Compare Ireland (2006) - West Bank (2007)

Compare Ireland (2006) z West Bank (2007)

	Ireland (2006)	West Bank (2007)

Administrative divisions	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: 20.9% (male 437,903/female 409,774) 15-64 years: 67.6% (male 1,373,771/female 1,370,452) 65 years and over: 11.6% (male 207,859/female 262,476) (2006 est.)	0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products	olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Airports	36 (2006)	3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	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 (2006)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 17 (2006)	-
Area	total: 70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 sq km	total: 5,860 sq km land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative	slightly larger than West Virginia	slightly smaller than Delaware
Background	Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 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 UK. 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.	The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington in September 1993, provided for a transitional period of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. A transfer of authority to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and, in additional areas of the West Bank, pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and the West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out a year later. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides have not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community has refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it does not recognize Israel, will not renounce violence, and refuses to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. Since March 2006, President ABBAS has had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift the economic siege on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene in late 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members.
Birth rate	14.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $70.46 billion expenditures: $69.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.5 billion (2005 est.)	revenues: $1.23 billion expenditures: $1.64 billion (2005)
Capital	name: Dublin geographic coordinates: 53 20 N, 6 15 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	-
Climate	temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time	temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Coastline	1,448 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937	-
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland local long form: none local short form: Eire	conventional long form: none conventional short form: West Bank
Death rate	7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$1.049 trillion (30 June 2005)	$NA
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. FOLEY 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	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, San Francisco	-
Disputes - international	Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm	West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Economic aid - donor	ODA, $607 million (2004)	-
Economic aid - recipient	-	$1.102 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Economy - overview	Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% 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 EU 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 circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU nations.	The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA since HAMAS took office in March 2006 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries.
Electricity - consumption	22.97 billion kWh (2003)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	-
Electricity - imports	1.2 billion kWh (2003)	NA kWh
Electricity - production	23.41 billion kWh (2003)	NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m	lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Environment - current issues	water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff	adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
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	-
Ethnic groups	Celtic, English	Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)	new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002)
Executive branch	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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004 presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) 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	27,450 bbl/day (2001)	$301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Exports - commodities	machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products	olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Exports - partners	US 18.7%, UK 17.4%, Belgium 15.2%, Germany 7.4%, France 6.4%, Netherlands 4.8% (2005)	Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	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 - composition by sector	agriculture: 5% industry: 46% services: 49% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 8% industry: 18.2% services: 73.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.5% (2005 est.)	4.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	53 00 N, 8 00 W	32 00 N, 35 15 E
Geography - note	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	landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	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, and shell companies involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern	-
Imports	178,600 bbl/day (2001)	$2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Imports - commodities	data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing	food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners	UK 37%, US 13.8%, Germany 9.2%, Netherlands 4.5% (2005)	Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Independence	6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)	-
Industrial production growth rate	3% (2005 est.)	2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Industries	steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glass and crystal; software, tourism	generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
Infant mortality rate	total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.4% (2005 est.)	2.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
International organization participation	AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	-
Irrigated land	NA	150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet)	-
Labor force	2.03 million (2005 est.)	568,000 (2005)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 8% industry: 29% services: 64% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 16% industry: 29% services: 55% (2005)
Land boundaries	total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km	total: 404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Land use	arable land: 16.82% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 83.15% (2005)	arable land: 16.9% permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001)
Languages	English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official) (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard	Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Legal system	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	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 other 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%, other 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31, Labor Party 21, Sinn Fein 5, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6, other 14	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.73 years male: 75.11 years female: 80.52 years (2006 est.)	total population: 73.46 years male: 71.68 years female: 75.35 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.)
Location	Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain	Middle East, west of Jordan
Map references	Europe	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 103,589 GRT/145,044 DWT by type: cargo 19, chemical tanker 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Germany 2, US 2) registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 1, Cyprus 3, Gibraltar 1, Netherlands 10, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, UK 1) (2006)	-
Military branches	Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps) (2006)	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$700 million (FY00/01)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.9% (FY00/01)	NA
National holiday	Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March	-
Nationality	noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish	noun: NA adjective: NA
Natural hazards	NA	droughts
Natural resources	natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite	arable land
Net migration rate	4.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	gas 1,728 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats [Michael McDOWELL]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	-
Population	4,062,235 (July 2006 est.)	2,535,927 note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	10% (1997 est.)	45.7% (2005)
Population growth rate	1.15% (2006 est.)	2.985% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 0, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2005)
Railways	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) (2005)	-
Religions	Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)	Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Sex ratio	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: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	-
Telephone system	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)	general assessment: NA domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004)
Telephones - main lines in use	2.033 million (2005)	349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	4.21 million (2005)	1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Television broadcast stations	4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)	8 (2005)
Terrain	mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast	mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Total fertility rate	1.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)	4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	4.3% (2005 est.)	20.3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Waterways	753 km (pleasure craft only) (2005)	-

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