concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian COWEN (since 7
May 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 October 1997
(next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE was
appointed to a second term when no other candidate qualified for the
2004 presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by
the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann) 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 members 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 elected by
popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in July 2007 (next to be held probably
in early 2011); House of Representatives - last held on 24 May 2007
(next to be held probably in early 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Fianna Fail 28, Fine Gael 14, Labor Party 6, Progressive
Democrats 2, Green Party 2, Sein Fein 1, independents 7; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.6%, Fine
Gael 27.3%, Labor Party 10.1%, Sinn Fein 6.9%, Green Party 4.7%,
Progressive Democrats 2.7%, other 6.7%; seats by party - Fianna Fail
78, Fine Gael 51, Labor Party 20, Sinn Fein 4, Green Party 6,
Progressive Democrats 2, independents 4, Speaker of the Dail 1; note
- through dissertions and attrition the makeup of both houses is
greatly changed
note: on 8 November 2008, delegates voted to disband the Progressive
Democrats, and in November 2009 it officially stopped operating as a
political party
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Fianna Fail [Brian COWEN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [John
GORMLEY]; Labor Party [Eamon GILMORE]; Progressive Democrats or PD
[Noel GREALISH] (formerly dissolved on 20 November 2009); Sinn Fein
[Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party
[Michael FINNEGAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Families Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian MCCONNELL]
(seek compensation for victims of violence); Families Against
Intimidation and Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism); Gaeltacht Civil
Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge) or CCSG
(encourages the use of the Irish language and campaigns for greater
civil rights in Irish speaking areas); Iona Institute [David QUINN]
(a conservative Catholic think tank); Irish Anti-War Movement
[Richard Boyd BARRETT] (campaigns against wars around the world);
Irish Republican Army or IRA (terrorist group); Keep Ireland Open
(environmental group); Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [Willie
ALLEN] (transportation promoters); Peace and Neutrality Alliance
[Roger COLE] (campaigns to protect Irish neutrality); Rail Users
Ireland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters); 32
Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports a fully sovereign
Ireland); Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group)
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,
EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael COLLINS
chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel ROONEY
embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777
FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange;
officially the flag colors have no meaning, but a common
interpretation is that the green represents the Irish nationalist
(Gaelic) tradition of Ireland; orange represents the Orange
tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange); white
symbolizes peace (or a lasting truce) between the green and the
orange
note: similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has
the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also
similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of
green (hoist side), white, and red
National anthem:
name: "Amhran na bhFiann" (The Soldier"s Song)
lyrics/music: Peadar KEARNEY [English], Liam O RINN [Irish]/Patrick
HEENEY and Peadar KEARNEY
note: adopted 1926; instead of "Amhran na bhFiann," the song
"Ireland"s Call" is often used in athletic events where citizens of
the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland compete as a unified
team
Economy ::Ireland
Economy - overview:
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy. Ireland joined
11 other EU nations in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002. GDP
growth averaged 6% in 1995-2007, but economic activity has dropped
sharply since 2008 with GDP falling by over 3% in 2008, nearly 8% in
2009, and 1% in 2010, and further contraction is expectd in 2011.
Ireland entered into a recession for the first time in more than a
decade with the onset of the world financial crisis and subsequent
severe slowdown in its domestic property and construction markets.
Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by
industry and services. Although the export sector, dominated by
foreign multinationals, remains a key component of Ireland's
economy, construction most recently fueled economic growth along
with strong consumer spending and business investment. Property
prices rose more rapidly in Ireland in the decade up to 2007 than in
any other developed economy. However, average home prices have
fallen 50% from the 2007 peak. In 2008 the COWEN government moved to
guarantee all bank deposits, recapitalize the banking system, and
establish partly-public venture capital funds in response to the
country's economic downturn. In 2009, in an effort to stabilize the
banking sector, the Irish Government established the National Asset
Management Agency (NAMA) to acquire problem commercial property and
development loans from Irish banks. Faced with sharply reduced
revenues and a burgeoning budget deficit, the Irish Government
introduced the first in a series of draconian budgets in 2009. In
addition to across-the-board cuts in spending, the 2009 budget
included wage reductions for all public servants. These measures
were not sufficient. The budget deficit reached nearly 38% of GDP in
2010 because of additional government support for the banking
sector. In late 2010, the COWEN Government agreed to a $112 billion
loan package from the EU and IMF to help Dublin recapitalize its
banking sector and avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt, and
initiated a four-year austerity plan to cut an additional $20
billion from its budget.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$174 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
$175.1 billion (2009 est.)
$189.5 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$204.1 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
-7.6% (2009 est.)
-3.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,600 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
$38,200 (2009 est.)
$41,900 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 46%
services: 49% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
2.18 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 27%
services: 67% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
13.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
11.8% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
4.2% (2008 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 27.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.7 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 108
35.9 (1987)
Investment (gross fixed):
12.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
Public debt:
98.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
64.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-1.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
-4.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1.75% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 118
3% (31 December 2008)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal
lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro
area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
4.32% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
6.76% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$127.7 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 26
$141 billion (31 December 2009 est)
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro
area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for
the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual
members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating
within their own borders
Stock of broad money:
$257.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
$275.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$745.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$738.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$29.88 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 50
$49.4 billion (31 December 2008)
$144 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products
Industries:
steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining
processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment; glass and
crystal; software, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Electricity - production:
26.06 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Electricity - consumption:
25.12 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Electricity - exports:
303 million kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
753 million kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Oil - consumption:
164,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Oil - exports:
22,410 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - imports:
192,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Natural gas - production:
392 million cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Natural gas - consumption:
5.112 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Natural gas - imports:
4.723 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
Natural gas - proved reserves:
9.911 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Current account balance:
-$3.191 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
-$6.762 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$115.7 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
$107.3 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live
animals, animal products
Exports - partners:
US 20.52%, Belgium 17.78%, UK 16.31%, Germany 5.66%, France 5.56%,
Spain 4.19% (2009)
Imports:
$70.36 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
$62.22 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals,
petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Imports - partners:
UK 35.28%, US 16.87%, Germany 6.76%, Netherlands 5.86%, France 4.76%
(2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$2.154 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.131 trillion (30 June 2010)
country comparison to the world: 10
$2.356 trillion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$221.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
$198.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$192.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
$180.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6827
(2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)
Communications ::Ireland
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.08 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 54
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.871 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 98
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave
radio relay
domestic: system privatized but dominated by former state monopoly
operator; increasing levels of broadband access
international: country code - 353; landing point for the
Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US, Canada, and
UK; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
publicly-owned broadcaster Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) operates 2 TV
stations; commercial television stations are available; about 75% of
households utilize multi-channel satellite and TV services that
provide access to a wide range of stations; RTE operates 4 national
radio stations and has launched digital audio broadcasts on several
stations; a number of commercial broadcast stations operate at the
national, regional, and local levels (2007)
Internet country code:
.ie
Internet hosts:
1.339 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 36
Internet users:
3.042 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 67
Transportation ::Ireland
Airports:
39 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 105
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 1,550 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 3,237 km
country comparison to the world: 53
broad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
(2008)
Roadways:
total: 96,036 km
country comparison to the world: 48
paved: 96,036 km (includes 423 km of expressways) (2008)
Waterways:
956 km (pleasure craft only) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 68
Merchant marine:
total: 28
country comparison to the world: 87
by type: cargo 25, chemical tanker 2, container 1
foreign-owned: 5 (Norway 3, US 2)
registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 3, Bermuda 2, Cyprus 3,
Isle of Man 1, Kazakhstan 1, Malta 1, Netherlands 7, Panama 1,
Slovakia 1, Sweden 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Cork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes, Waterford
Military ::Ireland
Military branches:
Irish Defense Forces (IDF; Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army, Naval
Service, Air Corps (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
17-25 years of age for male or female voluntary military service
(17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16 years of
age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions; 17-35
years of age for the Reserve Defense Forces (RDF); maximum
obligation 12 years (5 years IDF, 7 years RDF); EU citizenship or
5-year residence in Ireland required (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,031,985
females age 16-49: 1,030,606 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 858,317
females age 16-49: 855,125 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,987
female: 26,240 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Transnational Issues ::Ireland
Disputes - international:
Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe
Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to
the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;
increasing consumption of South American cocaine; minor
transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western
Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money
laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies
involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Isle of Man (Europe)
Introduction ::Isle of Man
Background:
Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century
when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown
in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx
Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown dependency but is
not part of the UK or of the European Union. However, the UK
Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and
international representation.
Geography ::Isle of Man
Location:
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and
Ireland
Geographic coordinates:
54 15 N, 4 30 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 572 sq km
country comparison to the world: 193
land: 572 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
160 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of
the time
Terrain:
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland)
(2002)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air
pollution
Geography - note:
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest and is a
bird sanctuary
People ::Isle of Man
Population:
83,859 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.9% (male 6,612/female 6,300)
15-64 years: 66% (male 25,433/female 25,083)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,408/female 7,676) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.3 years
male: 41.6 years
female: 43 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.968% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Birth rate:
11.54 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Death rate:
9.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Net migration rate:
8.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Urbanization:
urban population: 51% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.077 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 196
male: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.53 years
country comparison to the world: 21
male: 79.01 years
female: 82.18 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.97 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx
Ethnic groups:
Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons
Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society
of Friends
Languages:
English, Manx Gaelic (about 2% of the population has some knowledge)
Literacy:
NA
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Isle of Man
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man
abbreviation: I.O.M.
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Douglas
geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 29 W
time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined
by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with
its own elections
Independence:
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Tynwald Day, 5 July
Constitution:
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not
embody the unwritten Manx Constitution
Legal system:
the laws of the UK where applicable apply and Manx statutes
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K. HADDACKS
(since 17 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Tony BROWN (since 14 December
2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch; the chief minister elected by the Tynwald for a
five-year term; election last held on 14 December 2006 (next to be
held in December 2011)
election results: House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief
minister by the Tynwald
Legislative branch:
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (11 seats;
members composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of
Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by
the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held on 23 November 2006 (next to be
held in November 2011)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Manx Labor Party 1,
independents 21
Judicial branch:
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor
of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter
KARRAN]; Manx Labor Party; Manx Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin)
[Bernard MOFFATT]
note: most members sit as independents
Political pressure groups and leaders: