nst terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland,
approved in 1998, was implemented the following year.

Ireland Geography

Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of
Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 70,280 sq km

land: 68,890 sq km

water: 1,390 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: total: 360 km

border countries: UK 360 km

Coastline: 1,448 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: not specified

exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m

Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum,
limestone, dolomite, peat, silver

Land use: arable land: 13%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 68%

forests and woodland: 5%

other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes,
from agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: strategic location on major air and sea routes
between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the
population resides within 97 km of Dublin

Ireland People

Population: 3,840,838 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.57% (male 425,328; female 403,204)

15-64 years: 67.08% (male 1,290,002; female 1,286,312)

65 years and over: 11.35% (male 188,868; female 247,124) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.12% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 14.57 births/1,000 population (2