Ireland

Ireland Background

Celtic tribes settled on the island from 600-150 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 United Kingdom. In 1948 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, known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some difficulties.

Ireland Information

• Population: 3,969,558 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish
• Location:: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
• Religions:: Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998)
• Ethnic Groups:: Celtic, English
• Land Boundaries:: total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km
• Area: total: 70,280 sq km water: 1,390 sq km land: 68,890 sq km
• Coast Line: 1,448 km
• Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
• Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 15.2% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 84.77% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
• Natural Resources: natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
• Highways: total: 92,500 km paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,457 km (2000 est.)
• Railways: total: 3,312 km broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford
• Airports: 36 (2003 est.)