Ireland

Ireland

AREA	70,285 sq km (27,137 sq miles).
POPULATION	3,626,087 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	51.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Dublin.
CAPITAL POPULATION	952,700 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	The Republic of Ireland lies in the north Atlantic Ocean and is separated from Britain by the Irish Sea to the east. The northeastern part of the island (Northern Ireland) is part of the United Kingdom. The country has a central plain surrounded by a rim of mountains and hills offering some of the most varied and unspoilt scenery in Europe – quiet sandy beaches, semi-tropical bays warmed by the Gulf Stream, and rugged cliffs make up the 5600km (3500 miles) of coastline.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Head of State: President Mary McAleese since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.
LANGUAGE	Irish (Gaelic) is the official language, spoken as a first language by about 55,000 people (mostly in the west). The majority speak English.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%.
STANDARD TIME	GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before the last Sunday in October)
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. 3-pin plugs are in use.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 353 followed by the area code, omitting the initial zero. Outgoing international code: 00. Fax: Facilities are widely available. Post: Post office hours: 0900-1730/1800 Monday to Friday; 0900-1300 Saturday. Sub-post offices close at 1300 one day of the week. The Central Post Office is in O'Connell Street, Dublin. Press: There are several daily newspapers published in Dublin including The Irish Times, Evening Herald and the Irish Independent; and two in Cork. British dailies and Sunday papers are available.

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