children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(men), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish

Ethnic groups: Celtic, English

Religions: Roman Catholic 92%, Anglican 3%, Islamic 0.11%,
Jehovah's Witness 0.1%, Jewish 0.04%, other 4.75% (1991)

Languages: English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic)
spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland

Data code: EI

Government type: republic

Capital: Dublin

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

Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK)

National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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;
election last held 31 October 1997 (next to be held NA November
2004); 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%

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