Ireland
Capital: Dublin
History
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1949, 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 is gradually being implemented despite some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
70,273
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
360
km
|
| Border Countries |
UK 360 km |
| Coastline |
1,448
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
1,041
m
|
| Climate |
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time |
| Natural Resources |
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite |
| Arable Land |
15.11% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.01% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$113.6 billion |
| Export Items |
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, medical devices, pharmaceuticals |
| Export Partners |
US 22.3%, UK 16.1%, Belgium 15.5%, Germany 7%, France 5.7%, Switzerland 4.2% (2011) |
| Imports |
$63.1 billion |
| Import Items |
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing |
| Import Partners |
UK 39.8%, US 13%, Germany 7.8%, Netherlands 5.8% (2011) |
People
| Population |
4,775,982 |
| Population Growth |
1.16% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Irish 87.4%, other white 7.5%, Asian 1.3%, black 1.1%, mixed 1.1%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 census) |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census) |
| Life Expectancy |
80.44 years |
| Infant Mortality |
1 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
1.8 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
