The Republic of Ireland occupies about five sixths of the island of Ireland, which lies across the Irish Sea from Great Britain. The British controlled the area for about 750 years, until 1921, when they made southern Ireland a dominion. The link with Great Britain ended when Ireland became a republic in 1949. Northern Ireland, however, which occupies the rest of the island, has remained a political part of the United Kingdom.The Republic of Ireland covers 27,137 square miles (70,285 square kilometers). It measures a maximum distance of 273 miles (440 kilometers) from north to south, and 186 miles (300 kilometers) from east to west. The Republic of Ireland consists of four provinces Leinster, Munster, Connaught (Connacht), and part of Ulster which are divided into 27 counties. Six counties of Ulster make up Northern Ireland. In 1981 the Republic of Ireland had a population of 3,443,405, compared with 1,490,228 for Northern Ireland. Many people have left Ireland to live elsewhere during the last century because of rural overpopulation, few jobs, and poor harvests of potatoes, by far the most important crop. The population of the entire island decreased steadily from about 8,200,000 in 1841 to 4,200,000 in 1961. Today, as a result of the vast migrations, more Irish live outside Ireland than in it. More than 4,700,000 people have migrated from the island to the United States since 1820. Large numbers of Irish also live in Great Britain and in most of the Commonwealth countries.
Since the early 1960s the population decline has been reversed, and Ireland's economy has changed rapidly from an agricultural to an industrial base. In the early 1980s about a fifth of the work force was employed in manufacturing, mining, and construction, and about a third in agriculture. The shift from agriculture to industry has been greater in Dublin, the capital and largest city, and in the eastern and southern sections of the country than in the west.
THE LAND AND CLIMATE
Much of the interior is a relatively level plain surrounded by low mountains, particularly in the west and south. Most of the central plain is less than 500 feet (150 meters) above sea level, but the coastal mountains rise to more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) high. The highest point of 3,414 feet (1,041 meters) is in the mountains of Kerry in the southwest.
The character of the land surface and soils are the result of early activity by glaciers. The central plain has glacial ridges, and the surrounding mountains were severely eroded during the Ice Age. The glaciers also indented Ireland's coasts into many bays and spectacular rocky headlands. Rocky islands fringe the bays in the west and south.
The glaciers also left behind many heaths and bogs, which are poorly drained lands. The River Shannon, the longest in Ireland, flows sluggishly through the central plain on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. In many places the river has been dammed by nature or artificially to create loughs, or lakes. Small amounts of hydroelectric power are produced as a result of these dams. Peat from the heaths and bogs has long been used as fuel in Irish homes and industry. The other main rivers that drain the interior are the Blackwater and the Barrow in the southeast, the Boyne in the northeast, and the Corrib in the west.
The soils of Ireland are generally infertile. They are more productive in the eastern sections, particularly near Dublin. Much of the country is grassland used by grazing herds of cattle and sheep.
Ireland's maritime climate is moderated by prevailing southwesterly winds. These winds blow over the warm drifting waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, keeping the temperatures mild during the winter and cool in summer. Rain is frequent and relatively abundant. The highest peaks in the western mountains receive about 100 inches (250 centimeters) of rain annually. The driest areas, around Dublin in the east, have about 30 inches (75 centimeters). Temperatures average about 42 F (5 C) during the coolest month, February, and about 60 F (15 C) in the warmest month, August.
NATRUAL RESOURCES, PLANTS, & ANIMALS
Ireland lacks extensive mineral deposits, but important discoveries of lead and zinc created a small mining boom in the late 1970s. Small amounts of silver, sulfur, and barite are also produced.
Exploration for natural oil and gas on the offshore continental shelf began in the late 1960s. One commercially exploitable natural gas field went into production in 1978. The country has some poor quality coal, but peat is widely used as a fuel. Peat comes from peat moss, which consists of undecayed or partially decomposed plant matter at or near the surface of bogs. Peat moss varies from a few inches to 50 feet (15 meters) deep, and it covers about a tenth of Ireland's land area. The nation produced about 4 million tons of peat annually in the early 1980s.
The plant and animal life of Ireland has been influenced by both the climate and the island's separation from other land masses. Most of the island is covered by mosses, lichens, and grasses. There are relatively few trees. The original hardwood forests were cleared long ago for agriculture or cut for lumber, and most of the present softwood forests were planted by the government. Only about 5 percent of the land area consists of woodland, compared with 69 percent in permanent pasture and 14 percent in cropland.
Waterfowl are abundant, and Ireland has rich fishing grounds, particularly off the west coast. Herring, whiting, and mackerel are common saltwater species, and salmon and trout live in the inland rivers and lakes. The moles and weasels of Great Britain are not found in Ireland, and the island has no snakes.
THE PEOPLE
The Irish are descendants primarily of the ancient Celts, but the Vikings, Normans, and English contributed to the ethnic nature of the people. Centuries of English rule largely eliminated the use of the ancient Gaelic, or Irish, language. Since Ireland became independent in 1922, the government has attempted to revive Gaelic by requiring its use in schools. English is the dominant language in the educational system and is spoken throughout Ireland except in certain areas of the west coast. Government documents are printed in both Gaelic and English.
About 96 percent of the people are Roman Catholics. Most of the rest are Anglicans and belong to the Church of Ireland. The nation has no official religion. Roman Catholic priests and nuns are commonly seen in cities and villages throughout the country.
In the early 1980s about 56 percent of Ireland's people lived in urban areas. The importance of cities has grown, especially since the late 1950s when the government began to carry out policies promoting industrialization. The largest cities after Dublin are Cork and Limerick.
The population of the area that now makes up the Republic of Ireland fell steadily from about 6,500,000 in 1841 to 2,800,000 in 1961. This decline had a major impact on the nature of the country and people, and it was caused largely by emigration from rural areas. About 1,200,000 people left Ireland soon after the terrible potato famine of 1846 to 1848, most of them to the United States. From 1853 to 1900 about 3,300,000 more left the country. Most of these people also went to the United States, but some settled in Great Britain. Young, unmarried adults made up a large percentage of those who emigrated, resulting in a significant decline in the nation's marriage and birth rates. This condition was reversed in the 1970s. During that period a slight decrease in the death rate, combined with more immigration than emigration resulted in considerable population growth.
In Irish farm communities, houses were once made of dried peat or of stone, with thatched roofs. Today most of the farm homes are constructed of mortared stone or brick, with tile roofs. The house opens directly into the farmyard, where geese, chickens, pigs, and cattle are kept. The yard also has storage buildings for hay and other crops. A garden provides potatoes and other vegetables for the family, and dairy products are the chief items sold for income. Farm families cut peat to use as fuel for various purposes including heating and cooking, often over an open fire.
The Irish have a rich literary and artistic heritage. Irish literature has been largely in English rather than Gaelic, however. The late 1800s and early 1900s, a period known as the Irish literary renaissance, produced such great writers as William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, George Augustus Moore, and Samuel Beckett. They presented Irish thought and life in a manner that gained international acclaim. Irish theater is well established, and the Royal Hibernian Academy of Dublin has developed many Irish painters. High-quality craftwork on jewelry and religious objects, such as Celtic crosses, reflects an ancient artistic tradition.
Folk songs and dances, along with traditional storytelling, are featured at folk festivals that help to preserve Ireland's past way of life. The island's colorful customs have spread wherever the Irish have settled throughout the world.
THE ECONOMY
For centuries the Irish economy depended heavily upon agriculture, but industry has contributed an increasing share to the gross national product since the 1960s. In 1980 about 21 percent of the work force was employed in manufacturing; 19 percent in agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 17 percent in commerce, insurance, and finance; 9 percent in construction; and 34 percent in all other fields.
INDUSTRY
The Industrial Development Authority, established in the 1950s, encouraged new industry from abroad. It granted such incentives as cash grants, tax concessions, and ready-to-operate factories to attract such industries. Most of the foreign industries manufacture products like electronic equipment, computers, word-processing machines, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, textiles, plastics, and recreational goods. Most of these products are exported, and the value of manufactured goods exported in 1980 was three times that of 1970.
Ireland's entry into the European Communities in 1973 was a great boon to the nation's economy. By 1978 Irish exports had gained duty-free access to the European Communities population market of 270 million people. Foreign companies, especially from the United States, established businesses or branch firms in Ireland to gain tax advantages in exporting to the European market. By 1980 about 850 foreign firms, 300 from the United States, had started operations in Ireland, resulting not only in new products and jobs, but also in additional skills, markets, and technology.
The new manufacturing plants now dominate economically the traditional Irish industries that emphasize the processing of agricultural products. Meat packing, dairy products, grain milling, and brewing and malting are widespread throughout the better farming areas of Ireland. In 1982 about 32 percent of the value of exports came from the processing of agricultural products. Membership in the European Communities has stimulated the agricultural-processing industries, and cooperatives have promoted agricultural production and marketing.
AGRICULTURE
Ireland's agricultural activities consist largely of the grazing of cattle and sheep. The moderate, moist climate favors the growing of grass and hay, and farm animals can be outside for most of the year because of the mild winter temperatures. About 69 percent of the agricultural land of Ireland consists of permanent pasture. Membership in the European Communities has encouraged Irish farmers to increase their efficiency by using better management and fertilization techniques.
Farmers grow mostly grains on the 14 percent of the land that can be farmed. Barley, oats, potatoes, and sugar beets are the main crops. Barley is by far the principal crop in terms of acreage. It is increasingly used by the brewing and distilling industries and as feed for farm animals. The raising of oats, an important crop for horse-feeding, has fallen with the declining use of these animals due to the increasing use of machines. The country was once heavily dependent on the potato crop, but Irish farmers have increased their plantings of other crops, and potato production has declined. Wheat and tobacco are grown in limited areas.
The small family farm has long been the backbone of Irish agriculture. About 67 percent of the farms cover fewer than 50 acres (20 hectares), and another 25 percent are smaller than 20 acres (8 hectares). Approximately 90 percent of the farms are owner-occupied compared with 62 percent for all of Europe. The number of people employed in agriculture continues to decrease as mechanization increases and young men and women find better-paying occupations in the cities. The number of agricultural workers in Ireland declined by about 50 percent between the years 1960 and 1981. Despite this trend, the amount and value of farm production has increased with better fertilization and management.
MINING
Mineral exploration during the 1960s and early 1970s led to the discovery of a large deposit of zinc ore at Navan in northeast Ireland. Mining of this deposit began in 1977. Small amounts of coal, lead, copper, sulfur, silver, and barite are sometimes mined, providing needed employment opportunities in some of the poorest areas of western Ireland. Only about 1 percent of the workforce was employed in mining in 1980.
TOURISM
The tourist industry ranks as an important source of income for Ireland. About 15 percent of the country's workforce is directly or indirectly employed in tourism. In 1981 about 2,200,000 long-staying tourists visited the country. Most of them came from Great Britain, followed by Northern Ireland and the United States. Many tourists are relatives or friends of the millions of Irish people who emigrated to other parts of the world. Increasing numbers of visitors are drawn by the relative lack of commercialization in Ireland, the low cost of touring, good highways, charming rural landscape, historical attractions, and generally uncrowded character.
TRADE
The increased export of manufactured goods led the growth of Ireland's economy during the 1970s and early 1980s. The chief imports are machinery and transportation equipment, followed by other basic manufactured items; and mineral fuels, mainly petroleum products. Food and livestock are important export items. The United Kingdom is Ireland's principal trading partner. Others include the United States, Germany, France, and the Benelux countries.
TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATION, AND EDUCATION
Ireland is well served by highways, railways, airlines, and water transportation. The network of Irish roads, almost all of which are paved, totals more than 54,000 miles (86,900 kilometers). Regular rural bus routes extend to many small, isolated communities. In 1981, Ireland had one private automobile for every 4.4 people. Railroads run between Dublin and the country's larger cities and towns.
Aer Lingus, the Irish international airline, has flights to and from European and transatlantic airports. Dublin, Limerick, and Cork have international airports, and Shannon Airport, near Limerick, was the world's first duty-free airport.
Dublin and Cork are the principal harbors for international shipping. Passenger ships provide frequent connections with Wales and England.
The government operates Ireland's television and radio facilities. The country has two television channels and three radio stations, one of which broadcasts in Gaelic. Every owner of a television set or radio pays an annual license fee. There are seven daily newspapers, five of which are published in Dublin. All the newspapers are in English.
Irish children from 6 to 15 years old are required by law to go to school. The elementary schools are free. The secondary schools are private institutions, and most are operated by religious orders of the Roman Catholic Church. Nevertheless, Irish secondary schools receive substantial government aid and are subject to inspection by the Department of Education. The administration of the nation's vocational schools resembles that of the secondary schools.
The University of Dublin, or Trinity College, was founded in 1592, and the National University was established in Dublin in 1908. The National University also has branches in Galway and Cork. In addition, Ireland has ten regional technical colleges in the provincial centers of Athlone, Carlow, Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Letterkenny, Limerick, Sligo, Tralee, and Waterford. St. Patrick's College in Maynooth trains Roman Catholic priests but also admits other students. The National Institute for Higher Education, which offers mainly technological courses, has campuses in Dublin and Limerick. All the universities and colleges receive financial support from the government.
GOVERNMENT
The nation's first constitution went into effect in 1922, when its name was changed to the Irish Free State. In 1937, after a number of amendments, a new constitution was approved by the parliament and the people. It restored the name Ireland, or Eire in Gaelic, and provided for a president, elected every seven years; a cabinet called "the government," headed by a prime minister; and a parliament. The Irish parliament consists of a House of Representatives, called the Dail Eireann, and a Senate, called the Seanad Eireann. The 166 members of the Dail are elected by the people and the 60 members of the Seanad are selected from representatives of education, agriculture, labor, industry, and public administration. Citizens who are at least 18 years old may vote. Local government is in the hands of 27 county councils and the five county boroughs of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford. These councils are responsible for planning, taxing, and other local government activities but not education or police functions.
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