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| Republic of Ireland Poblacht na hÉireann (Irish) | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Republic of Ireland |
| Alias(es) | Ireland |
| Country code(s) |
IE |
| Continent | Europe |
| Area | 70,273 km2 (27,133 sq mi) |
| Time zone | GMT/WET (UTC) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Irish constitution |
| Head of the government |
President |
| President | Michael D. Higgins |
| Taoiseach | Leo Varadkar |
| Tánaiste | Simon Coveney |
| Strength(s) | Defence Forces, republic, presidency |
| Executive branch |
Executive Council |
| Legislature | Oireachtas |
| Judicial branch |
Judicial review |
| Affiliation(s) | United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe (CoE), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Partnership for Peace (PfP) |
| Military | Irish Army, Irish Air Corps, Naval Service (all parts of Defence Forces) |
| Population | 4,761,865 |
| Capital and largest city |
Dublin |
| Race(s) | Humans |
| Official language(s) |
Irish, English |
| National language |
Irish |
| Religion(s) | Christianity, Roman Catholicism |
| Ethnic group(s) |
Caucasian Irish, Caucasians, unstated Irish, Asian Irish, Multiracial Irish, Negroid Irish, Chinese, Irish Travelers, Black African Irish |
| Demonym(s) | Irish |
| Currency | Euro (previously Irish Pound) |
| National Day | March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) |
| National anthem |
Amhrán na bhFiann (The Soldier's Song) |
| Formed from |
Independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Established | January 21, 1919 (as the disputed Irish Republic) |
| Status | Partitioned |
The Republic of Ireland (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann), simply known as Ireland (Éire), is a sovereign country in northwestern Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, which is located on the eastern part of the island, and whose metropolitan area is home to around a third of the country's 4.75 million inhabitants. The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, Saint George's Channel to the south-east, and the Irish Sea to the east. It is a unitary, parliamentary republic. The legislature, the Oireachtas, consists of a lower house, Dáil Éireann, an upper house, Seanad Éireann, and an elected President (Uachtarán) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state, but with some important powers and duties. The head of government is the Taoiseach (Prime Minister, literally 'Chief', a title not used in English), who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President; the Taoiseach in turn appoints other government ministers.
The state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It had the status of dominion until 1937 when a new constitution was adopted, in which the state was named "Ireland" and effectively became a republic, with an elected non-executive president as head of state. It was officially declared a republic in 1949, following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948. Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955. It joined the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the European Union, in 1973. The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the twentieth century, but during the 1980s and 1990s the British and Irish governments worked with the Northern Ireland parties towards a resolution to "the Troubles". Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the Irish government and Northern Ireland Executive have co-operated on a number of policy areas under the North-South Ministerial Council created by the Agreement.
Ireland ranks among the top twenty-five wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, and as the tenth most prosperous country in the world according to The Legatum Prosperity Index 2015. After joining the EEC, Ireland enacted a series of liberal economic policies that resulted in rapid economic growth. The country achieved considerable prosperity between the years of 1995 and 2007, which became known as the Celtic Tiger period. This was halted by an unprecedented financial crisis that began in 2008, in conjunction with the concurrent global economic crash. However, as the Irish economy was the fastest growing in the EU in 2015, Ireland is again quickly ascending league tables comparing wealth and prosperity internationally. For example, in 2015, Ireland was ranked as the joint sixth (with Germany) most developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index. It also performs well in several national performance metrics, including freedom of the press, economic freedom and civil liberties. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD. The Irish government has followed a policy of military neutrality through non-alignment since immediately prior to World War II and the country is consequently not a member of NATO, although it is a member of Partnership for Peace.
Etymology[]
- Main article: Name of the Irish state in Wikipedia
History[]
- Main article: History of the Republic of Ireland in Wikipedia
- See also the History of Ireland in Wikipedia
List of characters who hailed from Ireland[]
Main series[]
Playable Irish