REPUBLIC of IRELAND - EIRE






Population
Geography
Government
History
Traditions
Fun stuff
Links

NOTE - words in green are Gealic terms


POPULATION
4 million (July 2005 estimation)

DENSITY
57 inhabitants per sq km (square kilometres)

SURFACE AREA
70,273 sq km (square kilometres)

CAPITAL CITY - Dublin
(1.1 million inhabitants) (2002 Census)
Airport : Dublin International Airport

MAJOR CITIES
Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Waterford, Tralee, Donegal, D™n Laoghaire, Castlebar, Athlone

GEOGRAPHY
3 provinces : Connacht - Munster - Leinster
Highest point : Carrantuohill, Co. Kerry (1,041 m) (3,414 ft)

MOTTO
"Hiberniae est imperare orbi universo" (H.E.I.O.U)
It means : Hibernia will rule over all (the world).
It is written on the Hibernian Royal Arms.
Coat of Arms

FLAG
The Irish flag has got three vertical stripes in green, white and orange.
The green represents the older Gaelic people, the orange represents the Protestants (under William of Orange) and the white represents the peace between the two groups.

NATIONAL ANTHEM
A Soldier's Song lyrics in Gaelic & English - song

EDUCATION
System
Whitechurch site of an Irish school

ECONOMY
AGRICULTURE
information

CURRENCY
The €uro

EEC Member since 1973

GOVERNMENT
Parliamentary Republic

Executive branch
Chief of state : President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
Head of government : Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
Cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
Elections : president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 31 October 1997 (next to be held NA November 2004); prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president
Election results : Mary MCALEESE elected president
(percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%)

Legislative branch
Bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of :
the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
Elections :
Senate - last held NA August 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
House of Representatives - last held 6 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
Election results :
Senate - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 29, Fine Gael 16, Labor Party 4, Progressive Democrats 4, others 7; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fianna Fail 76, Fine Gael 53, Labor Party 19, Progressive Democrats 4, Democratic Left 4, Green Alliance 2, Sinn Fein 1, independents 7

Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president on the advice of the government (prime minister and cabinet)

PRESIDENT
President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)

INDEPENDENCE
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)

NATIONAL HOLIDAY
Saint Patrick's Day - 17th March

CONSTITUTION
29 December 1937 - adopted 1st July 1937 by plebiscite

RELIGION (2002 Census)
Roman Catholic 88.4%,
Church of Ireland 3%,
other Christian 1.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5%

HISTORY
events in Irish history
audio presentation by Irish pupils (dated September 1999)
worldalmanacforkids
irelandstory.com

TRADITIONS
St Patrick

FUN STUFF
Quiz on Ireland

SELECTION of LINKS
irelandstory.com
irelandemb.org
The World Factbook CIA
about.com
Government of Ireland



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