Green color predominates over all the colors of the landscape of the island of Ireland, which is why it is often called the green or emerald country. Farming in the central part of the country is possible all year round, as winds blowing from west to east bring moisture and warmth from the North Atlantic Ocean Current to the island, making the temperature on the island higher than average in Europe.

Geographical characteristics

Ireland occupies the southern part of the island of the same name in the British archipelago of islands. The area of Ireland is 70,273 sq. km. More than half of the territory is lowlands and lowlands. The coast is heavily indented by rocks; there are many small rocky islands in the coastal zone.

Ireland is a republic with the capital Dublin. Translated from Old Irish, the name means “state”. Administratively, Ireland is divided into 26 counties with local government bodies.

Nature

Ireland is dotted with a network of deep rivers that do not freeze in winter, maintaining navigability.

The largest river, the Shannon, flows in a southerly direction, originating in the Kilcafe mountains. The river is a natural border between the western and eastern parts of the country.

In the riverbed there are many lakes of glacial or karst origin. The tributaries of the Shannon are the Sac, Dublin, Brosna, and Erne. Shannon is connected to Erne by an artificial canal. The largest lakes are Lough Allen, Lough Mask, Lough Ree, Lough Corrib and Lough Derg.

The Celtic Sea, which washes Ireland from the south, is warmer, as it belongs to the Atlantic basin...

The coast of Ireland is washed by the Irish Sea. There are two large islands in the sea - Man and Anglesey. The Irish Sea is stormy, often turbulent by storms in winter. The coast is indented with small bays and bays; Dublin Bay, Strangford Lough, Carlingford Lough, Dundalk, Dundrum jut out strongly into the shores of Ireland...

The flora of Ireland, although not rich, contains both northern and subtropical species. Subtropical species have successfully adapted to survive here thanks to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The forest occupies a third of the country's territory and can be broad-leaved or mixed.

Among the rarest animal species in Ireland live: red deer, red fox, river otters, fur-bearing animals - marten, squirrel and ermine. Multi-species diversity among seabirds...

The climate of Ireland is temperate maritime with relatively warm winters (7-8 degrees Celsius) and moderately warm, rainy summers (14-15 degrees Celsius). The mildness of the climate is due to the heat brought by the North Atlantic Current to the western shores of the island. The same current affects the humidity in the country - on average, about 1200 mm of precipitation falls per year...

Resources

One of the most important minerals in the region, the reserves of which are large, is peat. The peat mining industry is the leading one in the country, as the fuel is used for heating, gasification, on railways, and there are even power plants using peat.
In contrast to peat, there is not much coal in the country; most of its reserves are concentrated in the counties of Kilkenny and Carlow, but the coal mining industry is poorly developed and modernized. There are deposits of pyrites and iron ore pyrites, but the development of the deposit is weak or not developed. Phosphorites, gypsum, barite, feldspar, clay, sand, shale and limestone are mined - all of this is exported as raw materials for building materials.

Natural wealth in the form of fertile soils determined the main activities of the Irish - cattle breeding and agriculture. The fertile soils of the central part of the country, even swampy ones, provide a lot of fertilizers when drained. The rest of Ireland's agricultural soils produce consistent grain yields. Land on slopes, unsuitable for fields, is used for grazing. Nevertheless, the agricultural cluster, which today still plays a dominant role in the system, is slowly being replaced by industrial...

Culture

The population of Ireland is 4.8 million people, judging by the percentage contribution of the Irish to world achievements in science and culture, the Irish are one of the most enlightened nationalities. In addition, Ireland is recognized as the friendliest country in the world.

The indigenous population originates from the Celtic Gaelic tribes who settled on the island around the 5th century BC. The Vikings had a great influence on the formation of the nationality. The Irish make up 90% of their country's population, leaving a small proportion for the British and more distant settlers. Catholicism is practiced in Ireland. The national languages are English and Irish, which is close to it in etymology. Irish culture is recognized as the third oldest and most influential in Europe (after Greek and Roman)...

Ireland, Republic of Ireland (English Ireland, Republic of Ireland [?a??rl?nd], local [?a?l?nd]) is a state in Northern Europe, occupying most of the island of Ireland. In the north it borders with Great Britain. The name of the country comes from Irish. Yire - state. The capital is the city of Dublin. Alisov N.V., Khorev B.S. Economic and social geography of the world (general overview). - M.: Gardariki, 2000.

Ireland is located on the island of the same name (the 3rd largest in Europe) in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the western of the two largest British Isles. From the east it is washed by the Irish Sea, as well as the St. George and Northern Straits, from the west, north and south - by the Atlantic Ocean.

The climate of Ireland is temperate maritime. The warm North Atlantic Current passes near the western coast of the island, which, together with southwest winds from the Atlantic Ocean, brings warm and humid air masses. Winters are quite mild and summers are cool.

The coasts of Ireland (especially in the north, south and west) are rocky, strongly dissected by bays, the largest of which are Galway, Shannon, Dingle and Donegal in the west, Lough Foyle in the north. There are many rocky islands off the coast of Ireland.

The landscapes are mostly flat: the interior is occupied by the vast Central Lowland, which extends to the shores of the island in the west and east. On the outskirts of the island there are low mountains (the highest point is Mount Caranthuill) and plateaus (the largest is Antrim in the northeast).

According to the World Wildlife Fund classification, Ireland is divided into two ecoregions: Celtic broadleaf forests and North Atlantic mixed forests, although in fact the forest occupies no more than 12% of the island. A large proportion of the island's surface is occupied by meadows and heaths. There are both northern, alpine plants, and species characteristic of Southern Europe (as a rule, they grow in the west of the island). Ireland is sometimes called the "Emerald Isle" due to the abundance of vegetation, which remains green all year round thanks to frequent rainfall. Streletskaya L.N. Irish Republic. - M.: State Publishing House of Geographical Literature. Academy of Sciences. Institute of Geography, 1953.-p.261.

Ireland, the “Emerald Isle,” is one of the most attractive and mysterious European countries. A country of fairies and elves, fiery revolutionaries and paradoxical writers, romantic legends and pragmatic whiskey producers...
Ireland is one of the oldest countries in Europe, which has perfectly preserved its culture and historical heritage - despite the difficult fate - after all, the territory of Ireland is still divided between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain...

Ireland - Republic of Ireland, Poblacht na hÉireann in Irish, Republic of Ireland in English - occupies most of the island of the same name. The name comes from the Irish word Éire, meaning "state".

In addition to the Republic of Ireland, there is also Northern Ireland, Tuaisceart Éireann or Northern Ireland. It is an administrative and political unit of the United Kingdom with its capital in the city of Belfast. It includes 6 of the 9 counties of the historical province of Ulster.

Administratively the Republic of Ireland divided into 4 historical provinces - Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connacht; and those, in turn, into 26 counties. 20 counties belong to the independent Republic, 6 to Northern Ireland.

The independence of the Republic of Ireland was proclaimed in 1949, and in 1973 the country joined the European Union.
Ireland is a parliamentary republic, its Parliament consists of two chambers - representatives and the Senate. Executive power belongs to the president, elected for 7 years, and in fact to the prime minister, approved by the president.

Island of Ireland, by the way, the third largest among the European islands, located in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean; from the east it is also washed by the Irish Sea.
Accordingly, the climate of Ireland is temperate maritime, with mild winters and cool summers, with significant rainfall - which made Ireland the “emerald isle”.
The warmest month of the year is July, with an average air temperature of + 18-20 C. The coldest is January, with an average monthly temperature of minus 9 degrees Celsius.

The capital of country- city Dublin, with a population of just over one and a half million people.
Dublin is a city-county located on Dublin Bay on the Irish Sea. Being the center of political, cultural and economic life in Ireland, Dublin is also the main port city of the country.
The most popular version of the etymology of the city's name is "Black Pool", and the modern Irish name for the capital is Baile Átha Cliath, or BÁC for short, meaning "settlement at the ford" (the River Liffey, which flows into Dublin Bay). We'll talk more about Dublin below when describing the country's attractions.

The second largest city in the country is Cork, it is home to about 200,000 people (including suburbs).
Yet Irish population is, according to 2006 data, just over 4.2 million people. Of these, the majority - over 88% - are "native Irish" of Celtic origin. National minorities are represented by another 40 nationalities, among which, for obvious reasons, the British are in the lead - 2.74% of the population. Next come the Poles - 1.5%, an honorable third place, less than 1%, went to the Lithuanians.

Time in Ireland lags behind Moscow by 3 hours.
National currency- euro
Official languages of Ireland- Irish and English.

Religion in Ireland traditionally plays an important role in public life. The main religion is Catholicism; followed by Protestantism. Northern Ireland, which remains in British possession, has a predominantly Protestant population.

Cities and sights of Ireland
The center and heart of the country is its capital, elegant Dublin.
It is believed that the city was founded in 841 by the Scandinavians, where the River Liffey flows into Dublin Bay. But the first mention of a Celtic settlement on this site dates back to the middle of the 2nd century AD and belongs to the Greek astronomer and geographer Ptolemy.

One of the first English invasions of Ireland dates back to 1169, when Dublin, after its capture by Henry II Plantagenet, became a royal city for a long time and a stronghold of English influence in the country. Since then, the city has preserved several architectural landmarks - first of all, of course, Dublin Castle, which housed the English government. Not far from it are the Cathedral of St. Patrick's, Christ's Cathedral and St. Audina.

Among other architectural and historical sights of Dublin, Blackrock House, the summer residence of the Irish viceroys, should be canceled; obelisk in honor of the Duke of Wellington; the Fifteen Acres area is the site of noble duels; a labyrinth of old streets around Temple Bar, the center of Georgian architecture in the areas of Marriott Square, Ely Plate... And, of course, the main street of the city - O'Connall Street - repeatedly destroyed and restored, a motley mixture of architectural styles and eras.

Dublin boasts a rich cultural tradition. It’s not for nothing that so many famous English-language writers were born here: Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, William Yates, Samuel Beckett, Jonathan Swift and even the creator of “Dracula” Bram Stoker! Dubliners are proud of their famous countrymen and honor them - for example, on June 16, the city's residents annually celebrate Bloomsday, a holiday dedicated to the main character of James Joyce's novel Ulysses.
The city is home to the National Library of Ireland and the National Printing Museum, the Civic Museum and museums of national and contemporary art, many theatres, exhibition and concert halls, the Trinity College complex and the Royal Irish Yacht Club...

Other attractions of Ireland are, first of all, medieval castles, the amazing nature of the country and the world-famous place of Newgrange - a megalithic religious building older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza.

Many ancient castles now house national parks, cultural or tourism organizations, including 4-5 star hotels. For example, the estate of Earl Muckross, now Muckross National Park. Or Cabra Castle in County Cavan - now it's not just a hotel, but a haunted hotel! And in the castle of Earl Thomond (Bunratty, County Clare) medieval banquets for tourists are often held - but keep in mind that not only the food, but also the serving will be medieval, that is, you will have to eat with your hands...

Limerick is famous not only for its comic quintets, but also for its 800-year-old royal castle, and the city cathedral - the same age as the castle... Residents of the seaside town of Dingle speak only their native Gaelic, willingly study Celtic culture, and in the city itself there are many fish restaurants on the ocean shore , offering delicious local dishes made from freshly caught fish...

Irish cuisine
Here we smoothly move on to the culinary topic. Irish cuisine is the cuisine of a country that has remained poor for most of its history. Therefore, it is simple and resourceful in using the main food product - potatoes.
Potato pancakes (boxty), mashed potatoes with green onions, butter and milk (champ), mashed cabbage, potato bread (potato bread) - this is not a complete list of the various potato dishes known to the Irish.
Milk and dairy products are widely used by the Irish, although until the 80s of the last century, the only type of cheese in Ireland was cheddar. One of the traditional dairy dishes is Goody - bread boiled in milk with sugar and spices.
Popular meat dishes: Irish stew - stewed lamb with onions and yes, potatoes; Crubeens - boiled, pre-salted, pork leg; bacon stewed with cabbage...

Perhaps Irish cuisine will seem rustic to some. But the Irish took revenge in the field of drinks! Irish whiskey, Irish beer - there is not a person who does not know Guinness or Kilkenny, has not heard the name Bushmills at least once or has not tried Irish coffee... And the famous Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur and its less famous, but no less tasty “brothers”: Carolans Irish Cream, O"Gradey"s Country Cream... And the Irish also have apple cider and their own moonshine - Potin, made from malt or potatoes. Yes, Ireland is worth visiting just to taste its exquisite drinks at the place of their manufacture!

Irish Holidays
March 17 is the day of St. Patrick, the educator of Ireland and, according to legend, the creator of whiskey - the country's main national holiday. Ireland also owes the green color and shamrock as a symbol to this saint - with the help of the clover shamrock, the enlightener explained to the people the concept of the Holy Trinity.
On this day, it is customary to prepare traditional Irish dishes, as well as Shamrock Cake, washed down with a lot of whiskey,

Customs regulations (information from the Travel ru website): The import and export of currency is not limited, standard weapons, drugs, and pornography are prohibited. When importing medications, you must have a prescription issued by a doctor. Imported cigarettes are not subject to duty - up to 200 pcs., alcoholic drinks - with a strength of over 22% - up to 1 liter, less - up to 2 liters; perfumes up to 50 ml and personal items. Attention: current changes in customs regulations must be clarified immediately before your trip!

Website of the Embassy of the Republic of Ireland in Russia: www. dfa.ie/home

When preparing the article, the following sites were used: wikipedia, travel ru, gastronom ru, veter-s.ru

countries. 2 Features of the climate relief of inland waters and natural zones of the country. Assessing them from the perspective of population life. 3 Natural resources of the country and their assessment for economic development.. 4 peoples inhabiting the country, their language, elements of spiritual culture, features of life. 5 Types of economic activities of the country's population. 6 Capital and major cities.

Ireland is located on the island of the same name (the 3rd largest in Europe) in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the western of the two largest British Isles. Located between 6° 20"-10° 20" W. long and 51° 25"-55° 23" s. w. (northernmost point - Malin Head). From the east it is washed by the Irish Sea, as well as the St. George and Northern Straits, from the west, north and south - by the Atlantic Ocean. The length from west to east is about 300 km, from north to south - about 450 km. The highest point is Mount Caranthuill (1041 m).

The total area of the territory is about 70.2 thousand km². The length of the border with Great Britain is 360 km.
The climate of Ireland is temperate maritime. The warm North Atlantic Current passes near the western coast of the island, which, together with southwest winds from the Atlantic Ocean, brings warm and humid air masses.

The coasts of Ireland (especially in the north, south and west) are rocky, strongly dissected by bays, the largest of which are Galway, [[Shannon (bay)|

The landscapes are mostly flat: the interior is occupied by the vast Central Lowland, which extends to the shores of the island in the west and east. On the outskirts of the island there are low mountains (the highest point is Mount Carantuill, 1041 m) and a plateau (the largest is Antrim in the northeast).

Ireland's National Parks system displays the island's typical and unique natural landscapes. The parks, numbering six (Ballycroy, Burren, Glenveagh, Killarney, Connemara, Wicklow Mountains), are managed by a government agency - the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Government structure

Ireland is a parliamentary republic.

The population of Ireland is mainly of Celtic origin. According to the 2006 general census, it is 4.24 million people. National minorities make up 420 thousand, that is, 10 percent. 275.8 thousand are immigrants from European Union countries (Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania), the rest from Russia, China, Ukraine, Belarus, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nigeria.

The official languages of the Republic of Ireland are Irish and English.

The Irish government is taking steps to replace English with the revived Irish language. It is taught in schools and used on national television and radio.

In Ireland, Christianity predominates among religions, and among churches - the Catholic Church. The Irish Constitution states that the state cannot support any religion and guarantees freedom of religion.

Previously, the country used the Irish pound or punt as its national currency, and in 1999, Ireland became one of the eleven EU countries that introduced a single European currency, the euro, on its territory.

Livestock plays a leading role in Irish agriculture: it accounts for about 80% of GDP in this sector of the economy. Up to 2 million hectares are used for pastures, with the livestock consisting of 11 million poultry, 7 million cattle and 4 million sheep.

The main crops are wheat, oats, potatoes, barley and sugar beets; they occupy almost 240 thousand hectares of land

There is intensive fishing in Irish coastal waters. As of 2001, about 1.4 thousand vessels participated in the fishery, catching up to 300 thousand tons of fish. Main commercial species: herring, anchovy, haddock, cod, mackerel. Major fishing ports: Dun Laoghaire, Skerries, Dublin and the surrounding area. Aquaculture is also actively developing in the country. The Irish successfully breed trout, mussels, salmon, and lobsters.

Ireland, Republic of Ireland (Irish: Éire, Poblacht na hÉireann; English: Ireland, Republic of Ireland) is a state in Western Europe, occupying most of the island of Ireland. Area - 70.2 thousand km². The name of the country comes from Irish. Éire. The capital is the city of Dublin, which is home to approx. 1.4 million people Member of organizations: UN (since 1955), Council of Europe (since 1949), OECD (since 1960), EU (since 1973), Euratom (since 1973), European Monetary System (since 1979).

Etymology

The Irish Constitution, adopted in 1937, states that "the name of the State is Éire, or, in English, Ireland." In 1949, the name Republic of Ireland was adopted as a Description of the State; its name still remains simply Ireland. This is due to the claims stated in the Constitution for the entire island: “The territory belonging to the people consists of the whole island of Ireland, the adjacent islands and the territorial sea” (Article 2; since 1998, as a result of the Belfast Agreement, the text has been replaced by a more neutral one). However, in various areas, official and unofficial, the name Republic of Ireland is widely used to distinguish the state from British Northern Ireland and the island as a whole.

Physiographic characteristics

Geographical position

Ireland is located on the island of the same name (the 3rd largest in Europe) in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the western of the two largest British Isles. Located between 6° 20-10° 20 W. d. and 51° 25-55° 23 s. w. (northernmost point - Malin Head). From the east it is washed by the Irish Sea, as well as the St. George and Northern Straits, from the west, north and south - by the Atlantic Ocean. The length from west to east is about 300 km, from north to south - about 450 km. The highest point is Mount Caranthuill (1041 m).

The total area of the territory is about 70.2 thousand km². The length of the border with Great Britain is 360 km.

Climate

Winters are quite mild and summers are cool. The warmest month of the year is July with an average air temperature of 18-20 degrees. The coldest month is January, with temperatures dropping to 7-9 degrees.

On average, up to 1200 mm of precipitation falls per year, however, its distribution throughout the territory is not uniform. Maximum values are typical for the western part of the island; due to the influence of the sea, their amount can reach 1600 mm. While in the east and central part of the country about 80-100 mm are recorded.

Relief and landscapes

The landscapes are mostly flat: the interior is occupied by the vast Central Lowland, which extends to the shores of the island in the west and east. On the outskirts of the island there are low mountains (the highest point is Mount Carantuill, 1041 m) and a plateau (the largest is Antrim in the northeast).

Vegetation

Story

Ancient time

The first people settled Ireland during the Mesolithic period, around 8000 BC, when its climate improved following the retreat of glaciers. Gradually, the pre-Celtic population was assimilated, and its inhabitants already from the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. became part of the Celtic population and culture. The name of the island in Irish is “Erin” (Old Irish Ériu, Irish Éire). The ancient Irish lived in separate clan tribes under the control of hereditary chiefs, jointly owned land and were engaged almost exclusively in cattle breeding. Ireland was not part of the Roman Empire, but it is mentioned by Roman historians (Ptolemy, Tacitus, Juvenal).

Acceptance of Christianity

It is believed that from 432, Saint Patrick, a native of Roman Britain, began to spread Christianity among the Irish. Ireland was not affected by the civil wars and Germanic invasions that accompanied the collapse of the Roman Empire, which contributed to the development of written culture and education in the early Middle Ages. Soon after the baptism of the country, the first works in Latin appeared, from the beginning of the 7th century. Literature in Old Irish appears. Already in the 6th century, Ireland became the center of Western learning, and preachers of Christianity on the mainland emerged from its monastic schools. One of the main cultural centers was the monastery on the island of Iona. Irish monks made significant contributions to the preservation of Latin culture during the early Middle Ages. Ireland of this period was famous for its arts - illustrations for manuscript books (see Book of Kells), metalwork and sculpture (see Celtic Cross).

Significant damage to Irish culture and the economic and political stability of the island as a whole was caused by Viking raids. Soon they began to establish settlements on the shores of the island (in particular, Dublin, Limerick, Waterford). Only at the beginning of the 11th century did the Irish, led by the Munster king Brian Boru, defeat the Vikings. Brian Boru died at the decisive Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Under English rule

At the end of the 12th century, part of the territory of Ireland was conquered by the British under King Henry II. The English barons took over the lands of the Irish clans and introduced English laws and systems of government. The conquered region was called the outskirts (English: the Pale) and both in management and in its further development it differed sharply from the yet unconquered, so-called Wild Ireland, in which the British constantly sought to make new conquests.

When Robert the Bruce took possession of the Scottish crown and successfully waged war with England, the Irish leaders turned to him for help against their common enemy. His brother Edward arrived with an army in 1315 and was proclaimed king by the Irish, but after a three-year war that terribly devastated the island, he died in battle with the British. However, in 1348, the Black Death came to Ireland, exterminating almost all the English who lived in cities where mortality was especially high. After the plague, English power extended no further than Dublin.

During the English Reformation, the Irish remained Catholic, creating a schism between the two islands that survives to this day. In 1536, Henry VIII suppressed the rebellion of Silk Thomas Fitzgerald, the English protege in Ireland, and decided to reconquer the island. In 1541, Henry proclaimed Ireland a kingdom and himself its king. Over the next hundred years, under Elizabeth and James I, the English consolidated their control over Ireland, although they were unable to convert the Irish into Protestants. However, the entire English administration consisted only of Protestant Anglicans.

During the English Civil War, English control over the island greatly weakened, and the Catholic Irish rebelled against the Protestants, temporarily creating Confederate Ireland, but already in 1649 Oliver Cromwell arrived in Ireland with a large and experienced army, took the city of Drogheda near Dublin by storm and Wexford. In Drogheda, Cromwell ordered the killing of the entire garrison and Catholic priests, and in Wexford the army carried out a massacre without permission. Within nine months, Cromwell conquered almost the entire island, and then handed over the leadership to his son-in-law Ayrton, who continued the work he had begun. Cromwell's goal was to put an end to the unrest on the island by displacing the Irish Catholics, who were forced either to leave the country or move west to Connacht, while their lands were distributed to English colonists, mostly Cromwell's soldiers. In 1641, more than 1.5 million people lived in Ireland, and in 1652 only 850 thousand remained, of which 150 thousand were English and Scottish new settlers.

In 1689, during the Glorious Revolution, the Irish supported the English king James II, who was deposed by William of Orange, for which they again paid.

As a result of English colonization, the native Irish almost completely lost their land holdings; a new ruling stratum was formed, consisting of Protestants, immigrants from England and Scotland.

In 1801 Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Irish language began to be replaced by English.

At the beginning of the 19th century. about 86% of the Irish population was employed in agriculture, which was dominated by bonded forms of exploitation. Ireland served as one of the sources for the accumulation of English capital and the development of industry in England.

"The Great Hunger"

From the mid-40s. XIX century The agrarian revolution began. The fall in bread prices (after the abolition of the Corn Laws in England in 1846) prompted landowners to begin an intensive transition from the system of small peasant leases to large-scale pasture farming. The process of driving small tenants off the land (the so-called clearing of estates) intensified.

The repeal of the “Corn Laws” and a disease of the potato, which was the main crop of land-poor Irish peasants, led to a terrible famine of 1845-1849. As a result of the famine, about 1 million people died.

Emigration increased significantly (1.5 million people left from 1846 to 1851), which became a constant feature of the historical development of Ireland.

As a result, in 1841-1851. Ireland's population fell by 30%.

And subsequently, Ireland rapidly lost population: if in 1841 the population was 8 million 178 thousand people, then in 1901 it was only 4 million 459 thousand.

Irish independence

In 1919, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) launched active military operations against British troops and police. On April 15-27, 1919, the Republic of Limerick Council existed on the territory of the county of the same name. In December 1921, a peace treaty was signed between Great Britain and Ireland. Ireland received dominion status (the so-called Irish Free State), with the exception of the 6 most industrially developed north-eastern counties (Northern Ireland) with a predominance of Protestants, which remained part of the United Kingdom. However, Great Britain retained military bases in Ireland and the right to receive “redemption” payments for the former possessions of English landlords. In 1937 the country adopted the official name "Éire".

In 1949 Ireland was declared an independent republic. The republic's withdrawal from the British Commonwealth was announced. It was only in the 60s that emigration from Ireland stopped and population growth was noted. In 1973, Ireland became a member of the European Union. In the 90s In the 20th century, Ireland entered a period of rapid economic growth.

Political structure

Ireland is a parliamentary republic.

The current constitution was adopted as a result of a plebiscite on July 1, 1937, and came into force on December 29, 1937.

The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán; a largely ceremonial post) is elected by the people for a 7-year term. The president has the right to convene and dissolve the lower house of parliament at the initiative of the government; he promulgates laws, appoints judges and other senior officials, and heads the armed forces.

The actual head of the executive branch is the Prime Minister (Taoiseach), nominated by the House of Representatives and confirmed by the President.

The highest legislative body is the parliament (Irish: Tithe An Oireachtais), which consists of the president and 2 chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House of Representatives has from 160 to 170 members elected by the people on the basis of universal, direct and secret suffrage using a system of proportional representation.

The Senate consists of 60 members, of which 11 are appointed by the Prime Minister, 6 are elected by the National and Dublin Universities, 43 are elected by indirect elections from special lists (candidates for these lists are nominated by various organizations and associations). The Senate electoral college consists of approximately 900 people, including members of the House of Representatives, members of county councils and municipal councils. The term of office of both chambers is up to 7 years.

Political parties of Ireland: Labor Party (LP, founded in 1912), Fianna Fáil (FF, Soldiers of Fortune, founded in 1926), Fine Gael (FG, United Ireland, founded in 1933) , Sinn Fein (SF, We Ourselves, formed 1905), Green Party (founded 1981), Socialist Party (SP, founded 1996), Workers' Party of Ireland (WPI, founded 1982) , Socialist Workers Party (SWP, founded in 1971).

The Labor Party, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the Green Party are represented in Doyle Eren and Senate Eren. The Labor Party, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the Socialist Party are represented in the European Parliament.

Administrative division

Administratively, the Irish Republic is divided into four provinces with 26 counties (English county) in them.

County Tipperary is divided and administered as two sub-divisions: Tipperary North Reading and Tipperary South Reading.

Population

From the 1840s, when the population of the regions now comprising the Republic of Ireland was around 6.5 million, until the 1970s, there was a constant decline in population - largely due to high levels of emigration. Annual population growth in the 1980s was only 0.5%, and by 2000 growth had slowed to 0.41%.

Approximately 58% of the population lives in cities.

Economy

Advantages: average annual increase in real GDP of the “Celtic Tiger” for 1996-2000. amounted to 9% - one of the highest in Europe (however, in recent years the growth did not exceed 3%). Trade surplus. Efficient agriculture and food industry. Expansion of the high-tech sector; 25% of exports are in electronics. The EU funds infrastructure projects. Highly qualified workforce.

Weaknesses: Many important industries are controlled by Western multinationals. Danger of opportunistic overheating. Shortage of living space. Rapid growth is overloading the infrastructure. Huge external debt (940% of GDP).

The economic system of the Republic of Ireland is a modern, relatively small, trade-dependent economy that grew by averaged 10%. The agricultural sector, which once played a dominant role in the system, is now being replaced by the industrial sector; The industrial sector accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the labor force. While exports remain the main driver of Ireland's economic growth, growth is also supported by higher consumer spending and a recovery in both construction and business investment. The annual inflation rate for 2005 was 2.3%, down from recent levels of 4-5%. One of the problems of the economy is the inflation of real estate prices (the average price of a residential building in February 2005 was about 251 thousand euros). The unemployment rate is very low and household incomes are growing rapidly, along with prices for services (utilities, insurance, healthcare, lawyers, etc.).

Dublin, the capital of Ireland, was ranked 16th worldwide for cost of living in 2006 (up from 22nd in 2004 and 24th in 2003). There have been reports that Ireland has the second highest average per capita income of any EU country after Luxembourg, and ranks 4th in the world for this indicator.

State and languages

The official languages of the Republic of Ireland are Irish and English.

The Irish government is taking steps to replace English with the revived Irish language. It is taught in schools and used on national television and radio (RTÉ, TG 4, Lá). In April 2005, a law was passed according to which all English-language signs on the west coast of the country were replaced with Irish ones. Under the new law, place names in the western Gaeltacht, County Meath, north-west of Dublin, and County Waterford in south-east Ireland must be translated into Irish and cannot be duplicated in English.

According to a survey in 2002, more than 1.57 million residents aged 3 years and over could speak Irish, up from 1.43 million in 1996. However, there is a significant shift in the opposite direction from 43.5% in 1996 to 42.8% in 2002. There were more Irish speakers among women (45.9%) than among men (39.7%).

Culture and art

Painting and sculpture

Irish art during the period of English dominance was usually considered within the framework of the English school of painting. After the 17th century, many Irish painters and sculptors achieved fame, as a result of which we can talk about the formation of the Irish school of painting. Irish painters George Barrett, James Barry, and Nathaniel Hone Sr., along with Sir Joshua Reynolds, were co-founders of the Royal Academy in 1768. James Arthur O'Connor was a prominent landscape painter of the period, and Daniel Maclis created the magnificent murals in the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords. Among Irish painters of the 19th century, Nathaniel Hone Jr. and Walter F. Osborne, as well as the impressionist Rodric O'Conor, gained European fame. One of the leading masters of expressionism is now recognized as Jack Butler Yeats, brother of the poet William Butler Yeats. Recently, the works of the painter Manny Jellett and the master of stained glass painting Evi Hon have received recognition.

Music

Irish musicians were known throughout Europe by the 12th century. The most famous of these was the blind harpist Turlough O'Carolan, who composed about 200 compositions, mainly for his patrons. Many of his compositions were published in Dublin in 1720. His harp music is still performed throughout the world. Around this time, an annual folk festival called Feish was founded, dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of flute playing.

Irish folk music is very diverse, from lullabies to drinking songs, from slow instrumental melodies to fast, fiery dances, and the use of variations and nuances of rhythm and melody plays a huge role in it. At the Belfast Artists' Festival in 1792, Edward Bunting prepared the first collection of traditional Irish tunes and songs, which he published in 1796. Thomas Moore, the great Irish poet, made extensive use of Bunting's work in his famous collection Irish Melodies, first published in 1807.

Classical forms of music were not widely known in Ireland until the 18th century. Pianist John Field, teacher of the Russian composer Mikhail Glinka, was the first Irish composer to achieve international fame with his nocturnes; he is considered the predecessor of Chopin. Michael William Balfe gained fame with his opera The Bohemian Girl. Among the most famous Irish soloists was the concert and operatic tenor John McCormack.

In the 20th century, rock music developed widely in Ireland. The most famous rock bands in Ireland are My Bloody Valentine, U2, Thin Lizzy and The Cranberries. There was also a renewed interest in folk music and dance. A large number of folk music groups appeared: Cruachan, Clannad, The Chieftains, The Dubliners, Planxty. Michael Flatley's dance performances Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames are very successful. Irish representatives of popular and alternative music also pay attention to customs and culture: The Corrs, Sinead O'Connor, Enya (Etna Brennan), her sister Moya Brennan, Ronan Keating, Brendan Perry.

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