Ireland
Background
A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for the 26 southern counties; the six northern counties (Ulster) remained part of Great Britain. 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, approved in 1998, was implemented the following year.
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A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for the 26 southern counties; the six northern counties (Ulster) remained part of Great Britain. 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, approved in 1998, was implemented the following year.
Geography
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: 70,280 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
slightly larger than West Virginia
Border countries
United Kingdom
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
Land use
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 68%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 14% (1993 est.)
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
People
Population: 3,840,838 (July 2001 est.)
Population growth rate
1.12% (2001 est.)
Birth rate
14.57 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate
8.07 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate
5.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.99 years
male: 74.23 years
female: 79.93 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.9 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Nationality
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish
Ethnic groups
Celtic, English
Religions
Roman Catholic 91.6%
Church of Ireland 2.5%
other 5.9% (1998)
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: 98% (1981 est.)
male: Not Applicable
female: Not Applicable
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland
Government type
republic
Capital
Dublin
Independence
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
National holiday
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Economy
Overview
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 9% in 1995-2000. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 38% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. 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. The Irish economy is in danger of overheating, with the tight labor market driving up wage demands and inflation.
GDP by sector
agriculture: 4%
industry: 38%
services: 58% (1999)
Population below poverty line
10% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate
5.6% (2000)
Labor force: 1.82 million (2000 est.)
agriculture: 8%
services: 64%
industry: 28%
Unemployment rate
4.1% (2000)
Communications
Telephones: 1.59 million (2001)
Mobile Phones: 2 million (2001)
Radios: 2.55 million (1997)
Televisions: 1.82 million (2001)
Internet users: 1 million (2001)
Transportation
Railways: total: 1,947 km
Highways: total: 92,500 km
Waterways: 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998)
Airports: 44 (2000 est.)
