World Atlas: Ireland

Information about Ireland

Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Ireland. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Ireland. But let's start with the flag of Ireland here:

Ireland - Overview:

What you should know about Ireland? Let's start with this: Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 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. Norman invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. The Irish famine of the mid-19th century saw the population of the island drop by one third through starvation and emigration. For more than a century after that the population of the island continued to fall only to begin growing again in the 1960s. Over the last 50 years, Ireland's high birthrate has made it demographically one of the youngest populations in the EU. The modern Irish state traces its origins to the failed 1916 Easter Monday Uprising that touched off several years of guerrilla warfare resulting in independence from the UK in 1921 for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. Deep sectarian divides between the Catholic and Protestant populations and systemic discrimination in Northern Ireland erupted into years of violence known as the "Troubles" that began in the 1960s. The Government of Ireland was part of a process along with the UK and US Governments that helped broker the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998. This initiated a new phase of cooperation between the Irish and British Governments. Ireland was neutral in World War II and continues its policy of military neutrality. Ireland joined the European Community in 1973 and the euro-zone currency union in 1999. The economic boom years of the Celtic Tiger (1995-2007) saw rapid economic growth, which came to an abrupt end in 2008 with the meltdown of the Irish banking system. Today the economy is recovering, fueled by large and growing foreign direct investment, especially from US multi-nationals.

Geography of Ireland

Where on the globe is Ireland? The location of this country is Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain. Total area of Ireland is 70,273 sq km, of which 68,883 sq km is land. So this is not a large country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: mostly flat to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast. The lowest point of Ireland is Atlantic Ocean 0 m, the highest point Carrauntoohil 1,041 m. And the climate is temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time.

Inhabitants of Ireland

Let's take a look how many people live in Ireland. The number is: 5,011,102 (July 2017 est.). So this is not very populous country. Who lives here? Irish 82.2%, Irish travelers 0.7%, other white 9.5%, Asian 2.1%, black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.). What are the languages in Ireland? English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 39.8% of the population as of 2016; mainly spoken in areas along Ireland's western coast known as gaeltachtai, which are officially recognized regions where Irish is the predominant language). And the religions: Roman Catholic 78.3%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Orthodox 1.3%, Muslim 1.3%, other 2.4%, none 9.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.). How old are the people in average? 36.8 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 80.9 years. Where the people live in Ireland? Here: population distribution is weighted to the eastern side of the island, with the largest concentration being in and around Dublin; populations in the west are small due to mountainous land, poorer soil, lack of good transport routes, and fewer job opportunities. The major urban areas of Ireland are: Dublin (capital) 1.169 million (2015).

Government and Economy of Ireland

The capital of Ireland is Dublin and the government type parliamentary republic. Let's take a look at the administrative divisions - 28 counties and 3 cities; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow. Regarding the economy of Ireland, important industrial products are pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices. Important agricultural products are barley, potatoes, wheat; beef, dairy products. The most important export commodities are machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, medical devices, pharmaceuticals; foodstuffs, animal products and the most important export partners are US 26%, UK 12.7%, Belgium 12.6%, Germany 6.7%, Switzerland 5.4%, Netherlands 5.1%, France 4.2% (2016). The most important import commodities are data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing and the most important import partners are UK 28.8%, US 15.9%, France 12.6%, Germany 10.1%, Netherlands 4.7% (2016). How rich is Ireland and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $72,600 (2017 est.). This means the people are rich on average here. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: 8.2% (2013 est.).

Map of Ireland