National name: Ireland, or Eire in the Irish language

President: Mary McAleese (1997)

Taoiseach (Prime Minister): Bertie Ahern (1997)

Area: 27,135 sq mi (70,280 sq km)

Population (2003 est.): 3,924,140 (growth rate: 0.7%); birth rate: 14.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.3/1000; density per sq mi: 145

Capital: Dublin

Largest cities (1996): Dublin, 953,000; Cork, 180,000; Limerick, 79,000; Galway, 57,000

Monetary units: Euro (formerly Irish pound [punt])

Languages: English, Irish Gaelic

Ethnicity/race: Celtic, English

Religions: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1%

Literacy rate: 98% (1981)

Doonagore Castle, Ireland ( www.irishphotos.com)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2001 est.): $104.7 billion; per capita $27,300. Real growth rate: 5.6%. Inflation: 4.9%. Unemployment: 4.3%. Arable land: 19.49%. Agriculture: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products. Labor force: 1.8 million (2001); services 64%, industry 28%, agriculture 8% (2000 est.). Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal; software. Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver. Exports: $75.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001): machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products. Imports: $49.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001): data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing. Major trading partners: EU, U.S., Japan.

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.59 million (2001); mobile cellular: 2 million (2001). Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998). Radios: 2.55 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001). Televisions: 1.82 million (2001). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2000). Internet users: 1.25 million (2001).

Transportation: Railways: total: 3,314 km (2001). Highways: total: 92,500 km; paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways); unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 700 km (limited for commercial traffic) (1998). Ports and harbors: Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford. Airports: 41 (2001).

International disputes: disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM.