Known as the Emerald Isle, Ireland is famous for its green countryside. Throughout much of the late 20th century, Ireland was hurt by ongoing troubles in the neighboring country of Northern Ireland. In the late 1990s, however, Ireland flourished because of growing order in the north and great economic growth. The capital of Ireland is Dublin. GeographyThe Republic of Ireland occupies most of the island of Ireland. Its neighbor, Northern Ireland, occupies only one sixth of the island. The island lies off the western coast of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea. Ireland is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Republic of Ireland covers an area of 27,137 square miles (70,285 square kilometers). A large, low-lying plain spans most of eastern and central Ireland. Hills and low-rising mountains surround this plain to the northwest, west, and south. Located in the Carrantoohill Mountains of County Kerry in the southwest, the highest point in Ireland is only 3,414 feet (1,041 meters) above sea level. During the last Ice Age, powerful glaciers covered Ireland. These glaciers left behind numerous rocky formations, heaths, streams, lakes, and bogs. A number of rivers run through Ireland. The most famous of these is the slow-moving River Shannon, which winds through the western part of the country. Plants and animalsIreland's soil is generally of fairly poor quality. Farmland is scarce, and most of the country is covered with grasslands, heather, and pastureland. Plant and flower species include St. Dabeoc's heath, Irish orchid, sundew, foxglove, bell heather, sheep's bit, bog asphodel, and yellow fleabane. Mosses and lichens grow throughout the island. Ireland has few trees, as most of the forests that once covered parts of the island were cut down long ago for lumber and to clear the land for farming. The government has planted some small forests, but only about 5 percent of the country's surface is wooded. Ireland has a wide variety of birds and fish. Herring, whiting, and mackerel are common in the salt water. Salmon and trout are found in inland rivers and lakes. Mammals found in Ireland include mice, hare, and a weasellike creature known as the Irish stoat. The only reptile found in Ireland is a species of lizard. There are no snakes in Ireland. According to legend, St. Patrick chased all of the snakes from the island, but it is highly unlikely that Ireland ever had any. PeopleThe population of Ireland is mainly composed of ethnic Irish, with small groups of English. The Irish are descended primarily from ancient Celtic tribes. The Irish language, also called Gaelic, is the historic language of Ireland and is taught along with English in schools. Both Irish and English are official languages, though Irish is spoken as an everyday language only in parts of western Ireland. About 92 percent of the people are Roman Catholic. Most of the rest are Anglican or Presbyterian. Beginning in the mid-19th century, a large portion of the country's population left Ireland because of the potato famine of 1845–49, a poor economy, and high unemployment. Mass migrations continued from time to time, and today, more ethnic Irish people live outside of Ireland than inside the country. More than 40 percent of the people today live in rural areas. Major cities in Ireland include Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford. CultureIreland's culture has been greatly influenced by the country's Celtic and rural heritage. Celtic designs decorate many of the crafts and jewelry produced in Ireland. Ireland is internationally known for its folk dancing and folk songs. Irish folktales are known for their magical qualities, including stories about leprechauns. Folk songs and dances and traditional storytelling are featured at folk festivals. Ireland is well known for its writers. The poet William Butler Yeats, who wrote verses inspired by politics and by Gaelic traditions, helped begin a rebirth of Irish literature in the early decades of the 20th century. Other well-known writers include James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, and Samuel Beckett. The modern poet Seamus Heaney won the Nobel prize for literature in 1995, joining Yeats, Shaw, and Beckett as Irish winners of that award. EconomyIreland was rural and agricultural for much of the 20th century, but industry steadily gained importance. During the 1990s, the country enjoyed great economic growth, due in part to the development of an extensive technology industry. Agriculture accounts for about 5 percent of the nation's economic production and employs about 9 percent of the population. Crops grown in Ireland include sugar beets, barley, wheat, and potatoes. Cattle are raised extensively for meat and milk, and sheep for wool. Pigs are also raised. Fishing provides a major source of food. Manufacturing, mining, and construction account for about 40 percent of Ireland's economic output, with manufacturing being the largest portion by far. Main goods produced include office equipment and computers, chemicals, recorded media, pharmaceuticals, and alcoholic beverages. Ireland has limited natural resources, including zinc, lead, and silver, as well as small reserves of natural gas and coal. About one quarter of the population is employed in the service industries. The service industries, combined with trade, finance, transportation, and public administration, account for more than 50 percent of Ireland's total economic production. Tourism is one of Ireland's largest service industries. HistoryEarly historyIreland has been inhabited for about 8,000 years. Fishermen and hunters first arrived from England in about 6000 BC. In about 300 BC, invaders from Europe known as Celts overran the island. The Celts wiped out almost all of the island's earlier inhabitants and established vast kingdoms. In the 5th century AD, Christianity spread to the island, mixing with the region's native traditions. The spread of Christianity was greatly helped by the 5th-century figure St. Patrick. He converted almost all of the population to Christianity. St. Patrick is still revered as the father of Ireland's Roman Catholic tradition. For centuries after the death of St. Patrick, Ireland was peaceful. From the late 8th to the 10th century, however, Vikings invaded parts of the country. The Irish eventually defeated them, but many Vikings remained in settlements along the Irish coast. The English invadeIn 1170–1171, English armies invaded Ireland and conquered large parts of the country. Despite Irish resistance, many of these Englishmen settled there. England's rulers also tried to stamp out Roman Catholicism in Ireland. In the early 1600s, England sent English and Scottish Protestants to settle in northern Ireland. Irish Catholics revolted against these settlers in 1641, but the English crushed the revolts and imposed strict anti-Catholic laws. England's last Catholic king, James II, who ruled from 1685 to 1688, reversed some of these policies but was removed from power. By the end of the 17th century, England firmly controlled the island. In 1801 the Act of Union joined Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom. Ireland seeks independenceIrish opposition to British rule remained strong through much of the 19th and 20th centuries. On Easter Monday in 1916, a group calling for independence staged an armed uprising in Dublin. The Easter Rising, as it came to be known, was crushed, and 15 of the Irish ringleaders were executed. In 1918, a political group known as Sinn Fein established an independent Irish Parliament under its leader, Eamon de Valera. An armed struggle broke out between the British Army and the newly formed Irish Republican Army. In 1920, the British divided Ireland into northern and southern provinces. In 1921 the southern part of the island became the Irish Free State, while six counties of northern Ireland remained under British control. In 1937 the Irish Free State established a new constitution though it still had some ties to Britain. In 1948, the Irish Free State left the British Commonwealth and became the Republic of Ireland. Struggles between England and Ireland over control of Northern Ireland continued until 1973, when Ireland acknowledged British rule in the north. However, fighting resumed and continued throughout Northern Ireland. Steps were taken toward peace over the years, but no permanent arrangement was made. Population (2001 estimate), 3,823,000. |