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more about ireland
ireland |
2 definitions found From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Ireland n 1: a republic occupying most of the island of Ireland [syn: {Ireland}, {Republic of Ireland}, {Irish Republic}, {Eire}, {Irish Free State}] 2: an island comprising the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland [syn: {Ireland}, {Hibernia}, {Emerald Isle}] From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Ireland Ireland:Geography Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain Map references: Europe Area: total area: 70,280 sq km land area: 68,890 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia Land boundaries: total 360 km UK 360 km Coastline: 1,448 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Northern Ireland question with the UK Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area) 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 Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver Land use: arable land: 14% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 71% forest and woodland: 5% other: 10% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Desertification Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation Note: strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 60 miles of Dublin Ireland:People Population: 3,550,448 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (female 415,640; male 440,468) 15-64 years: 64% (female 1,125,638; male 1,155,823) 65 years and over: 12% (female 237,098; male 175,781) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 0.33% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 14.04 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 8.48 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: -2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.99 years male: 73.15 years female: 79 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(men), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish Ethnic divisions: Celtic, English Religions: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981) Languages: Irish (Gaelic), spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard, English is the language generally used Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.) total population: 98% Labor force: 1.37 million by occupation: services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 28%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 13.5%, energy and mining 1.5% (1992) Ireland:Government Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland Digraph: EI 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) National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day 17 March Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebescite 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 Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990); election last held 9 November 1990 (next to be held November 1997); results - Mary Bourke ROBINSON 52.8%, Brian LENIHAN 47.2% head of government: Prime Minister John BRUTON (since 15 December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by president with previous nomination of the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) Senate (Seanad Eireann): elections last held NA February 1992 (next to be held NA February 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 26, Fine Gael 16, Labor 9, Progressive Democrats 2, Democratic Left 1, independents 6 House of Representatives (Dail Eireann): elections last held on 25 November 1992 (next to be held by November 1997); results - Fianna Fail 39.1%, Fine Gael 24.5%, Labor Party 19.3%, Progressive Democrats 4.7%, Democratic Left 2.8%, Sinn Fein 1.6%, Workers' Party 0.7%, independents 5.9%; seats - (166 total) Fianna Fail 68, Fine Gael 45, Labor Party 33, Progressive Democrats 10 Democratic Left 4, Greens 1, independents 5 Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: Democratic Left Proinsias DE ROSSA; Fianna Fail Bertie AHERN; Labor Party, Richard SPRING; Fine Gael, John BRUTON; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'RIORDAN; Sinn Fein, Gerry ADAMS; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'MALLEY; The Workers' Party, Marion DONNELLY; Green Alliance, Bronwen MAHER note: Prime Minister BRUTON heads a three-party coalition consisting of the Fine Gael, the Labor Party, and the Democratic Left Member of: Australia Group BIS, CCC, CE EBRD, EC ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO MTCR, NEA, NSG, OECD ONUSAL OSCE, UN UNCTAD UNESCO, UNFICYP UNIDO UNIFIL, UNIKOM UNOMOZ UNOSOM UNPROFOR UNTSO UPU, WEU (observer), WHO WIPO, WMO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dermot A. GALLAGHER chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Kennedy SMITH embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge Dublin mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [353] (1) 6687122 FAX: [353] (1) 6689946 Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the 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 Economy Overview: The economy is small and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 37% of GDP, 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. Ireland has substantially reduced its external debt since 1987, to 40% of GDP in 1994. Over the same period, inflation has fallen sharply and chronic trade deficits have been transformed into annual surpluses. Unemployment remains a serious problem, however, and job creation is the main focus of government policy. To ease unemployment, Dublin aggressively courts foreign investors and recently created a new industrial development agency to aid small indigenous firms. Government assistance is constrained by Dublin's continuing deficit reduction measures. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $49.8 billion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: 5.5% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $14,060 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (1994 est.) Unemployment rate: 16% (1994 est.) Budget: revenues: $16 billion expenditures: $16.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994) Exports: $28 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live animals, animal products partners: EU 75% (UK 32%, Germany 13%, France 10%), US 9% Imports: $26 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: food, animal feed, data processing equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing partners: EU 66% (UK 41%, Germany 8%, France 4%), US 15% External debt: $20 billion (1994 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 8.5% (1994 est.); accounts for 37% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 3,930,000 kW production: 14.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,938 kWh (1993) Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; principal crops - turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock - meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables Illicit drugs: transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands Economic aid: donor: ODA commitments (1980-89), $90 million Currency: 1 Irish pound (#Ir) = 100 pence Exchange rates: Irish pounds (#Ir) per US$1 - 0.6420 (January 1995), 0.6676 (1994), 0.6816 (1993), 0.5864 (1992), 0.6190 (1991), 0.6030 (1990) Fiscal year: calendar year Ireland:Transportation Railroads: total: 1,947 km broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (36 km electrified; 485 km double track) Highways: total: 92,327 km paved: 86,787 km (32 km of expressways) unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 5,540 km (1992) Inland waterways: limited for commercial traffic Pipelines: natural gas 225 km Ports: Arklow Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford Merchant marine: total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 129,996 GRT/160,419 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 33, chemical tanker 2, container 2, oil tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2 Airports: total: 44 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 32 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4 Ireland:Communications Telephone system: 900,000 telephones; modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay local: NA intercity: microwave radio relay international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station Radio: broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 45, shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 86 televisions: NA Ireland:Defense Forces Branches: Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (Garda Siochana) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 926,831; males fit for military service 749,646; males reach military age (17) annually 34,215 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $500 million, 1.3% of GDP (1994)
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