2.1%, Black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)

Languages: English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 39.8% of the population as of 2016; mainly spoken in areas along Ireland's western coast known as gaeltachtai, which are officially recognized regions where Irish is the predominant language)

Religions: Roman Catholic 78.3%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Orthodox 1.3%, Muslim 1.3%, other 2.4%, none 9.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.15% (male 560,338/female 534,570)
15-24 years: 12.08% (male 316,239/female 308,872)
25-54 years: 42.19% (male 1,098,058/female 1,085,794)
55-64 years: 10.77% (male 278,836/female 278,498)
65 years and over: 13.82% (male 331,772/female 383,592) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 54.8
Youth dependency ratio: 32.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 22.6
Potential support ratio: 4.4 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 37.8 years
Male: 37.4 years
Female: 38.2 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 66

Population growth rate: 1.04% (2020 est.)
Rank: 100

Birth rate: 13 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 143

Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 133

Net migration rate: 3.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 30

Population distribution: population distribution is weighted to the eastern side of the island, with the largest concentration being in and around Dublin; populations in the west are small due to mountainous land, poorer soil, lack of good transport routes, and fewer job opportunities

Urbanization
Urban population: 63.7% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.14% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.228 million DUBLIN (capital) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff; acid rain kills plants, destroys soil fertility, and contributes to deforestation
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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 30.5 years (2018 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.6 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.2 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 194

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.2 years
Male: 78.9 years
Female: 83.7 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 36

Total fertility rate: 1.94 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 124

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 73.3% (2010)
Note: percent of women aged 18-45

Drinking water source
Urban: 3% of population
Rural: 1.9% of population
Total: 2.6% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.2% (2017)

Physicians density: 3.29 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 3 beds/1000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 2.3% of population
Rural: 1% of population
Total: 1.8% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 99
People living with hivaids: 7,500 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 112
Deaths note: <100 (2019 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25.3% (2016)
Rank: 51

Education expenditures: 3.5% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 117

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 20 years
Male: 19 years
Female: 20 years (2018)

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Ireland
Local long form: none
Local short form: Eire
Etymology: the modern Irish name Eire evolved from the Gaelic Eriu, the name of the matron goddess of Ireland (goddess of the land); the names Ireland in English and Eire in Irish are direct translations of each other

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Dublin
Geographic coordinates: 53 19 N, 6 14 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October: etymology: derived from Irish 'dubh' and 'lind' meaning respectively 'black, dark' and 'pool' and which referred to the dark tidal pool where the River Poddle entered the River Liffey; today the area is the site of the castle gardens behind Dublin Castle

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

Independence: 6 December 1921 (from the UK by the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which ended British rule); 6 December 1922 (Irish Free State established); 18 April 1949 (Republic of Ireland Act enabled)

National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March; note - marks the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, during the latter half of the fifth century A.D. (most commonly cited years are c. 461 and c. 493); although Saint Patrick's feast day was celebrated in Ireland as early as the ninth century, it only became an official public holiday in Ireland in 1903

Constitution
History: previous 1922; latest drafted 14 June 1937, adopted by plebiscite 1 July 1937, effective 29 December 1937
Amendments: proposed as bills by Parliament; passage requires majority vote by both the Senate and House of Representatives, majority vote in a referendum, and presidential signature; amended many times, last in 2019

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

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no, unless a parent of a child born in Ireland has been legally resident in Ireland for at least three of the four years prior to the birth of the child
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 4 of the previous 8 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 11 November 2011)
Head of government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál MARTIN (since 27 June 2020); note - MARTIN will serve through December 2022 and will then be succeeded by Leo VARADKAR 
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by the Dali Eireann (lower house of Parliament) 
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 October 2018 (next to be held no later than November 2025); taoiseach (prime minister) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann), appointed by the president
Election results: Michael D. HIGGINS reelected president; percent of vote - Michael D. HIGGINS (independent) 55.8%, Peter CASEY (independent) 23.3%, Sean GALLAGHER (independent) 6.4%, Liadh NI RIADA (Sinn Fein) 6.4%, Joan FREEMAN (independent) 6%, Gavin DUFFY (independent) 2.2%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Ireland (consists of the chief justice, 9 judges, 2 ex-officio members - the presidents of the High Court and Court of Appeal - and organized in 3-, 5-, or 7-judge panels, depending on the importance or complexity of an issue of law)
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: Solidarity-People Before Profit or AAAS-PBP [collective leadership]Fianna Fail [Micheal MARTIN]Fine Gael [Leo VARADKAR]Green Party [Eamon RYAN]Labor (Labour) Party (vacant)Renua Ireland (vacant)Sinn Fein [Mary Lou MCDONALD]Social Democrats [Catherine MURPHY, Roisin SHORTALL]Socialist Party [collective leadership]The Workers' Party [Michael DONNELLY]

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 Daniel Gerard MULHALL (since 8 September 2017)
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 consulate: Atlanta, Austin (TX), Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edward F. CRAWFORD (since 1 July 2019)
From the us telephone: [353] (1) 668-8,777
From the us embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us FAX: [353] (1) 688-9,946

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 (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: harp, shamrock (trefoil); national colors: blue, green

National anthem
Name: Amhran na bhFiann (The Soldiers Song)
Lyricsmusic: 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 32

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars
Rank: 9

Gross national saving:
Rank: 23

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 34% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 10.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 119.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -89.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 38.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 60.2% (2017 est.)

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: 7.8% (2017 est.)
Rank: 25

Labor force: 2.289 million (2020 est.)
Rank: 117
By occupation agriculture: 5%
By occupation industry: 11%
By occupation services: 84% (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 75

Population below poverty line: 8.2% (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.9%
Highest 10: 27.2% (2000)

Budget
Revenues: 86.04 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 87.19 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 53

Taxes and other revenues: 26% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 115

Public debt:
Note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) 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 intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental 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: 53

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 60

Current account balance:
Rank: 202

Exports:
Rank: 15
Partners: US 27.1%, UK 13.4%, Belgium 11%, Germany 8.1%, Switzerland 5.1%, Netherlands 4.9%, France 4.3% (2017)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, medical devices, pharmaceuticals; foodstuffs, animal products

Imports:
Rank: 15
Commodities: data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Partners: UK 29%, US 18.9%, France 12.1%, Germany 9.6%, Netherlands 4.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 99

Debt external:
Rank: 8

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 28.53 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 69
Consumption: 25.68 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 68
Exports: 1.583 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 48
Imports: 871 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 71
Installed generating capacity: 9.945 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 61
Generation sources fossil fuels: 65% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 116
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 112
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 138
Generation sources other renewable sources: 33% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 12

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 152
Crude oil exports: 5,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 64
Crude oil imports: 66,210 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 50
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 148

Refined petroleum
Products production: 64,970 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 76
Products consumption: 153,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption rank: 66
Products exports: 37,040 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports rank: 59
Products imports: 126,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports rank: 47

Natural gas
Production: 3.511 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 54
Consumption: 5.238 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 55
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 125
Imports: 1.642 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 55
Proven reserves: 9.911 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 79

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 36.91 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 71

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1,854,605
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36.2 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 59
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 5,398,848
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105.38 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 117

Internet
Country code: .ie
Users total: 4,283,516
Users percent of population: 84.52% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 92

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,430,160
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28 (2018 est.)
Rank: 65

Military expenditures:
Rank: 156

Military and security forces: Irish Defence Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireannn): Army (includes Army Reserve), Naval Service (includes Naval Service Reserves), Air Corps (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service recruits to the Defence Forces (18-27 years of age for the Naval Service); 18-26 for cadetship (officer) applicants; 12-year service (5 active, 7 reserves); Irish citizen, European Economic Area citizenship, or refugee status (2019)

Terrorist groups: Continuity Irish Republican Army; New Irish Republican Army (2019)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in a title='Appendix-T' href='../appendix/appendix-t.html'>Appendix-T/a>

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 9 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 450
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 167,598,633 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 168.71 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: EI (2016)

Airports: 40 (2013)
Rank: 105
With paved runways total: 16 (2019)
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 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 21 (2013)

Pipelines: 2,427 km gas (2017)

Railways
Total: 4,301 km (2018)
Narrow gauge: 1930 km
Note: 1.600-m gauge (53 km electrified) (2018)
Broad gauge: 2,371 km
Rank: 44

Roadways
Total: 99,830 km (2018)
Paved: 99,830 km
Note: (includes 2,717 km of expressways) (2018)
Rank: 48

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

Merchant marine
Total: 93
By type: bulk carrier 9general cargo 37, oil tanker 1, other 46 (2019)
Rank: 95

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Dublin, Shannon Foynes
Cruise port: Cork, Dublin
Container port: Dublin (529,563) (2016)
River port: Cork (Lee), Waterford (Suir)

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 (2019)

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