| |
It's
said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for
once the blarney rings true. The Irish landscape has a mythic
resonance, due as much to the country's almost tangible history
as its claim to being the home of the fairies and the 'little
people'. Sure, the weather may not always be clement, but
the dampness ensures there are fifty shades of green to compensate
- just one of the reasons Ireland is called the Emerald Isle.
Although
the 'Troubles' are far from over in the North, the recent
referendum clearly signalled a willingness for peace and a
genuine solution may be in sight. Meanwhile, the South has
been busy shedding its quaintness tag to emerged as the darling
of EU economies and a favourite among high-tech companies.
If the country isn't quite the paradise that its misty-eyed
emigrés tend to portray, it's nonetheless home to one
of the most gregarious and welcoming people in Europe.
Full
country name: Ireland & Northern Ireland (part of the
UK)
Area: 84,421 sq km/52,341 sq mi (70,282 sq km/43,575 sq mi
in the Republic; 14,139 sq km/8,766 sq mi in the North)
Population: 5.5 million (3.9 million in Ireland; 1.6 million
in Northern Ireland)
Capital city: Dublin (population 1.5 million)
People: Irish
Language: English, Irish (around 83,000 native speakers)
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 3.4% Protestant in the Republic;
60% Protestant, 40% Roman Catholic in the Northern Ireland
Government: Democracy
Head of state: Mary McAleese (Republic), Queen Elizabeth II
(Northern Ireland)
Prime Minister: Bertie Ahern (Republic), Tony Blair (Northern
Ireland)
Figures
refer to Eire only
GDP:
US$81.9 billion
GDP per head: US$26,500
Annual growth: 4.3%
Inflation: 4.8%
Major industries: Computer software, information technology,
food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, pharmaceuticals,
tourism
Major trading partners: EU (esp. UK, Germany, France, Netherlands),
US
Member of EU: yes
Euro zone participant: yes
Ireland
Flight from UK
|
