on west coast

_#_Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, crude oil, barite,
copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver

_#_Land use: arable land 14%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
pastures 71%; forest and woodland 5%; other 10%

_#_Environment: deforestation

_*_People
_#_Population: 3,489,165 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.3% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 79 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.);
adjective--Irish

_#_Ethnic divisions: Celtic, with English minority

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

_#_Language: 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 est.)

_#_Labor force: 1,293,000; services 57.0%, manufacturing and
construction 26.1%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 15.0%,
energy and mining 1.9% (1988)

_#_Organized labor: 36% of labor force

_*_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 Bourk