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Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of
Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 8 00 W
Area: total: 70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 360 km border countries:
UK 360 km
Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild
winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Population: 3,969,558 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 430,905; female 404,218)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,342,233; female 1,337,580)
65 years and over: 11.5% (male 199,379; female 255,243) (2004 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.16% (2004 est.)
Ethnic groups: Celtic, English
Religions: Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9%
(1998)
Languages: English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic)
spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Government type: republic
Capital: Dublin
Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite
Labor force: 1.8 million (2001)
Unemployment rate: 5% (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
Imports - commodities: data processing equipment, other machinery and
equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Currency: euro (EUR)
Military branches: Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps),
National Police (Garda Siochana)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $700 million (FY00/01)
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