Ireland

Republic of Ireland
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Éire
Ireland


Flag
Coat of arms
Anthem: Amhrán na bhFiann The Soldier's Song

Location of Republic of Ireland (dark green)
– on the European continent (light green & dark grey)– in the European Union (light green) — [Legend]
Capital(and largest city)
Dublin53°20.65′N, 6°16.05′W
Official languages
Irish, English
Ethnic groups
White: 94.8% (including 0.5% Irish Traveller)Asian: 1.3%Black: 1.1%Other/Mixed: 1.1%Not Stated: 1.7%[1]
Demonym
Irish
Government
Republic and Parliamentary democracy
-
President
Mary McAleese
-
Taoiseach
Brian Cowen, TD
-
Tánaiste
Mary Coughlan, TD
Independence
from the United Kingdom
-
Declared
24 April 1916
-
Ratified
21 January 1919
-
Recognised
6 December 1922
-
Current constitution
29 December 1937
EU accession
January 1, 1973
Area
-
Total
70,273 km² (120th)27,133 sq mi
-
Water (%)
2.00
Population
-
2007 estimate
4,339,000[2]
-
2006 census
4,239,848 (121st)
-
Density
60.3/km² (139th)147.6/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2006 estimate
-
Total
$177.2 billion (50th)
-
Per capita
$45,600 (8th)
GDP (nominal)
2006 estimate
-
Total
$202.9 billion (30th)
-
Per capita
$50,150 (5th)
HDI (2005)
▲ 0.959 (high) (5th)
Currency
Euro (€)¹ (EUR)
Time zone
WET (UTC+0)
-
Summer (DST)
IST (WEST) (UTC+1)
Internet TLD
.ie2
Calling code
+353
Patron saint
St. Patrick
1
Before 1999: Irish pound.
2
The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Ireland Portal
Ireland (Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːrʲə]) is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was first partitioned on May 3, 1921. It is bordered by Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) to the north, by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, by the Irish Sea to the east and by the Celtic Sea and St George's Channel to the South and South-East. Legally, the term Republic of Ireland (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is the description of the State but Ireland is its name.[3]
In 1937 Ireland became the successor-state to the Irish Free State. Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe and had high emigration. The protectionist economy was opened in the late 1950s and Ireland joined the European Community (now the European Union) in 1973. An economic crisis led Ireland to start large-scale economic reforms in the late 1980s. Ireland reduced taxation and regulation dramatically compared to other EU countries.[4]
Today, the Index of Economic Freedom ranks Ireland as the world's third most economically free country. Ireland currently is rated as having the fifth highest gross domestic product per capita and the eighth highest gross domestic product per capita considering purchasing power parity,[5] and having the fifth highest Human Development Index rank. The country also boasts the highest quality of life in the world, ranking first in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Quality-of-life index. Ireland was ranked fourth on the Global Peace Index. Ireland also has high rankings for its education system, political freedom and civil rights, press freedom and economic freedom; it was also ranked fourth from the bottom on the Failed States Index, being one of the few "sustainable" states in the world. Ireland has emerged as an attractive destination and foreign immigrants who now make up approximately 10% of the population. Ireland's population is the fastest growing in Europe with an annual growth rate of 2.5%.
Ireland is a member of the EU, the OECD, and the UN. Ireland's policy of neutrality means it is not a member of NATO, although it does contribute to peacekeeping missions sanctioned by the UN.