rops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 71%; forest and
woodland 5%; other 10%
Environment:
deforestation

:Ireland People

Population:
3,521,207 (July 1992), growth rate 0.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
15 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
72 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.); adjective - Irish
Ethnic divisions:
Celtic, with English minority
Religions:
Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)
Languages:
Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with
Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard
Literacy:
98% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
1,333,000; services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 26.1%,
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 15.0%, energy and mining 1.9% (1991)
Organized labor:
58% of labor force (1991)

:Ireland Government

Long-form name:
none
Type:
republic
Capital:
Dublin
Administrative divisions:
26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry,
Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath,
Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath,
Wexford, Wicklow
Independence:
6 December 1921 (from UK)
Constitution:
29 December 1937; adopted 1937
Legal system:
based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts;
judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an upper house or Senate
(Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dail
Eireann)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Albert REYNOLDS (since 11 February 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
Fianna Fail, Albert REY