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Background:
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 Celtic
tribes settled on the island from 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
United Kingdom. In 1948 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, known as the Good
Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented
with some difficulties. |
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Location:
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Western
Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the
North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total:
70,280 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
larger than West Virginia |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
360 km
border countries: UK 360 km |
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Coastline:
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1,448
km |
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Climate:
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temperate
maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters,
cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time |
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Terrain:
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mostly
level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and
low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m |
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Natural resources:
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natural
gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum,
limestone, dolomite |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 19.49%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 80.47% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq
km |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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water
pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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3,969,558 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
21% (male 430,905; female 404,218)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,342,233; female 1,337,580)
65 years and over: 11.5% (male 199,379; female 255,243)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
33.4 years
male: 32.6 years
female: 34.2 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.16% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.47
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.91 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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4.99 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.5
deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 6.04 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 77.36 years
male: 74.74 years
female: 80.15 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,400 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100
(2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish |
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Ethnic groups:
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Celtic, English |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic
91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998) |
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Languages:
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English is the
language generally used, Irish (Gaelic) spoken mainly in areas
located along the western seaboard |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.)
male: NA
female: NA |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Dublin |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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6 December 1921
(from UK by treaty) |
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National holiday:
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Saint Patrick's
Day, 17 March |
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Constitution:
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29 December 1937;
adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite |
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Legal system:
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based on English
common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts;
judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since
26 June 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with
previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the
House of Representatives
election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president;
percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the
Progressive Democrats
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
seven-year term; election last held 31 October 1997 (next to
be held NA November 2004); prime minister nominated by the
House of Representatives and appointed by the president |
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Legislative branch:
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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)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor
Party 5, Progressive Democrats 4, independents and others 6;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fianna
Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein
6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party 3.8%, others
10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31, Labor
Party 21, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6, Sinn Fein 5,
others 14
elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next
to be held by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held
17 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court
(judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime
minister and cabinet) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Fianna Fail [Bertie
AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [Trevor SARGENT];
Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats [Mary HARNEY];
Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The
Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY
chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and
San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador James C. KENNY
embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777
FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946 |
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Economy - overview:
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Ireland
is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth
averaging a robust 8% in 1995-2002. The global slowdown,
especially in the information technology sector, pressed
growth down to 2.1% in 2003. Agriculture, once the most
important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services.
Industry accounts for 46% of GDP and about 80% of exports and
employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the
primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also
benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and
business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the
four big European economies. Over the past decade, the Irish
Government has implemented a series of national economic
programs designed to curb inflation, reduce government
spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign
investment. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency
system in January 1999 along with 10 other EU nations. |
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GDP:
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purchasing
power parity - $117 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.1%
(2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing
power parity - $29,800 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
5%
industry: 46%
services: 49% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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10%
(1997 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.7%
(2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.8
million (2001) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
8%, industry 29%, services 64% (2002 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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5%
(2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$30.7 billion
expenditures: $30.5 billion, including capital
expenditures of $5.5 billion (2002) |
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Industries:
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food
products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass
and crystal; software |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4%
(2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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23.53
billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 95.9%
hydro: 2.3%
other: 1.7% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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21.63
billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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285
million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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38
million kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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174,400
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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815
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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4.199
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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turnips,
barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products |
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Exports:
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$98.31
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live
animals, animal products (1999) |
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Exports - partners:
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UK
23.3%, US 16.7%, Belgium 14.6%, Germany 7.3%, France 5% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$57.54
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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data
processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,
chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles,
clothing |
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Imports - partners:
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UK
41.1%, US 15.3%, Germany 6.8% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$11
billion (1998) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA,
$283 million (2001) |
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Currency:
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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 |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros
per US dollar - 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09
(2000), 0.94 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1.975 million
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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3 million (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: modern digital system using cable and
microwave radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay
international: country code - 353; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 9, FM 106,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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4 (many low-power
repeaters) (2001) |
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Internet country code:
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.ie |
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Internet hosts:
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136,487 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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1.065 million
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
3,312 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the
Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and
briquetting plants) (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
92,500 km
paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,457 km (2000 est.) |
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Waterways:
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700 km (limited
facilities for commercial traffic) (1998) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,795 km
(2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Arklow, Cork,
Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross,
Waterford |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 35
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 288,401 GRT/383,628 DWT
registered in other countries: 18 (2003 est.)
foreign-owned: Germany 3, Italy 7, Norway 2
by type: bulk 7, cargo 22, chemical tanker 1, container
3, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1 |
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Airports:
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36 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 16
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 6 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 17 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army (including
Naval Service and Air Corps) |
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Military manpower - military age:
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17 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 1,029,525 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 827,811 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
30,083 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$700 million
(FY00/01) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.9% (FY00/01) |
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Disputes - international:
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disputes with
Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands
continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment
point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK
and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;
minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related
money laundering using bureaux de change, trusts, shell
companies involving the offshore financial community remains a
concern |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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