Ireland, Republic of: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

Ireland

Capital

Dublin

Area

70,273 sq km

27,133 sq mi

Administrative divisions (population)

Carlow

46,014 (2002)

Cavan

56,546 (2002)

Clare

103,277 (2002)

Cork

324,767 (2002)

Donegal

137,575 (2002)

Dublin

1,122,821 (2002)

Galway

143,245 (2002)

Kerry

132,527 (2002)

Kildare

163,944 (2002)

Kilkenny

80,339 (2002)

Laois

58,774 (2002)

Leitrim

25,799 (2002)

Limerick

121,281 (2002)

Longford

31,068 (2002)

Louth

101,821 (2002)

Mayo

117,446 (2002)

Meath

134,005 (2002)

Monaghan

52,593 (2002)

Offaly

63,663 (2002)

Roscommon

53,774 (2002)

Sligo

58,200 (2002)

Tipperary

140,131 (2002)

Waterford

56,952 (2002)

Westmeath

71,858 (2002)

Wexford

116,596 (2002)

Wicklow

114,676 (2002)

Largest cities (population)

Dublin

506,211 (2006)

Cork

123,062 (2002)

Galway

65,832 (2002)

Limerick

54,023 (2002)

Waterford

44,594 (2002)

Drogheda

28,333 (2002)

Dundalk

27,385 (2002)

Swords

27,175 (2002)

Bray

26,244 (2002)

Tralee

20,375 (2002)

Ennis

18,830 (2002)

Sligo

18,473 (2002)

Naas

18,288 (2002)

Clonmel

15,739 (2002)

Leixlip

15,016 (2002)

Malahide

13,826 (2002)

Carlow

13,218 (2002)

Wexford

9,449 (2002)

Kilkenny

8,591 (2002)

Athlone

7,354 (2002)

Population

4,156,119 (2008 estimate)

Population growth rate

1.13 per cent (2008 estimate)

Population density

60 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)

156 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

60 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

40 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

78.1 years (2008 estimate)

Female

80.9 years (2008 estimate)

Male

75.4 years (2008 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

5 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

98 per cent (1995)

Female

Not available

Male

Not available

Ethnic divisions

Celtic, English

Languages

Irish Gaelic (official), English (official), Scots, Shelta (Irish Traveller Cant)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland (Anglican), other

Type of government

Republic

Independence

December 6, 1921 (from the United Kingdom)

Constitution

December 29, 1937

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

220,137 million (2006)

GDP per capita (US$)

51,579.70 (2006)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

2.5 per cent (2004)

GDP, industry

37.3 per cent (2004)

GDP, services

60.2 per cent (2004)

National budget (US$)

Total revenue

75,258 million (2006)

Total expenditure

68,083 million (2006)

Monetary unit

1 euro (EUR), consisting of 100 cents

Euro (€) notes and coins replaced the Irish pound (or punt, IR£) as the national currency on January 1, 2002.

Exports

Chemicals, data-processing equipment, industrial machinery, livestock, animal products

Imports

Food, animal feed, data-processing equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing

Major trading partners for exports

European Union (EU) countries (especially the United Kingdom, Germany, France), United States

Major trading partners for imports

EU countries (especially the United Kingdom, Germany, France), United States, Japan, Singapore

Industries

Food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transport equipment, glass and crystal

Agriculture

Principal crops: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beet, wheat; livestock: meat and dairy products

Natural resources

Zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.