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
|