World Facts Index > Ireland > Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Killarney, Limerick, Sligo, Tralee
 Celtic
tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that
began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated
the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more
than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and
harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several
years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for
26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In
1949, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European
Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of
Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace
settlement for Northern Ireland is being implemented with some difficulties. In
2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St.
Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.
Geography of Ireland
|
Location:
|
Western Europe, occupying
five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west
of Great Britain |
|
Coordinates:
|
53 00 N, 8 00 W |
|
Area:
|
total: 70,280 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly larger than West
Virginia |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 360 km
border countries: UK 360 km |
|
Coastline:
|
1,448 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
zinc, lead, natural gas,
barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver |
|
Environment current issues:
|
water pollution, especially
of lakes, from agricultural runoff |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location on major
air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40%
of the population resides within 97 km of Dublin
|
Population of Ireland
|
Population:
|
4,156,119 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 20.9% (male 437,903/female 409,774)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 1,373,771/female 1,370,452)
65 years and over: 11.6% (male 207,859/female 262,476) |
|
Median age:
|
34 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
1.15% |
|
Infant mortality:
|
5.31 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 77.73 years
male: 75.11 years
female: 80.52 years |
|
Fertility rate:
|
1.86 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Irishman(men),
Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Celtic, English |
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other
Christian 1.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% |
|
Languages:
|
English is the language generally used,
Irish (Gaelic) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 99%
|
Government
|
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
note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province |
|
Independence:
|
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty) |
|
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 |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since
11 November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Brian COWEN (since 7 May 2008)
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 (eligible for
a second term); election last held 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for October
2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to a second term when no other candidate
qualified for the 2004 presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach)
nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president. |
|
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 popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year
terms). |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the
president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet) |
Economy
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging
6% in 1995-2007. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed
by industry and services. Although the exports sector, dominated by foreign
multinationals, remains a key component of Ireland's economy, construction has
most recently fueled economic growth along with strong consumer spending and
business investment. Property prices have risen more rapidly in Ireland in the
decade up to 2006 than in any other developed world economy. Per capita GDP is
40% above that of the four big European economies and the second highest in
the EU behind Luxembourg, and in 2007 surpassed that of the United States. The
Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic programs
designed to curb price and wage inflation, invest in infrastructure, increase
labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. A slowdown in the property
market, more intense global competition, and increased costs, however, have
compelled government economists to lower Ireland's growth forecast slightly
for 2008. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with
11 other EU nations.
|
GDP:
|
$191.6 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
4.7% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$46,600 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 5%
industry: 46%
services: 49% ( |
|
Inflation rate:
|
2.4% |
|
Labor force:
|
2.03 million |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 64% |
|
Unemployment:
|
4.3% (2005 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $70.46 billion
expenditures: $69.4 billion |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 95.9%
hydro: 2.3%
other: 1.7%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Industries:
|
steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum
mining processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship
construction and refurbishment; glass and crystal; software, tourism |
|
Agriculture:
|
turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy
products |
|
Exports:
|
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products |
|
Export partners:
|
US 19.3%, UK 16.9%, Belgium 14.8%, Germany 7.3%, France
6.3%, Netherlands 4.9%, Italy 4.2% |
|
Imports:
|
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,
chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing |
|
Import partners:
|
US 19.3%, UK 16.9%, Belgium 14.8%, Germany 7.3%, France
6.3%, Netherlands 4.9%, Italy 4.2% |
|
Currency:
|
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a
common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January
2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member
countries |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |