1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; maritime dispute with UK; Northern Ireland question with UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and UK

Climate

temperate marine; modified by Gulf Stream; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

Coastline

1,448 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than West Virginia

Environment

deforestation

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Land boundary

360 km with United Kingdom

Land use

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

Special notes

none

Terrain

mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains

Territorial sea

3 nm

Total area

100 km trish B as Sea North ‘ Atlantic Wicklow. Ocean

70,280 km?; land area: 68,890 km?

Ethnic divisions

Celtic, with English minority

Infant mortality rate

11/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

about 1,299,400 (1985); 27.5% manufacturing and construction; 16.4% agriculture, forestry, fishing; 20.4% services; 6.6% government; 6.2% transportation; other 22.9%; 17.4% unemployment (1985 average)

Language

Irish (Gaelic) and English (official); English is widely spoken

Life expectancy

73

Literacy

99%

Nationality

noun—Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.); adiective—lIrish

Organized labor

36% of labor force

Population

3,534,553 July 1987), average annual growth rate —0.08%

Religion

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

Administrative divisions

26 counties

Branches

elected President; bicameral parliament (Seanad, Dail) reflecting proportional and vocational representation; judiciary appointed by President on advice of government

Capital

Dublin

Communists

under 500

Elections

Dail (lower house) elected every five years (last election February 1987); President elected for seven-year term (last election March 1987) Political parties and leaders: Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey; Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Alan Dukes; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers’ Party, Tomas MacGiolla; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley; Democratic Socialist Party, Jim Kemmy

Government leaders

Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY, President (since 1976); Charles J. HAUGHEY, Prime Minister (since March 1987)

Legal system

based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; constitution adopted 1937; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Member of

Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESRO (observer), 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

St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March

Official name

Ireland, Eire (Gaelic)

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Type

republic

Voting strength

(1987 election) Dail— Fianna Fail, 81 seats (44.1%); Fine Gael, 51 seats (27.1); Progressive Democrats, 14 seats (11.8%), Labor Party, 12 seats (6.4%); Workers’ Party, 4 seats (3.8%); independents, 3 seats; Democratic Socialist Party, 1 seat; Sinn Fein no seat (1.9%)

Agriculture

livestock and dairy products, turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; 85% self-sufficient; food shortages— grains, fruits, vegetables

Budget

expenditures, $8.65 billion; revenues, $7.30 billion; deficit, $1.35 billion (1986 est.)

Crude steel

330,000 metric ton capacity (1984); 203,000 metric tons produced, 55 kg per capita (1985)

Electric power

4,177,000 kW capacity; 12,630 million kWh produced, 3,490 kWh per capita (1986) Ireland (continued)

Exports

$10.39 billion (f.0.b., 1985 converted at 0.93 IR pound=US$1); foodstuffs (primarily dairy and meat products), data processing equipment, live animals, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, clothing

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 179,700 metric tons; exports of fish and fish products $100 million, imports of fish and fish products $35 million (1985)

GNP

$14.3 billion, $4,040 per capita; 64.2% consumption, 23.6% investment, 21.5% government, 1.2% inventories; —J0.5% net foreign demand; 2.4% real GNP (1985)

Imports

$10.05 billion (c.i.f., 1985 converted at 0.93 IR pound=US$1); machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, semifinished goods, cereals

Major industries

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

Major trade partners

exports—67.5% EC (33.0% UK, 10.1% FRG, 8.4% France), 9.8% US, 0.9% Communist; imports— 64.7% EC (42.7% UK, 7.7% FRG, 4.8% France), 17.0% US, 1.8% Communist (1985)

Monetary conversion rate

0.75 Irish pound=US$1 (December 1986)

Natural resources

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

Airfields

42 total, 39 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

23 major transport aircraft

Highways

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

Inland waterways

limited for commercial traffic

Pipelines

natural gas, 225 km

Ports

2 major, 6 secondary, 38 minor

Railroads

Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,940 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double; 38 km electrified

Telecommunications

small, modern system using cable and radio-relay circuits; 900,000 telephones (23.5 per 100 popl.); 47 AM, 33 FM, 86 TV stations; 4 coaxial submarine cables; | satellite ground station

Branches

Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $256.955 million; 2.5% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 793,000; 635,000 fit for military service; 37,000 reach military age (17) annually