Ireland - geography

This article on the geography of Ireland describes the 84% of the island of
Ireland that belong to the Republic of Ireland.
Population
The population is predominantly of Celtic origin with less Anglo-Saxon and
Scandinavian elements. From the mid-1800's. population growth was marked by
violent upheavals. Famine as a result of a potato disease in the 1840's resulted
in the death of up to 1 million. Irish and a violent emigration. From 1840-1920
approximately 4.5 million Irish, first especially to the United States and later
mainly to Great Britain. The population was almost halved in the following
hundred years after 1840. Only after 1961 did it begin to increase slightly,
due to a high European birth rate by European standards. Ireland has in the
early 2000-t. a population growth of 2%; approximately half of the growth is due to
immigration. The western regions and rural areas were characterized by
emigration until 1991. In the 1990's, 1 /3 of those born in
Ireland residing outside the country. A particular Irish minority is the
traveling people, also called tinkers. According to
AllCityPopulation.com,
they are estimated to amount to
approximately 23,000 non-residents.

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Do you know how many people there are in Ireland? Check this site to see
population pyramid and resident density about this country.
Provinces and counties with population (2002) |
Leinster |
2.1 million |
|
Carlow |
46,000 |
|
Dublin |
1.12 million |
|
Kildare |
163,900 |
|
Kilkenny |
80,300 |
|
Laoighis |
58,800 |
|
Longford |
31,100 |
|
Louth |
101,800 |
|
Meath |
134,000 |
|
Offaly |
63,700 |
|
Westmeath |
71,900 |
|
Wexford |
116,600 |
|
Wicklow |
114,700 |
Munster |
1.1 million |
|
Clare |
103,300 |
|
Cork |
447,800 |
|
Kerry |
132,500 |
|
Limerick |
175,300 |
|
Tipperary |
140,100 |
|
Waterford |
101,500 |
Connaught |
464,300 |
|
Galway |
209,100 |
|
Leitrim |
25,800 |
|
Mayo |
117,400 |
|
Roscommon |
53,800 |
|
Sligo |
58,200 |
Ulster (part of) |
246,700 |
|
Cavan |
5650 |
|
Donegal |
137,600 |
|
'Monaghan |
52,600 |
Industries
A very low employment rate for women and a high birth rate means that only
approximately half of the population is in the labor market. Until the mid-1990's,
Ireland was considered by the EU to be one of the member states in particular
need of infrastructure and regional aid to alleviate poverty and structural
unemployment. The country then had a high unemployment rate - 15-17%. Then the
trend reversed; since 2000, unemployment has been at 4-5%, and Ireland is
sometimes referred to as the "Celtic Tiger", having had growth rates on a par
with the Southeast Asian "tiger economies". Employment is broken down by
agriculture, 8%, manufacturing and construction, 29%, private and public
services, 64% (2002).
There is some regional inequality. Income is above average in Dublin and in
the county of Kildare east of Dublin. The poor areas are to the west and in the
border areas up to Northern Ireland.
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Industries
After the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921, the industry was
based on the processing of agricultural products (slaughterhouses, sugar
refineries and breweries) and a substitute production. The small freehold farms
were to be supported and imports of English industrial goods
restricted. Business promotion schemes were established from 1958 to make it
advantageous for foreign groups to invest in Ireland, e.g. a low corporate tax
of 0-10% and start-up support. Business development was coordinated through a
national business office, IDA, Irish Development Agency, and the effort
has has meant that Ireland has received a number of foreign investments in
the chemical and electronics industries; For example, Apple has established a
computer assembly plant in Cork, and in general, Ireland has seen strong growth
in the industry since the 1960's with the establishment of capital-intensive and
export-oriented companies. The presence of an English-speaking workforce and a
low wage level have had an impact on these investments. A large part of the
industry is characterized by small businesses targeting the national
market. Some of the traditional industrial industries have declined, and several
cities, including Dublin, has experienced a real deindustrialization. However,
investments in growth industries such as the chemical industry, computer
technology, electronics and optical instruments have provided more
jobs. Logistically, Ireland has had a transport problem in relation to the
markets in Europe, and internally the infrastructure has been directed towards
Dublin. The port cities on the east and south coasts are oriented towards Great
Britain and the continent.
Agriculture
80% of Ireland's land is used for agriculture, but only 20% is cultivated,
the rest is permanent pasture. Agriculture was Ireland's main occupation until
World War II, and judging by exports, this role continued for many
years; following Ireland's accession to the EC in 1973, the country became part
of major EC/EU support schemes. Agriculture contributes 5% of GDP
(2002). Agricultural exports were previously crucial, but now account for only
about 10% of exports and are dominated by fattening calves/cows, dairy
products and pork, but also cereals, sheep and wool are exported. Britain
accounts for a large share of Irish agricultural exports.
The farms are typically family farms and grow in average size from west to
east and south, where the soil's cultivation quality is better. There are
141,000 uses; their average area has grown significantly in recent years, and is
31 ha (2000). Half of the farms specialize in beef cattle, while 19% specialize
in milk production. The cultivation of potatoes, barley and wheat is
concentrated in the province of Leinster south of Dublin, while cattle farming
is mainly found in the province of Munster in the south-west of the country.
Raw materials. In Ireland, lead and zinc are mined, and to a lesser
extent silver and copper. Gas is extracted from an offshore field off the south
coast.
Landscape
Ireland consists of a large central, low-lying area, which is surrounded by
low mountains to the shores. The mountains are typically below 450 m; highest
mountain is Carrauntoohill in the SW with 1041 m. The central area has a smooth
surface 60-120 m above sea level and consists of a large underexposed limestone
surface. This plain is drained by Ireland's largest river, the Shannon, and its
tributaries. Pga. the geology of the central area and slight slope gradients,
the groundwater table is high, and especially in the northern part there are
large bog areas with a significant peat production. Peat continues to be a
significant energy source in the production of heat and electricity (20%). South
of a line Galway Bay-Dublin breaks the flat landscape of low mountains (300-600
m), formed during the Hercynian fold. During the most recent ice age, the north
and west of Ireland were covered in ice, and the central lowlands are covered
with moraine deposits from this period, but in some places the calcareous
subsoil is bare. The coastal mountains in the NW are formed during the
Caledonian fold. The coast here is strongly incised with deep bays
near Donegal and Sligointo the underlying lowlands. In the SW, the
mountains are formed during the Hercynian fold and reach all the way to the
Atlantic Ocean. Between the mountains, deep-cut bays form natural harbors. The
mountains south of Dublin have created the basis for the largest exploited
granite deposit in the British Isles.
Deforestation followed by overgrazing has until 1921 destroyed the natural
forest. Today, almost 3% of Ireland's land area is covered by forest.
Climate
Ireland has a rainy, temperate coastal climate with mild winters. The average
temperature in January is 4-7 °C, warmest in the southwest towards the Gulf
Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, and in July 14-16 °C, warmest in the
southeast. The precipitation is decreasing from west to east, from 1530 mm to
760 mm near Dublin.
Ireland - language
English is the first language for the vast majority. A small number
have Irish as their first language, especially in the "Gaeltacht" areas of the
western and south-western regions. Many, perhaps up to a third of the
population, use Irish to a greater or lesser extent in daily life. Irish is
Ireland's first official language, the second being English, which, however, is
by far the most frequently used both politically-administratively and in the
media; however, there is also Irish radio from 1972 and television from 1996.
The language of instruction is English at all levels, but Irish is taught as a
compulsory subject at primary and secondary education level.
Ireland (Religion)
Christianity came to Ireland early, and from the 400-t. the church developed
independently as the Iro-Celtic Church, which in 1152 was merged with the Roman
Catholic Church at a church meeting in Drogheda; since then, ireland has been
one of europe's most catholic countries. After the Reformation, the English
monarchy admittedly introduced the Anglican Church with fully-fledged
institutions, which were preserved until 1833. Throughout the period, the
Catholic Christianity of the population was suppressed. At the same time, an
Anglican and especially a Presbyterian immigration took place in Ulster
(Northern Ireland), which conditioned the special development of this region and
its conflicting history and present. The influence of the Catholic Church on
Irish law and way of life is still of paramount importance.
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