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Ireland Country Guide
Explore Ireland in Europe
The topography includes mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains with sea cliffs on west coast. The average density of population is approximately 59 per km². The notable climate conditions in Ireland can be described as temperate maritime with modified by North Atlantic Current, mild winters, cool summers, consistently humid and overcast about half the time. Possible natural disasters include NA.
To reach someone in Ireland dial +353 prior to a number. There are 2,080,000 installed telephones. And there are 4,871,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800/3G MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".ie". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Ireland
Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; officially the flag colors have no meaning, but a common interpretation is that the green 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) between the green and the orange note: 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.
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 Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Europe Neighbours: United Kingdom Capital: Dublin |
| Size | 70,280 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 27,135 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Population | 4,156,000 |
| Currency | Name Euro, Currency Code:EUR |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .ie |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +353 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 4,871,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 2,080,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 70,273 (sq km) | 120 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,775,982 | 119 |
| Population growth rate | 1.16 (%) | 99 |
| Birth rate | 15.50 (births/1,000 population) | 130 |
| Death rate | 6.41 (deaths/1,000 population) | 152 |
| Net migration rate | 2.51 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 34 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 6.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 169 |
| Infant mortality rate | 3.78 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 203 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.44 (years) | 26 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.01 (children born/woman) | 128 |
| Health expenditures | 9.20 (% of GDP) | 39 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.20 (%) | 98 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 6,900 | 112 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 100 | 129 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 25.20 (%) | 57 |
| Education expenditures | 6.50 (% of GDP) | 30 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 29.40 (%) | 27 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 195,400,000,000 | 58 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 0.90 (%) | 163 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 42,600 | 24 |
| Labor force | 2,104,000 | 120 |
| Unemployment rate | 14.60 (%) | 142 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 33.90 | 94 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 9.30 (% of GDP) | 149 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 34.00 (% of GDP) | 67 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -8.50 (% of GDP) | 201 |
| Public debt | 118.00 (% of GDP) | 12 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.30 (%) | 19 |
| Central bank discount rate | 1.75 (%) | 118 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 3.81 (%) | 171 |
| Stock of narrow money | 118,500,000,000 | 29 |
| Stock of broad money | 291,100,000,000 | 33 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 892,300,000,000 | 18 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 33,720,000,000 | 57 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 3.00 (%) | 97 |
| Current account balance | 3,500,000,000 | 32 |
| Exports | 113,600,000,000 | 36 |
| Imports | 63,100,000,000 | 49 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 1,703,000,000 | 126 |
| Debt - external | 2,163,000,000,000 | 11 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 260,500,000,000 | 19 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 338,100,000,000 | 17 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 26,350,000,000 (kWh) | 69 |
| Electricity - consumption | 26,100,000,000 (kWh) | 67 |
| Electricity - exports | 242,000,000 (kWh) | 66 |
| Electricity - imports | 732,000,000 (kWh) | 69 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 7,401,000 (kW) | 65 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 75.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 99 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 3.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 129 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 17.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 8 |
| Crude oil - imports | 53,560 (bbl/day) | 56 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 55,340 (bbl/day) | 84 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 144,000 (bbl/day) | 70 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 17,480 (bbl/day) | 76 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 166,000 (bbl/day) | 34 |
| Natural gas - production | 346,000,000 (cu m) | 73 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 4,981,000,000 (cu m) | 60 |
| Natural gas - imports | 4,633,000,000 (cu m) | 35 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 9,911,000,000 (cu m) | 81 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 40,480,000 (Mt) | 69 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 2,047,000 | 57 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 4,906,000 | 106 |
| Internet hosts | 1,387,000 | 40 |
| Internet users | 3,042,000 | 67 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 39 | 107 |
| Railways | 3,237 (km) | 54 |
| Roadways | 96,036 (km) | 45 |
| Waterways | 956 (km) | 68 |
| Merchant marine | 31 | 84 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 0.90 (% of GDP) | 139 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne The three main prehistoric sites of the Brú na Bóinne Complex, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, are situated on the north bank of the River Boyne 50 km north of Dublin. This is Europe's largest and most important concentration of prehistoric megalithic a ... | 1993 |
| Sceilg Mhichíl This monastic complex, perched since about the 7th century on the steep sides of the rocky island of Skellig Michael, some 12 km off the coast of south-west Ireland, illustrates the very spartan existence of the first Irish Christians. Since the extr ... | 1996 |