Ireland
Capital city : Dublin
Area: total: 70,280 sq km , land: 68,890 sq km, water: 1,390 sq km
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m , highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
Population: 4,109,086 (July 2007 est.)
Ethnic groups: Celtic, English
Religions: Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%,
other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 Languages: English (official) is the
language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas
located along the western seaboard
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.9 years , male: 75.27 years ,
female: 80.7 years (2007 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $187.5 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $219.7 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $45,600 (2007 est.)
Budget: revenues: $93.85 billion , expenditures: $91.07 billion (2007 est.)
Railways: total: 3,237 km ; Roadways: total: 96,602 km
paved: 96,602 km (includes 200 km of expressways) (2003
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.097 million (2006)
mobile cellular: 4.69 million (2006)
The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and a registered
trademark of the Republic of Ireland
Dates of Irish History
c.3000BC Megalithic tombs first constructed.
c.700BC Celts arrive from parts of Gaul and Britain.
c.AD350 Christianity reaches Ireland.
432
Traditional date for arrival of St.Patrick in Ireland.
795
Full-scale Viking invasion.
1014 Brian Boru/ defeats Vikings at Clontarf
1172 Pope decrees that Henry II is feudal lord of Ireland.
1595-1603 Failed uprising of Hugh O'Neil.
1641 Charles I's policies cause insurrection in Ulster
1649 Cromwell invades Ireland.
1704 Penal Code enacted; Catholics barred from voting
1801 Ireland becomes part of Britain under the Act of Union.
1845-48 The Great Famine.
1916 Easter Rising. After the leaders are executed public opinion
backs independence
1920-21 War between Britain and Ireland; Irish Free State and Northern
Ireland created.
1922 Civil war breaks out.
1969 Rioting between Catholics and Protestants. British troops called
in.
1972
1985
1994
UK and Republic of Ireland join European Community.
Anglo-Irish Agreement signed.
Peace Declaration and IRA ceasefire.