National name: Éire

President: Mary McAleese (1997)

Taoiseach (Prime Minister): Bertie Ahern (1997)

Land area: 26,598 sq mi (68,889 sq km); total area: 27,135 sq mi (70,280 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 4,062,235 (growth rate: 1.2%); birth rate: 14.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.3/1000; life expectancy: 77.7; density per sq mi: 153

Capital (2003 est.): Dublin, 1,018,500

Other large cities: Cork, 193,400; Limerick, 84,900; Galway, 67,200

Monetary units: Euro (formerly Irish pound [punt])

Languages: English, Irish (Gaelic) (both official)

Ethnicity/race: Celtic, English

Religions: Roman Catholic 88%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 2%, none 4%

Literacy rate: 98% (1981 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $136.9 billion; per capita $34,100. Real growth rate: 4.7%. Inflation: 2.7%. Unemployment: 4.2%. Arable land: 15%. Agriculture: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products. Labor force: 2.03 million (2005 est.); agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 64% (2002 est.). Industries: steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glass and crystal; software, tourism. Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver. Exports: $102 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products. Imports: $65.47 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing. Major trading partners: U.S., UK, Belgium, Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.955 million (2003); mobile cellular: 3.4 million (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001). Internet hosts: 162,228 (2004). Internet users: 1.26 million (2003).

Transportation: Railways: total: 3,312 km (2004). Highways: total: 95,736 km; paved: 95,736 km (including 125 km of expressways); unpaved: 0 km (2002). Waterways: 753 km (pleasure craft only) (2004). Ports and harbors: Cork, Dublin, New Ross, Shannon Foynes, Waterford. Airports: 36 (2004 est.).

International disputes: Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm.


 

Go to Country details page