Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Latitude and Longitude:
53°N and 8°W. The latitude is equivalent to Alberta,
Canada.
Area:
With 27,000 square miles—half the size of New York State—it occupies the
southern 80 percent of the island of Ireland. The country is small enough that radio
broadcasts manage to cover traffic snarls nationwide.
Geography:
The isle is mostly flat, ringed by a hilly coastline. The climate is mod-
erate, with cloudy skies about every other day.
Biggest Cities:
The capital of Dublin (1.3 million) is the only big city; more than
one in four Irish live in the greater Dublin area. Cork has 190,000 people, while
Limerick has about 91,000 and Galway about 76,000.
Economy:
The Gross Domestic Product is $182 billion, and the GDP per capita
is $39,500—one of Europe's highest and 10 percent more than Britain's. Major
moneymakers include tourism and exports (especially to the US and UK) of ma-
chines, medicine, Guinness, glassware, crystalware, and software. Traditional agri-
culture (potatoes and other root vegetables) is fading fast, but dairy still does well.
Government:
The elected president, Michael Higgins, appoints the prime minister
(Enda Kenny), who is nominated by Parliament. The Parliament consists of the
60-seat Senate, chosen by an electoral college, and the House of Representatives,
with 166 seats apportioned after the people vote for a party. Major parties include
Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the (fading) Irish Repub-
lican Army. Ireland is divided into 26 administrative counties—including Kerry,
Clare, Cork, Limerick, and so on.
