| Ireland |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Ireland | Introduction | Top of Page

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.

Ireland | Geography | Top of Page

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

Map references: | Europe

Area: | total: 70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 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: | continental shelf: not specified 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

Land use: | arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 68% forests and woodland: 5% other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | NA

Environment - current issues: | water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation

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

Ireland | People | Top of Page

Population: | 3,840,838 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 21.57% (male 425,328; female 403,204) 15-64 years: 67.08% (male 1,290,002; female 1,286,312) 65 years and over: 11.35% (male 188,868; female 247,124) (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.)

Net migration rate: | 4.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 2,200 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (1999 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: NA% female: NA%

Ireland | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland

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

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 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 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 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

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) elections: Senate - last held NA August 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); House of Representatives - last held 6 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 29, Fine Gael 16, Labor Party 4, Progressive Democrats 4, others 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 76, Fine Gael 53, Labor Party 19, Progressive Democrats 4, Democratic Left 4, Green Alliance 2, Sinn Fein 1, independents 7; note - seats by party in the House of Representatives as of 1 January 2001 were as follows: Fianna Fail 76, Fine Gael 54, Labor Party 21, Progressive Democrats 4, Green Alliance 2, Socialist Party 1, Sinn Fein 1, independents 7

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet)

Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Left [Proinsias DE ROSSA]; Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Michael NOONAN]; Green Party [Mary BOWERS]; Labor Party [Ruairi QUINN]; Progressive Democrats [Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Tom FRENCH]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Sean O'HUIGINN chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939 FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. SULLIVAN embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [353] (1) 668-7122/668-8777 FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946

Flag description: | three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; 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

Ireland | Economy | Top of Page

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: | purchasing power parity - $81.9 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 9.9% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $21,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 4% industry: 38% services: 58% (1999)

Population below poverty line: | 10% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 5.6% (2000)

Labor force: | 1.82 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: | services 64%, industry 28%, agriculture 8% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: | 4.1% (2000)

Budget: | revenues: $25.7 billion expenditures: $19.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2 billion (2000)

Industries: | food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal; software

Industrial production growth rate: | 14% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: | 19.542 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 94.42% hydro: 4.23% nuclear: 0% other: 1.35% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 18.414 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 50 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 290 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products

Exports: | $73.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products

Exports - partners: | EU 59% (UK 19%, Germany 9%, France 7%), US 20% (2000)

Imports: | $45.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing

Imports - partners: | EU 54% (UK 29%, Germany 6%, France 5%), US 18%, Japan 5%, Singapore 4% (2000)

Debt - external: | $11 billion (1998)

Economic aid - donor: | ODA, $245 million (2000)

Currency: | Irish pound (IEP); euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Ireland at a fixed rate of 0.787564 Irish pounds per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code: | IEP; EUR

Exchange rates: | Irish pounds per US dollar - 1.0658 (January 2001), 1.0823 (2000), 0.9374 (1999), 0.7014 (1998), 0.6588 (1997), 0.6248 (1996)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Ireland | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 1.59 million (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 2 million (2001)

Telephone system: | general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay domestic: microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | 2.55 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)

Televisions: | 1.82 million (2001)

Internet country code: | .ie

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 22 (2000)

Internet users: | 1 million (2001)

Ireland | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 1,947 km broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (38 km electrified; 485 km double track) (1998)

Highways: | total: 92,500 km paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: | 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998)

Pipelines: | natural gas 7,592 km (transmission 1,158 km; distribution 6,434 km) (2000)

Ports and harbors: | Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford

Merchant marine: | total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 115,554 GRT/135,391 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 22, container 2, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 44 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.)

Ireland | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (Garda Siochana)

Military manpower - military age: | 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,004,469 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 809,808 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 32,287 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $738 million (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.75% (2001 est.)

Ireland | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | Northern Ireland issue with the UK (historic peace agreement signed 10 April 1998); disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM

Illicit drugs: | 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