: 5.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.56 years
male: 74.95 years
female: 80.34 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.87 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,800 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish

Ethnic groups:
Celtic, English

Religions:
Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%,
other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)

Languages:
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official)
(Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western
seaboard

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Ireland

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland
local long form: none
local short form: Eire

Government 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
note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province

Independence:
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)

National holiday:
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

Constitution:
adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for October
2011); not