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Communications

Airports [time series]

40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

23 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

92,294 km total; 87,422 km surfaced, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

limited for commercial traffic

Merchant marine [time series]

67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 113,569 GRT/139,681 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 23 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 5 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

natural gas, 225 km

Ports [time series]

Cork, Dublin, Shannon Estuary, Waterford

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 38 km electrified

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

small, modern system using cable and radio relay circuits; 900,000 telephones; stations--45 AM, 16 (29 relays) FM, 18 (68 relays) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

1.6% of GDP, or $500 million (1989 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 870,161; 705,765 fit for military service; 33,259 reach military age (17) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 11% of GNP and 14.8% of the labor force; 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

Aid [time series]

Budget [time series]

revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $11.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1989)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Irish pound (plural--pounds); 1 Irish pound (LIr) = 100 pence

Electricity [time series]

4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced, 4,080 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Irish pounds (LIr) per US$1--0.6399 (January 1990), 0.7047 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--live animals, animal products, chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery; partners--EC 74% (UK 35%, FRG 11%, France 9%), US 8%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$16.1 billion (1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$31.4 billion, per capita $8,900; real growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$17.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--food, animal feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing; partners--EC 66% (UK 42%, FRG 9%, France 4%), US 16%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 9.5% (1989 est.)

Industries [time series]

food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.2% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 35% of GNP and about 80% of exports and employs 20% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to about 4% in 1989. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, is a serious problem. A 1989 unemployment rate of 17.7% placed Ireland along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in Western Europe.

Unemployment rate [time series]

17.7% (1989)

Geography

Climate [time series]

temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

Coastline [time series]

1,448 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than West Virginia

Continental shelf [time series]

no precise definition;

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

maritime boundary with the UK; 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)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

deforestation

Exclusive fishing zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries (Land boundary) [time series]

360 km with UK

Land use [time series]

14% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 71% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 10% other

Natural resources [time series]

zinc, lead, natural gas, crude oil, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver

Terrain [time series]

mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

70,280 km2; land area: 68,890 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Dublin

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

under 500

Constitution [time series]

29 December 1937; adopted 1937

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3939; there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Richard A. MOORE; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone [353] (1) 688777

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast 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

Independence [time series]

6 December 1921 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State--President Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY (since 3 December 1976); Head of Government--Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as prime minister)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an upper house or Senate (Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dail Eireann)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Ireland

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

National holiday [time series]

St. Patrick's Day, 17 March

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey; Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Alan Dukes; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers' Party, Proinsias DeRossa; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley; note--Prime Minister Haughey heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held 21 October 1983 (next to be held October 1990); results--Dr. Patrick Hillery reelected; Senate--last held on 17 February 1987 (next to be held February 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 16, Labor 3, Independents 11; House of Representatives--last held on 12 July 1989 (next to be held NA June 1994); results--Fianna Fail 44.0%, Fine Gael 29.4%, Labor Party 9.3%, Progressive Democrats 5.4%, Workers' Party 4.9%, Sinn Fein 1.1%, independents 5.9%; seats--(166 total) Fianna Fail 77, Fine Gael 55, Labor Party 15, Workers' Party 7, Progressive Democrats 6, independents 6

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

15 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Celtic, with English minority

Infant mortality rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

1,310,000; 57.3% services, 19.1% manufacturing and construction, 14.8% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1988)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

72 years male, 78 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

99%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.); adjective--Irish

Net migration rate [time series]

- 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

36% of labor force

Population [time series]

3,500,212 (July 1990), growth rate -0.4% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

94% Roman Catholic, 4% Anglican, 2% other

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.1 children born/woman (1990)