factbook.json/europe/ie-ireland.json

{
  "intro": {
    "background": {
      "text": "Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1949, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland is gradually being implemented despite some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998."
    }
  },
  "geo": {
    "location": {
      "text": "Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain"
    },
    "geographic_coordinates": {
      "text": "53 00 N, 8 00 W"
    },
    "map_references": {
      "text": "Europe"
    },
    "area": {
      "total": "70,273 sq km",
      "land": "68,883 sq km",
      "water": "1,390 sq km"
    },
    "area_comparative": {
      "text": "slightly larger than West Virginia"
    },
    "land_boundaries": {
      "total": "360 km",
      "border_countries": "UK 360 km"
    },
    "coastline": {
      "text": "1,448 km"
    },
    "maritime_claims": {
      "territorial_sea": "12 nm",
      "exclusive_fishing_zone": "200 nm"
    },
    "climate": {
      "text": "temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time"
    },
    "terrain": {
      "text": "mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast"
    },
    "elevation_extremes": {
      "lowest_point": "Atlantic Ocean 0 m",
      "highest_point": "Carrauntoohil 1,041 m"
    },
    "natural_resources": {
      "text": "natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite"
    },
    "land_use": {
      "arable_land": "15.11%",
      "permanent_crops": "0.01%",
      "other": "84.87% (2011)"
    },
    "irrigated_land": {
      "text": "11 sq km (2003)"
    },
    "total_renewable_water_resources": {
      "text": "52 cu km (2011)"
    },
    "freshwater_withdrawal_domestic_industrial_agricultural": {
      "total": "0.79  cu km/yr (94%/6%/0%)",
      "per_capita": "226.9  cu m/yr (2007)"
    },
    "natural_hazards": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "environment_current_issues": {
      "text": "water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff"
    },
    "environment_international_agreements": {
      "party_to": "Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling",
      "signed_but_not_ratified": "Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation"
    },
    "geography_note": {
      "text": "strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin"
    }
  },
  "people": {
    "nationality": {
      "noun": "Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)",
      "adjective": "Irish"
    },
    "ethnic_groups": {
      "text": "Irish 87.4%, other white 7.5%, Asian 1.3%, black 1.1%, mixed 1.1%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 census)"
    },
    "languages": {
      "text": "English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken mainly in areas along the western coast)"
    },
    "religions": {
      "text": "Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)"
    },
    "population": {
      "text": "4,775,982 (July 2013 est.)"
    },
    "age_structure": {
      "0_14_years": "21.4% (male 521,145/female 499,367)",
      "15_24_years": "12% (male 291,090/female 282,364)",
      "25_54_years": "44.4% (male 1,065,685/female 1,055,339)",
      "55_64_years": "10.1% (male 241,918/female 240,193)",
      "65_years_and_over": "12.1% (male 265,533/female 313,348) (2013 est.)"
    },
    "dependency_ratios": {
      "total_dependency_ratio": "50.8 %",
      "youth_dependency_ratio": "32.6 %",
      "elderly_dependency_ratio": "18.2 %",
      "potential_support_ratio": "5.5 (2013)"
    },
    "median_age": {
      "total": "35.4 years",
      "male": "35.1 years",
      "female": "35.8 years (2013 est.)"
    },
    "population_growth_rate": {
      "text": "1.16% (2013 est.)"
    },
    "birth_rate": {
      "text": "15.5 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)"
    },
    "death_rate": {
      "text": "6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)"
    },
    "net_migration_rate": {
      "text": "2.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)"
    },
    "urbanization": {
      "urban_population": "62% of total population (2010)",
      "rate_of_urbanization": "1.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)"
    },
    "major_urban_areas_population": {
      "text": "DUBLIN (capital) 1.084 million (2009)"
    },
    "sex_ratio": {
      "at_birth": "1.06 male(s)/female",
      "0_14_years": "1.04 male(s)/female",
      "15_24_years": "1.03 male(s)/female",
      "25_54_years": "1.01 male(s)/female",
      "55_64_years": "1.01 male(s)/female",
      "65_years_and_over": "0.84 male(s)/female",
      "total_population": "1 male(s)/female (2013 est.)"
    },
    "mother_s_mean_age_at_first_birth": {
      "text": "29.8 (2011 est.)"
    },
    "maternal_mortality_rate": {
      "text": "6 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)"
    },
    "infant_mortality_rate": {
      "total": "3.78 deaths/1,000 live births",
      "male": "4.16 deaths/1,000 live births",
      "female": "3.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)"
    },
    "life_expectancy_at_birth": {
      "total_population": "80.44 years",
      "male": "78.18 years",
      "female": "82.83 years (2013 est.)"
    },
    "total_fertility_rate": {
      "text": "2.01 children born/woman (2013 est.)"
    },
    "contraceptive_prevalence_rate": {
      "text": "64.8%",
      "note": "percent of women aged 18-49 (2004/05)"
    },
    "health_expenditures": {
      "text": "9.2% of GDP (2010)"
    },
    "physicians_density": {
      "text": "3.19 physicians/1,000 population (2008)"
    },
    "hospital_bed_density": {
      "text": "4.9 beds/1,000 population (2008)"
    },
    "drinking_water_source": {
      "improved": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population (2010 est.)"
    },
    "sanitation_facility_access": {
      "improved": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 98% of population; total: 99% of population",
      "unimproved": "urban: 0% of population; rural: 2% of population; total: 1% of population (2010 est.)"
    },
    "hiv_aids_adult_prevalence_rate": {
      "text": "0.2% (2009 est.)"
    },
    "hiv_aids_people_living_with_hiv_aids": {
      "text": "6,900 (2009 est.)"
    },
    "hiv_aids_deaths": {
      "text": "fewer than 100 (2009 est.)"
    },
    "obesity_adult_prevalence_rate": {
      "text": "25.2% (2008)"
    },
    "education_expenditures": {
      "text": "6.5% of GDP (2009)"
    },
    "literacy": {
      "definition": "age 15 and over can read and write",
      "total_population": "99%",
      "male": "99%",
      "female": "99% (2003 est.)"
    },
    "school_life_expectancy_primary_to_tertiary_education": {
      "total": "19 years",
      "male": "19 years",
      "female": "19 years (2011)"
    },
    "unemployment_youth_ages_15_24": {
      "total": "29.4%",
      "male": "35.3%",
      "female": "23.3% (2011)"
    }
  },
  "govt": {
    "country_name": {
      "conventional_long_form": "none",
      "conventional_short_form": "Ireland",
      "local_long_form": "none",
      "local_short_form": "Eire"
    },
    "government_type": {
      "text": "republic, parliamentary democracy"
    },
    "capital": {
      "name": "Dublin",
      "geographic_coordinates": "53 19 N, 6 14 W",
      "time_difference": "UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)",
      "daylight_saving_time": "+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"
    },
    "administrative_divisions": {
      "text": "29 counties and 5 cities*; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Cork*, Donegal, Dublin*, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Galway*, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Limerick*, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, North Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, South Tipperary, Waterford, Waterford*, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow"
    },
    "independence": {
      "text": "6 December 1921 (from the UK by treaty)"
    },
    "national_holiday": {
      "text": "Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March"
    },
    "constitution": {
      "text": "adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937"
    },
    "legal_system": {
      "text": "common law system based on the English model but substantially modified by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court"
    },
    "international_law_organization_participation": {
      "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
    },
    "suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "executive_branch": {
      "chief_of_state": "President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 29 October 2011)",
      "head_of_government": "Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda KENNY (since 9 March 2011)",
      "cabinet": "Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the lower house of Parliament",
      "elections": "president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); taoiseach (prime minister} nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann) and appointed by the president",
      "election_results": "Michael D. HIGGINS elected president; percent of vote - Michael D. HIGGINS 39.6%, Sean GALLAGHER 28.5%, Martin MCGUINNESS 13.7%, Gay MITCHELL 6.4%, David NORRIS 6.2%, other 5.6%"
    },
    "legislative_branch": {
      "text": "bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the lower house of Parliament or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)",
      "elections": "Senate - last held in 27 April 2011 (next to be held 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2011 (next to be held probably in 2016)",
      "election_results": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fine Gael 19, Fianna Fail 14, Labor Party 12, Sinn Fein 3, independents 12; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fine Gael 45.8%, Labor Party 22.3%, Fianna Fail 12.0%, Sinn Fein 8.4%, United Left Alliance 3.0%, New Vision 0.6%, independents 7.8%; seats by party - Fine Gael 76, Labor Party 37, Fianna Fail 20, Sinn Fein 14, United Left Alliance 5, New Vision 1, independents 13; note - after November 2009 disbandment of the Progressive Democrats, the two members of the Senate continued as independent DPs",
      "note": "on 8 November 2008, delegates voted to disband the Progressive Democrats, and in November 2009 it officially stopped operating as a political party"
    },
    "judicial_branch": {
      "highest_courts": "Supreme Court or Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 7 judges)",
      "judge_selection_and_term_of_office": "judges nominated by the prime minister and Cabinet and appointed by the president; judges serve till age 70",
      "subordinate_courts": "High Court, Court of Criminal Appeal; circuit and district courts"
    },
    "political_parties_and_leaders": {
      "text": "Fianna Fail [Michael MARTIN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [Eamon RYAN]; Labor Party [Eamon GILMORE]; New Vision; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Michael FINNEGAN]; United Left Alliance"
    },
    "political_pressure_groups_and_leaders": {
      "text": "Families Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian MCCONNELL] (seek compensation for victims of violence);; Families Against Intimidation and Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism);; Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge) or CCSG (encourages the use of the Irish language and campaigns for greater civil rights in Irish speaking areas);; Iona Institute [David QUINN] (a conservative Catholic think tank);; Irish Anti-War Movement [Richard BOYD BARRETT] (campaigns against wars around the world);; Irish Republican Army or IRA (terrorist group);; Keep Ireland Open (environmental group);; Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [Willie ALLEN] (transportation promoters);; Peace and Neutrality Alliance [Roger COLE] (campaigns to protect Irish neutrality);; Rail Users Ireland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters);; 32 Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports a fully sovereign Ireland);; Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group)"
    },
    "international_organization_participation": {
      "text": "ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC"
    },
    "diplomatic_representation_in_the_us": {
      "chief_of_mission": "Ambassador Michael COLLINS",
      "chancery": "2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008",
      "telephone": "[1] (202) 462-3939",
      "fax": "[1] (202) 232-5993",
      "consulates_general": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco"
    },
    "diplomatic_representation_from_the_us": {
      "chief_of_mission": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John HENNESSEY-NILAND",
      "embassy": "42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4",
      "mailing_address": "use embassy street address",
      "telephone": "[353] (1) 668-8777",
      "fax": "[353] (1) 668-9946"
    },
    "flag_description": {
      "text": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; officially the flag colors have no meaning, but a common interpretation is that the green represents the Irish nationalist (Gaelic) tradition of Ireland; orange represents the Orange tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange); white symbolizes peace (or a lasting truce) between the green and the orange",
      "note": "similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red"
    },
    "national_symbols": {
      "text": "harp"
    },
    "national_anthem": {
      "name": "\"Amhran na bhFiann\" (The Soldier's Song)",
      "lyrics_music": "Peadar KEARNEY [English], Liam O RINN [Irish]/Patrick HEENEY and Peadar KEARNEY",
      "note": "adopted 1926; instead of \"Amhran na bhFiann,\" the song \"Ireland's Call\" is often used in athletic events where citizens of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland compete as a unified team"
    }
  },
  "econ": {
    "economy_overview": {
      "text": "Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy. Ireland was among the initial group of 12 EU nations that began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002. GDP growth averaged 6% in 1995-2007, but economic activity has dropped sharply since the onset of the world financial crisis, with GDP falling by over 3% in 2008, nearly 7% in 2009, and less than 1% in 2010. Ireland entered into a recession in 2008 for the first time in more than a decade, with the subsequent collapse of its domestic property and construction markets. Property prices rose more rapidly in Ireland in the decade up to 2007 than in any other developed economy. Since their 2007 peak, average house prices have fallen 47%. In the wake of the collapse of the construction sector and the downturn in consumer spending and business investment, the export sector, dominated by foreign multinationals, has become a key component of Ireland's economy. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. In 2008 the former COWEN government moved to guarantee all bank deposits, recapitalize the banking system, and establish partly-public venture capital funds in response to the country's economic downturn. In 2009, in continued efforts to stabilize the banking sector, the Irish Government established the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) to acquire problem commercial property and development loans from Irish banks. Faced with sharply reduced revenues and a burgeoning budget deficit, the Irish Government introduced the first in a series of draconian budgets in 2009. In addition to across-the-board cuts in spending, the 2009 budget included wage reductions for all public servants. These measures were not sufficient. In 2010, the budget deficit reached 32.4% of GDP - the world's largest deficit, as a percentage of GDP - because of additional government support for the banking sector. In late 2010, the former COWEN government agreed to a $112 billion loan package from the EU and IMF to help Dublin further increase the capitalization of its banking sector and avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. Since entering office in March 2011, the new KENNY government has intensified austerity measures to try to meet the deficit targets under Ireland's EU-IMF program. Ireland achieved moderate growth of 1.4% in 2011 and cut the budget deficit to 9.1% of GDP. Although the recovery slowed in 2012 because of weaker EU demand for Irish exports, Dublin managed to trim the deficit to about 8.5% of GDP."
    },
    "gdp_purchasing_power_parity": {
      "text": "$195.4 billion (2012 est.); $193.6 billion (2011 est.); $190.8 billion (2010 est.)",
      "note": "data are in 2012 US dollars"
    },
    "gdp_official_exchange_rate": {
      "text": "$210.4 billion (2012 est.)"
    },
    "gdp_real_growth_rate": {
      "text": "0.9% (2012 est.); 1.4% (2011 est.); -0.8% (2010 est.)"
    },
    "gdp_per_capita_ppp": {
      "text": "$42,600 (2012 est.); $42,300 (2011 est.); $41,900 (2010 est.)",
      "note": "data are in 2012 US dollars"
    },
    "gross_national_saving": {
      "text": "14.8% of GDP (2012 est.); 11.4% of GDP (2011 est.); 12.7% of GDP (2010 est.)"
    },
    "gdp_composition_by_end_use": {
      "household_consumption": "50.1%",
      "government_consumption": "15.1%",
      "investment_in_fixed_capital": "10%",
      "investment_in_inventories": "0%",
      "exports_of_goods_and_services": "108.3%",
      "imports_of_goods_and_services": "-84.1% (2012 est.)"
    },
    "gdp_composition_by_sector_of_origin": {
      "agriculture": "1.8%",
      "industry": "26.3%",
      "services": "72% (2012 est.)"
    },
    "agriculture_products": {
      "text": "barley, potatoes, wheat; beef, dairy products"
    },
    "industries": {
      "text": "pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices"
    },
    "industrial_production_growth_rate": {
      "text": "-0.1% (2012 est.)"
    },
    "labor_force": {
      "text": "2.154 million (2012 est.)"
    },
    "labor_force_by_occupation": {
      "agriculture": "5%",
      "industry": "19%",
      "services": "76% (2011 est.)"
    },
    "unemployment_rate": {
      "text": "14.7% (2012 est.); 14.4% (2011 est.)"
    },
    "population_below_poverty_line": {
      "text": "5.5% (2009)"
    },
    "household_income_or_consumption_by_percentage_share": {
      "lowest_10%": "2.9%",
      "highest_10%": "27.2% (2000)"
    },
    "distribution_of_family_income_gini_index": {
      "text": "33.9 (2010); 35.9 (1987)"
    },
    "budget": {
      "revenues": "$72.76 billion",
      "expenditures": "$88.49 billion (2012 est.)"
    },
    "taxes_and_other_revenues": {
      "text": "34.6% of GDP (2012 est.)"
    },
    "budget_surplus_+_or_deficit": {
      "text": "-7.5% of GDP (2012 est.)"
    },
    "public_debt": {
      "text": "118.4% of GDP (2012 est.); 106.4% of GDP (2011 est.)",
      "note": "data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions"
    },
    "fiscal_year": {
      "text": "calendar year"
    },
    "inflation_rate_consumer_prices": {
      "text": "1.7% (2012 est.); 2.6% (2011 est.)"
    },
    "central_bank_discount_rate": {
      "text": "1.5% (31 December 2012); 1.75% (31 December 2010)",
      "note": "this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area"
    },
    "commercial_bank_prime_lending_rate": {
      "text": "3.55% (31 December 2012 est.); 3.81% (31 December 2011 est.)"
    },
    "stock_of_narrow_money": {
      "text": "$122.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $118.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)",
      "note": "see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders"
    },
    "stock_of_broad_money": {
      "text": "$291.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.); $260 billion (31 December 2010 est.)"
    },
    "stock_of_domestic_credit": {
      "text": "$432.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $456.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)"
    },
    "market_value_of_publicly_traded_shares": {
      "text": "$35.36 billion (31 December 2011); $33.72 billion (31 December 2010); $29.88 billion (31 December 2009)"
    },
    "current_account_balance": {
      "text": "$3.5 billion (2012 est.); $2.484 billion (2011 est.)"
    },
    "exports": {
      "text": "$119 billion (2012 est.); $126.7 billion (2011 est.)"
    },
    "exports_commodities": {
      "text": "machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, medical devices, pharmaceuticals; food products, animal products"
    },
    "exports_partners": {
      "text": "US 18%, UK 17.4%, Belgium 15.6%, Germany 8.4%, Switzerland 5.8%, France 5% (2012)"
    },
    "imports": {
      "text": "$64.32 billion (2012 est.); $67.11 billion (2011 est.)"
    },
    "imports_commodities": {
      "text": "data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing"
    },
    "imports_partners": {
      "text": "UK 40%, US 13.2%, Germany 7.6%, Netherlands 5.6% (2012)"
    },
    "reserves_of_foreign_exchange_and_gold": {
      "text": "$1.707 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.703 billion (31 December 2011 est.)"
    },
    "debt_external": {
      "text": "$2.163 trillion (31 December 2012); $2.213 trillion (31 December 2011)"
    },
    "stock_of_direct_foreign_investment_at_home": {
      "text": "$276.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $243.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)"
    },
    "stock_of_direct_foreign_investment_abroad": {
      "text": "$347 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $324.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)"
    },
    "exchange_rates": {
      "text": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7778 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.); 0.7198 (2009 est.); 0.6827 (2008 est.)"
    }
  },
  "energy": {
    "electricity_production": {
      "text": "26.35 billion kWh (2011 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_consumption": {
      "text": "26.1 billion kWh (2011 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_exports": {
      "text": "242 million kWh (2011 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_imports": {
      "text": "732 million kWh (2011 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_installed_generating_capacity": {
      "text": "7.401 million kW (2009 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_from_fossil_fuels": {
      "text": "75.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_from_nuclear_fuels": {
      "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_from_hydroelectric_plants": {
      "text": "3.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)"
    },
    "electricity_from_other_renewable_sources": {
      "text": "17.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)"
    },
    "crude_oil_production": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2011 est.)"
    },
    "crude_oil_exports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2009 est.)"
    },
    "crude_oil_imports": {
      "text": "53,560 bbl/day (2009 est.)"
    },
    "crude_oil_proved_reserves": {
      "text": "0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)"
    },
    "refined_petroleum_products_production": {
      "text": "55,340 bbl/day (2009 est.)"
    },
    "refined_petroleum_products_consumption": {
      "text": "144,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)"
    },
    "refined_petroleum_products_exports": {
      "text": "17,480 bbl/day (2010 est.)"
    },
    "refined_petroleum_products_imports": {
      "text": "166,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)"
    },
    "natural_gas_production": {
      "text": "346 million cu m (2011 est.)"
    },
    "natural_gas_consumption": {
      "text": "4.981 billion cu m (2011 est.)"
    },
    "natural_gas_exports": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2011 est.)"
    },
    "natural_gas_imports": {
      "text": "4.633 billion cu m (2011 est.)"
    },
    "natural_gas_proved_reserves": {
      "text": "9.911 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)"
    },
    "carbon_dioxide_emissions_from_consumption_of_energy": {
      "text": "40.48 million Mt (2010 est.)"
    }
  },
  "comm": {
    "telephones_main_lines_in_use": {
      "text": "2.047 million (2011)"
    },
    "telephones_mobile_cellular": {
      "text": "4.906 million (2011)"
    },
    "telephone_system": {
      "general_assessment": "modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay",
      "domestic": "system privatized but dominated by former state monopoly operator; increasing levels of broadband access particularly in urban areas",
      "international": "country code - 353; landing point for the Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US, Canada, and UK; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)"
    },
    "broadcast_media": {
      "text": "publicly owned broadcaster Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) operates 2 TV stations; commercial TV stations are available; about 75% of households utilize multi-channel satellite and TV services that provide access to a wide range of stations; RTE operates 4 national radio stations and has launched digital audio broadcasts on several stations; a number of commercial broadcast stations operate at the national, regional, and local levels (2007)"
    },
    "internet_country_code": {
      "text": ".ie"
    },
    "internet_hosts": {
      "text": "1.387 million (2012)"
    },
    "internet_users": {
      "text": "3.042 million (2009)"
    }
  },
  "trans": {
    "airports": {
      "text": "40 (2013)"
    },
    "airports_with_paved_runways": {
      "total": "16",
      "over_3_047_m": "1",
      "2_438_to_3_047_m": "1",
      "1_524_to_2_437_m": "4",
      "914_to_1_523_m": "5",
      "under_914_m": "5 (2013)"
    },
    "airports_with_unpaved_runways": {
      "total": "24",
      "2_438_to_3_047_m": "1",
      "914_to_1_523_m": "2",
      "under_914_m": "21 (2013)"
    },
    "pipelines": {
      "text": "gas 2,147 km (2013)"
    },
    "railways": {
      "total": "3,237 km",
      "broad_gauge": "1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified)",
      "narrow_gauge": "1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2008)"
    },
    "roadways": {
      "total": "96,036 km",
      "paved": "96,036 km (includes 1,224 km of expressways) (2010)"
    },
    "waterways": {
      "text": "956 km (pleasure craft only) (2010)"
    },
    "merchant_marine": {
      "total": "31",
      "by_type": "cargo 28, chemical tanker 2, container 1",
      "foreign_owned": "5 (France 2, Spain 1, US 2)",
      "registered_in_other_countries": "33 (Bahamas 3, Bermuda 1, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 3, Isle of Man 1, Kazakhstan 1, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 6, Netherlands 8, Panama 1, Russia 1, Slovakia 1, Sweden 1, UK 1) (2010)"
    },
    "ports_and_terminals": {
      "text": "Cork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes, Waterford"
    }
  },
  "military": {
    "military_branches": {
      "text": "Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireannn), Permanent Defence Force: Army, Naval Service, Air Corps (2012)"
    },
    "military_service_age_and_obligation": {
      "text": "17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16 years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions; 17-35 years of age for the Reserve Defense Forces (RDF); maximum obligation 12 years (5 years IDF, 7 years RDF); EU citizenship or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2012)"
    },
    "manpower_available_for_military_service": {
      "males_age_16_49": "1,179,125",
      "females_age_16_49": "1,163,728 (2010 est.)"
    },
    "manpower_fit_for_military_service": {
      "males_age_16_49": "977,631",
      "females_age_16_49": "965,900 (2010 est.)"
    },
    "manpower_reaching_militarily_significant_age_annually": {
      "male": "28,564",
      "female": "27,197 (2010 est.)"
    },
    "military_expenditures": {
      "text": "0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)"
    }
  },
  "issues": {
    "disputes_international": {
      "text": "Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm"
    },
    "refugees_and_internally_displaced_persons": {
      "stateless_persons": "73 (2012)"
    },
    "illicit_drugs": {
      "text": "transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; increasing consumption of South American cocaine; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern"
    }
  }
}