Ireland
General
Population: 4,250,163 (2010)
Land Area: 70,280 sq km
Natural Resources: Natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
Capital: Dublin
Political System: Parliamentary Democracy, Republic
State Leader: Mary McAleese (1997)
Head of Government: Brian Cowen (2008)
Languages: English, Irish(Gaellic)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Major Religions: Roman Catholic 88,4%, Church of Ireland 3%, Other Christian 1,6%, Other 1,5%, Unspecified 2%, None 3,5%
Major Ethnicities: Irish 87,9%, Other Caucasian 6,9%, Asian 1,3%, African 1,1%, Mixed 1,1%, Unspecified 1,7%
Life Expectancy: 78,24 years (2009)
Economy
GDP: 229,4 billion (2009)
GDP Per Capita: 42,200 (2009)
GDP Growth Rate: -7,5% (2009)
GDP Structure: Agriculture 5%, Industry 46%, Services 49% (2002)
Labour Force By Occupation: Agriculture 6%, Industry 27%, Services 67% (2006)
Industries: Steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, gypsum mining processing, food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment, glass and crystal, software, tourism
Agriculture Products: Turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products
Tourism Revenue: 5,962 billion (2004)
Unemployment Rate: 4,2% (2008)
Military
Army Size: 10 460 (2004)
Budget: 0,9% of GDP (2005)
Current Situation
Ireland is located in North-Western Europe. Ireland is bordered by the United Kingdom. Ireland's economy has grown rapidly in the last decade due to a shift from agriculture to industry and high-technology. Ireland GDP per capita is one of the highest in the world and it's growth rate remains very high. Ireland is also a destination of choice for immigrants. Ireland has been hit hard by the global recession as is the case for many high growth countries, it also has some debt issues.
Photo Gallery
Sources
CIA World Factbook: Ireland
The Economist: The World In 2010
Wikipedia: Ireland