rs; 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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohill 1,041 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 71%
forest and woodland: 5%
other: 10%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from
agricultural runoff
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Climate Change, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation

Geographic note: strategic location on major air and sea routes
between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the
population resides within 60 miles of Dublin

People
------

Population: 3,566,833 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 424,558; female 402,062)
15-64 years: 65% (male 1,175,383; female 1,157,960)
65 years and over: 12% (male 173,150; female 233,720) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: -0.22% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 13.22 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 8.93 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.58 years
male: 72.88 years
female: 78.46 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Ethnic divisions: Celtic, English

Religions: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%,
other 1% (1981)

Languages: Irish (Gaelic), spoken mainly in areas located along
the western s