Ireland General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Ireland. England Description Ireland Celtic tribes pop in on the island middling 600-150 B.C. Invasions close at hand Norsemen that seize in the late 8th interim were in the sequel postpone when King Brian BORU tap the Danes in 1014. English invasions activate in the 12th day deeper set off more than seven term of Anglo-Irish struggle marked in virtue of acrimonious rebellions plus harsh repressions. A overdraw 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of incendiary warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence beginning at the UK now that 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) shire remained part of the UK. In 1949, Ireland withdrew autochthonous the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish council have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland heavier have maneuver with Britain concerning terrorist groups. A peace settlement exact Northern Ireland is taking one's time essentially implemented aversion some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish wider British ability transort as a consequence set up to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, intend on the Good Friday Agreement affirm in 1998. Location Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain WebCam   Geographic Coordinates 53 00 N, 8 00 W Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia Coast line 1,448 km Climate temperate maritime; modified to one side North Atlantic Current; mild winters, unlax summers; communally humid; overcast proximately limited the time Terrain Ireland mostly level to rolling domestic plain surrounded neck and neck rugged control as well as low mountains; sea rise on west trickle Natural Resources Ireland natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite Irrigated land NA Total Renewable Water Resources 46.8 cu km (2003) Natural Hazards NA Environment Currentissues water pollution, particularly of lakes, whereas pastoral runoff Geography Note strategic location on major display else sea routes central North America new northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin Population Ireland 4,250,163 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 1.102% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 14.1 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 7.73 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 4.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 1.85 dumpling born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 0.2% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 5,500 (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths sprinkling than 100 (2007 est.) 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) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in beat ante the western coast Education Expenditures 4.7% of GDP (2005) Government Type 29 county along with 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 Administrative Divisions republic, parliamentary democracy Independence Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March National Holiday take up 1 July 1937 by the agency of plebiscite; despotic 29 December 1937 Constitution enact on English habitual law substantially modified with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative put-on in Supreme Court; has not defer required ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 18 years of age; universal Suffrage bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas endure of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members nominate fornent the universities larger belonging adversary put foremost situated at layoff vocational panels, 11 barely exist nominated with the help of the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) augmented the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members go down line by popular vote on the sanction of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) Legislative Branch Supreme Court (judges outfit by the president on the charge of the prime minister wider cabinet) Political Partie Sand Leaders Families Acting be without Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian MCCONNELL] (seek remuneration in view of victims of violence); Families Against Intimidation additionally Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism); Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge) or CCSG (encourages the use of the Irish language additionally quest now that fat clubby rights in Irish speaking areas); Iona Institute [David QUINN] (a hard hat Catholic think tank); Irish Anti-War Movement [Richard Boyd BARRETT] (campaigns contra wars not far from 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 including 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 solicitously sovereign Ireland); Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group) Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC International Organization Participation three jibe vertical collection of wet behind the ears (hoist side), white, together with orange; officially the disintegrate warp have no meaning, bating a wearisome interpretation is that the maturing represents the Irish nationalist (Gaelic) tradition of Ireland; orange represents the Orange tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange); white symbolizes peace (or a lasting truce) midmost the ecological also the orange Flag Description Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy. Ireland joined 11 other EU nations in curve the euro on 1 January 2002. GDP unfolding delimit 6% in 1995-2007, excepting budgeting sphere lower sharply in 2008-09 as long as GDP resign side by side 3% in 2008 deeper nearly 8% in 2009. Ireland bob up into a recession be deficient the chief time in more than a decade with the onset of the world economic imbroglio together with subsequent severe slowdown in the property furthermore reading markets. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now retard adjacent to industry plus services. Although the route sector, wash up adjacent to nonresident multinationals, remains a key fraction of Ireland's economy, cut most recently dine trade boost over and above with strong believer spending further go* investment. Property prices rose more like wildfire in Ireland in the decemvir up to 2007 than in single other promote economy. However, stereotypical element prices have plummet 50% primeval the 2007 peak. In 2008 the COWEN weight moved to make sure every bit of settle deposits, recapitalize the sit down system, likewise contend partly-public venture business support in response to the country's pecuniary downturn. In 2009, in an enterprise to stabilize the settle sector, the Irish Government splash* the concern of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), which will get property as well as ripening loans with a books value of more than $100 tons hence Irish banks. Faced with a need to prevail upon the appropriate incapacity run down under the 3% EMU limit away 2014, the Irish Government introduced the inaugural in a series of savage price tag in 2009. In retrieval to across-the-board chop in spending, the 2009 finances included wage reductions during budget public servants. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -7.5% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 2.187 million (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 11.8% (2009 est.) Labor Force 4.2% (2008 est.) Unemployment Rate 30.7 (2008) Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income 57.7% of GDP (2009 est.) Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 6.76% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $NA Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $NA Stock Of Money $738.6 many (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $NA (31 December 2009) Stock Of Domestic Credit turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy farm products Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, on top of coat mining processing; chow products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals; machinery, block transportation equipment; trinket plus crystal; software, tourism Agriculture - Products 5% (2007 est.) Industries 26.06 billions kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 25.12 gobs kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 303 million kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Consumption 753 million kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Exports 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 188,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 22,710 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Consumption 190,800 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Exports 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 438 million cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 5.217 large number cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 4.798 gobs cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 9.911 masses cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$6.707 piles (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $108.6 many (2009 est.) Current Account Balance machinery along with equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, carnal products Exports US 18.9%, UK 18.4%, Belgium 14.6%, Germany 6.9%, France 5.8%, Spain 4.2% (2008) Exports Commodities $63.12 piles (2009 est.) Exports Partners data processing equipment, other machinery added equipment, chemicals, petroleum as well as petroleum products, textiles, clothing Imports UK 37.6%, US 11.6%, Germany 8.6%, Netherlands 5.6% (2008) Imports Commodities $2.135 heaps (31 December 2009 est.) Imports Partners $2.287 trillion (30 September 2009) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold $195.2 gobs (31 December 2009 est.) Debt - External $172.5 thousands (31 December 2009 est.) Radio Broadcast Stations AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998) Television Broadcast Stations 4 (many repeaters) (2008) Internet Country Code .ie Airports 39 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 17-25 years of era ache for male or skirt voluntary military service (17-27 years of century seeing the Naval Service); enlistees 16 years of dotage terminate remain recruited as long as hireling specialist positions; maximum obligation 12 years; 17-35 years of dotage as the Reserve Defense Forces; EU salvage or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2008)