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Communications

Airports [time series]

36 total, 35 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 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 paved, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

limited for commercial traffic

Merchant marine [time series]

55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 146,081 GRT/177,058 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger, 32 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 3 petroleum tanker, 3 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6 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 digital microwave circuits; 900,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 45 FM, 86 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (GARDA)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $566 million, 1-2% of GDP (1992 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 894,421; 724,262 fit for military service; 34,182 reach military age (17) annually

Note [time series]

The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Bush's post-Gulf crisis peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria entry.

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 11% of GDP and 15% 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

Budget [time series]

revenues $11.4 billion; expenditures $12.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (1992 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

donor - ODA commitments (1980-89), $90 million

Electricity [time series]

4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced, 4,080 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Irish pounds (#Ir) per US$1 - 0.6227 (March 1992), 0.6190 (1991), 0.6030 (1990), 0.7472 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$27.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live animals, animal products partners: EC 74% (UK 34%, Germany 11%, France 10%), US 8%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$14.8 billion (1990)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power equivalent - $39.2 billion, per capita $11,200; real growth rate 1.3% (1991 est.)

Imports [time series]

$24.5 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: food, animal feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing partners: EC 66% (UK 41%, Germany 9%, France 4%), US 14%

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

growth rate 3.0% (1991); accounts for 37% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.8% (1991)

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 37% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 26% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to 3.8% in 1991. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, remains a serious problem. A 1991 unemployment rate of 20.4% placed Ireland along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in Western Europe.

Unemployment rate [time series]

20.4% (1991)

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

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

68,890 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

360 km; UK 360 km

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

Continental shelf: no precise definition Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

70,280 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 Dermot GALLAGHER; 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; FAX [353] (1) 689-946

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 9 November 1990 (next to be held November 1997); results - Mary Bourke ROBINSON 52.8%, Brian LENIHAN 47.2% 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 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

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

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Albert REYNOLDS (since 11 February 1992)

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]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AG, BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NEA, NSG, OECD, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

National holiday [time series]

Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

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

Fianna Fail, Albert REYNOLDS; Labor Party, Richard SPRING; Fine Gael, John BRUTON; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'RIORDAN; Workers' Party (vacant); Sinn Fein, Gerry ADAMS; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'MALLEY; note - Prime Minister REYNOLDS heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

15 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Celtic, with English minority

Infant mortality rate [time series]

8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

1,333,000; services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 26.1%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 15.0%, energy and mining 1.9% (1991)

Languages [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 (1992)

Literacy [time series]

98% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

-4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

58% of labor force (1991)

Population [time series]

3,521,207 (July 1992), growth rate 0.2% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.0 children born/woman (1992)