##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Cuba (2008) - Ireland (2004)
Compare Cuba (2008) z Ireland (2004)
| Cuba (2008) | Ireland (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara | 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 18.8% (male 1,100,672/female 1,042,327)
15-64 years: 70.5% (male 4,019,648/female 4,016,429) 65 years and over: 10.7% (male 554,043/female 660,924) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 21% (male 430,905; female 404,218)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,342,233; female 1,337,580) 65 years and over: 11.5% (male 199,379; female 255,243) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock | turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products |
| Airports | 165 (2007) | 36 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 70
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 31 (2007) |
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 95
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 71 (2007) |
total: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 110,860 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 70,280 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania | slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Background | The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule, marked initially by neglect, became increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. It was US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic downturn in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,864 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2006. | Celtic tribes settled on the island from 600-150 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 United Kingdom. In 1948 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, known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some difficulties. |
| Birth rate | 11.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 14.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $35.01 billion
expenditures: $36.73 billion (2007 est.) |
revenues: $53.22 billion
expenditures: $53.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.5 billion (2003) |
| Capital | name: Havana
geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Dublin |
| Climate | tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) | temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time |
| Coastline | 3,735 km | 1,448 km |
| Constitution | 24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002 | 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite |
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland |
| Currency | - | euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
| Death rate | 7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.91 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $16.79 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (31 December 2007 est.) | $11 billion (1998) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Michael E. PARMLY; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland | chief of mission: Ambassador James C. KENNY
embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777 FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Jorge BOLANOS Suarez; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521 | chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY
chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939 FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco |
| Disputes - international | US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease | disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 nm |
| Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $283 million (2001) |
| Economic aid - recipient | $87.8 million (2005 est.) | - |
| Economy - overview | The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms, and it currently supplies about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela, including some 20,000 medical professionals. In 2007, high metals prices continued to boost Cuban earnings from nickel and cobalt production. Havana continued to invest in the country's energy sector to mitigate electrical blackouts that had plagued the country since 2004. | Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 8% in 1995-2002. The global slowdown, especially in the information technology sector, pressed growth down to 2.1% in 2003. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four big European economies and the second highest in the sEU, behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb price and wage inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10 other EU nations. |
| Electricity - consumption | 13.87 billion kWh (2006) | 21.63 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2006) | 285 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2006) | 38 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 16.45 billion kWh (2006) | 23.53 billion kWh (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m |
| Environment - current issues | air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation | water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic Treaty, 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
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 |
| Ethnic groups | mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% | Celtic, English |
| Exchange rates | Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.9259 (2007), 0.9231 (2006)
note: Cuba has two currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso (CUP) and the convertible peso (CUC); in April 2005 the official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC to $1.08 per CUC (0.93 CUC per $1), both for individuals and enterprises; individuals can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold, or sell 25 Cuban pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP and CUC at a 1:1 ratio. |
euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 24 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz elected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% |
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for 22 October 2004); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004 presidential election; prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6% note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats |
| Exports | 0 bbl/day (2006) | 27,450 bbl/day (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee | machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products (1999) |
| Exports - partners | Netherlands 21.8%, Canada 21.6%, China 18.7%, Spain 5.9% (2006) | US 20.5%, UK 18.1%, Belgium 12.6%, Germany 8.3%, France 6.1%, Netherlands 5.1%, Italy 4.6% (2003) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center | three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; 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 |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $116.2 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 26.1% services: 69.3% (2007 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 46% services: 49% (2002 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $29,600 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 7% (2007 est.) | 1.4% (2003 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 21 30 N, 80 00 W | 53 00 N, 8 00 W |
| Geography - note | largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles | strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 97 km of Dublin |
| Highways | - | total: 92,500 km
paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,457 km (2000 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1997) |
| Illicit drugs | territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 | transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money laundering using bureaux de change, trusts, shell companies involving the offshore financial community remains a concern |
| Imports | 98,100 bbl/day (2005) | 178,600 bbl/day (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals | data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing |
| Imports - partners | Venezuela 26.6%, China 15.6%, Spain 9.8%, Germany 6.4%, Canada 5.6%, Italy 4.4%, US 4.3%, Brazil 4.2% (2006) | UK 34.9%, US 15.8%, Germany 7.9%, Netherlands 4.1% (2003) |
| Independence | 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as a day of independence | 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8% (2007 est.) | 6.7% (2003 est.) |
| Industries | sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals | food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal; software |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 6.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.04 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (2007 est.) | 3.5% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| Irrigated land | 8,700 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) | Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet) |
| Labor force | 4.853 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2007 est.) |
1.871 million (2003) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 20%
industry: 19.4% services: 60.6% (2005) |
agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 64% (2002 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total: 29 km
border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba |
total: 360 km
border countries: UK 360 km |
| Land use | arable land: 27.63%
permanent crops: 6.54% other: 65.83% (2005) |
arable land: 15.2%
permanent crops: 0.03% other: 84.77% (2001) |
| Languages | Spanish | English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard |
| Legal system | based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (number of seats in the National Assembly is based on population; 614 seats; members elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2013) election results: Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed |
bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 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 House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive Democrats 4, independents and others 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party 3.8%, others 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31, Labor Party 21, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6, Sinn Fein 5, others 14 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.08 years
male: 74.85 years female: 79.43 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 77.36 years
male: 74.74 years female: 80.15 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2002 census) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.) male: NA female: NA |
| Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida | Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total: 12 ships (1000 GRT or over) 35,030 GRT/51,388 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1) registered in other countries: 16 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Netherlands Antilles 1, Panama 11, Spain 1) (2007) |
total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 288,401 GRT/383,628 DWT
by type: bulk 7, cargo 22, chemical tanker 1, container 3, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1 foreign-owned: Germany 3, Italy 7, Norway 2 registered in other countries: 18 (2004 est.) |
| Military - note | Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993 | - |
| Military branches | Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER; includes Territorial Militia Troops, MTT), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR; includes Marine Corps), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (EJT) (2008) | Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $700 million (FY00/01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.8% (2006 est.) | 0.9% (FY00/01) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 1,029,525 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 827,811 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 30,083 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Triumph of the Revolution, 1 January (1959) | Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March |
| Nationality | noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish |
| Natural hazards | the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common | NA |
| Natural resources | cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land | natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite |
| Net migration rate | -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| People - note | illicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border | - |
| Pipelines | gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2007) | gas 1,795 km (2004) |
| Political parties and leaders | Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] | Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats [Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 11,394,043 (July 2007 est.) | 3,969,558 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 10% (1997 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.273% (2007 est.) | 1.16% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Railways | total: 4,226 km
standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified) note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2006) |
total: 3,312 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 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) (2003) |
| Religions | nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented | Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.056 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.001 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.838 male(s)/female total population: 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 16 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; wireless service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos which effectively limits mobile cellular subscribership
domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches digitized by end of 2006; fixed telephone line density remains low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding but remains at only about 2 per 100 persons international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay international: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 972,900 (2006) | 1.955 million (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 152,700 (2006) | 3.4 million (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 58 (1997) | 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001) |
| Terrain | mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast | mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast |
| Total fertility rate | 1.6 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.87 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% (2007 est.) | 4.7% (2003 est.) |
| Waterways | 240 km (2007) | 753 km (pleasure craft only) (2004) |
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