Ireland Population: 4,670,976
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| Background | |
| 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 gradually being implemented despite 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. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| Location: | Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain |
| Geographic coordinates: | 53 00 N, 8 00 W |
| Area: | total: 70,273 sq km land: 68,883 sq km water: 1,390 sq km Size comparison: slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km |
| Coastline: | 1,448 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 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: | natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite |
| Land use: | arable land: 16.82% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 83.15% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | NA |
| Current Environment Issues: | water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff |
| International Environment 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 signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation |
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| People | |
| Population: | 4,670,976 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 21.1% (male 503,921/female 483,454) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 1,581,959/female 1,560,238) 65 years and over: 11.6% (male 246,212/female 295,192) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 34.8 years male: 34.5 years female: 35.1 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.061% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 16.1 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.34 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.057 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 3.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 80.19 years male: 77.96 years female: 82.55 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.02 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.2% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 6,900 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 100 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish |
| Ethnic groups: | Irish 87.4%, other white 7.5%, Asian 1.3%, black 1.1%, mixed 1.1%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 census) |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census) |
| Languages: | English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken mainly in areas along the western coast) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland local long form: none local short form: Eire |
| Government type: | republic, parliamentary democracy |
| 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 |
| Administrative divisions: | 29 counties and 5 cities*; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Cork*, Donegal, Dublin*, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Galway*, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Limerick*, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, North Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, South Tipperary, Waterford, Waterford*, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow |
| Independence: | 6 December 1921 (from the UK by treaty) |
| National holiday: | Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March |
| Constitution: | adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937 |
| Legal system: | common law system based on the English model but substantially modified by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997) head of government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda KENNY (since 9 March 2011) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for March 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE was appointed to a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004 presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann) and appointed by the president election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6% |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members 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 lower house of Parliament or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held in July 2007 (next to be held 27 April 2011); House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2011 (next to be held probably in 2016) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fianna Fail 28, Fine Gael 14, Labor Party 6, Progressive Democrats 2, Green Party 2, Sinn Fein 1, independents 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fine Gael 45.8%, Labor Party 22.3%, Fianna Fail 12.0%, Sinn Fein 8.4%, United Left Alliance 3.0%, New Vision 0.6%, independents 7.8%; seats by party - Fine Gael 76, Labor Party 37, Fianna Fail 20, Sinn Fein 14, United Left Alliance 5, New Vision 1, independents 13; note - after November 2009 disbandment of the Progressive Democrats, the two members of the Senate continued as independent DPs note: on 8 November 2008, delegates voted to disband the Progressive Democrats, and in November 2009 it officially stopped operating as a political party |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (Court of Final Appeal) (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet); Courts of First Instance (includes High Court) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Fianna Fail [Michael MARTIN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [John GORMLEY]; Labor Party [Eamon GILMORE]; New Vision; Progressive Democrats or PD [Noel GREALISH] (formerly dissolved on 20 November 2009); Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Michael FINNEGAN]; United Left Alliance |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Families Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian MCCONNELL] (seek compensation for victims of violence); Families Against Intimidation and Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism); Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge) or CCSG (encourages the use of the Irish language and campaigns for greater civil rights in Irish speaking areas); Iona Institute [David QUINN] (a conservative Catholic think tank); Irish Anti-War Movement [Richard Boyd BARRETT] (campaigns against wars around the world); Irish Republican Army or IRA (terrorist group); Keep Ireland Open (environmental group); Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [Willie ALLEN] (transportation promoters); Peace and Neutrality Alliance [Roger COLE] (campaigns to protect Irish neutrality); Rail Users Ireland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters); 32 Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports a fully sovereign Ireland); Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group) |
| International organization participation: | ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael COLLINS chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939 FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel ROONEY 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 | |
| Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy. Ireland was among the initial group of 12 EU nations that began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002. GDP growth averaged 6% in 1995-2007, but economic activity has dropped sharply since the onset of the world financial crisis, with GDP falling by over 3% in 2008, nearly 8% in 2009, and 1% in 2010. Ireland entered into a recession in 2008 for the first time in more than a decade, with the subsequent collapse of its domestic property and construction markets. Property prices rose more rapidly in Ireland in the decade up to 2007 than in any other developed economy. Since their 2007 peak, average house prices have fallen 50%. In the wake of the collapse of the construction sector and the downturn in consumer spending and business investment, the export sector, dominated by foreign multinationals, has become a key component of Ireland's economy. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. In 2008 the COWEN government moved to guarantee all bank deposits, recapitalize the banking system, and establish partly-public venture capital funds in response to the country's economic downturn. In 2009, in continued efforts to stabilize the banking sector, the Irish Government established the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) to acquire problem commercial property and development loans from Irish banks. Faced with sharply reduced revenues and a burgeoning budget deficit, the Irish Government introduced the first in a series of draconian budgets in 2009. In addition to across-the-board cuts in spending, the 2009 budget included wage reductions for all public servants. These measures were not sufficient. In 2010, the budget deficit reached 32.4% of GDP - the world's largest deficit, as a percentage of GDP - because of additional government support for the banking sector. In late 2010, the COWEN Government agreed to a $112 billion loan package from the EU and IMF to help Dublin further increase the capitalization of its banking sector and avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. The government also initiated a four-year austerity plan to cut an additional $20 billion from its budget. A return to modest growth is expected in 2011. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $172.3 billion (2010 est.) $174.2 billion (2009 est.) $188.4 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $204.3 billion (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | -1% (2010 est.) -7.6% (2009 est.) -3.5% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $37,300 (2010 est.) $38,000 (2009 est.) $41,700 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 2% industry: 29% services: 70% (2009 est.) |
| Labor force: | 2.14 million (2010 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 5% industry: 20% services: 76% (2010 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 13.6% (2010 est.) 12.4% (2009) |
| Population below poverty line: | 5.5% (2009 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 27.2% (2000) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 29.3 (2009) 35.9 (1987) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.9% (2010 est.) -4.5% (2009 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 11.3% of GDP (2010 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $70.66 billion expenditures: $136.8 billion (2010 est.) |
| Public debt: | 96.7% of GDP (2010 est.) 65.6% of GDP (2009 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | beef, dairy products, barley, potatoes, wheat |
| Industries: | pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 7.5% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 27.28 billion kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 26.99 billion kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 290 million kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 756 million kWh (2010 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 431 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 159,700 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 17,480 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 176,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 388 million cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 5.656 billion cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 5.261 billion cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 9.911 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$1.477 billion (2010 est.) -$6.762 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $111.3 billion (2010 est.) $107.3 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products |
| Exports - partners: | US 22.1%, UK 16.1%, Belgium 15.1%, Germany 8.1%, France 5.3%, Switzerland 4.2% (2010) |
| Imports: | $61.98 billion (2010 est.) $62.22 billion (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing |
| Imports - partners: | UK 37.7%, US 13.8%, Germany 7.6%, Netherlands 5.6%, China 4.1% (2010) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $2.115 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $2.154 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $2.253 trillion (30 September 2010) $2.087 trillion (31 December 2009) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $228 billion (31 September 2010 est.) $236.2 billion (31 December 2009) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $286.2 billion (31 September 2010) $264.6 billion (31 December 2009) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $63.1 billion (31 December 2010) $61.7 billion (31 December 2009) $49.4 billion (31 December 2008) |
| Exchange rates: | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.755 (2010) 0.7198 (2009) 0.6827 (2008) 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006) |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 2.08 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 55 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 4.871 million (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay domestic: system privatized but dominated by former state monopoly operator; increasing levels of broadband access particularly in urban areas international: country code - 353; landing point for the Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US, Canada, and UK; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .ie |
| Internet hosts: | 1.339 million (2010) |
| Internet users: | 3.042 million (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 39 (2010) country comparison to the world: 105 |
| Airports (paved runways): | 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: 5 under 914 m: 5 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 21 (2010) |
| Pipelines: | gas 1,888 km (2010) |
| Railways: | total: 3,237 km broad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 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) (2008) |
| Roadways: | total: 96,036 km paved: 96,036 km (includes 896 km of expressways) (2010) |
| Waterways: | 956 km (pleasure craft only) (2010) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 28 by type: cargo 25, chemical tanker 2, container 1 foreign-owned: 5 (Norway 3, US 2) registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 3, Bermuda 2, Cyprus 3, Isle of Man 1, Kazakhstan 1, Malta 1, Netherlands 7, Panama 1, Slovakia 1, Sweden 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Cork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes, Waterford |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Irish Defense Forces (IDF; Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army, Naval Service, Air Corps (2011) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16 years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions; 17-35 years of age for the Reserve Defense Forces (RDF); maximum obligation 12 years (5 years IDF, 7 years RDF); EU citizenship or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2010) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,179,125 females age 16-49: 1,163,728 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 977,631 females age 16-49: 965,900 (2010 est.) |
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