IRELAND

Ireland also known as the Republic of Ireland, is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. The capital is Dublin, located in the eastern part of the island. The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, Saint George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east. It is a unitary, parliamentary republic with an elected president serving as head of state. The head of government, the Taoiseach, is nominated by the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann.

The modern Irish state gained effective independence from the United Kingdom—as theIrish Free State—in 1922 following the Irish War of Independence, which resulted in theAnglo-Irish Treaty. Northern Ireland exercised an option to remain in the United Kingdom. Initially a dominion within the British Empire, the Free State was granted full legislative independence by the Statute of Westminster 1931. A new constitution was adopted in 1937, by which the name of the state became Ireland. In 1949 the remaining duties of the king—defined by the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936—were removed and Ireland was declared a republic under the Republic of Ireland Act 1948. The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the twentieth century, but since 1999 the two have co-operated on a number of policy areas under the North-South Ministerial Councilcreated under the Good Friday Agreement.

Ireland today ranks among the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita.  Long one of Europe's poorest states, economic protectionism had further weakened the economy during the early 20th century before being dismantled in the late 1950s. Ireland joined the European Economic Community (later the EU) in 1973, which along with liberal economic policies beginning in the late 1980s, resulted in rapid economic expansion, particularly from 1995 to 2007, during which it became known as the Celtic Tiger. An unprecedented financial crisis beginning in 2008, coinciding with the global economic crash, halted this era of rapid economic growth.

Nevertheless, Ireland remains one of the world's most prosperous countries. In 2011 and 2013, it was ranked as the seventh most developed countries in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index. Ireland also performs well in several metrics of national performance, including freedom of the press, economic freedom andcivil liberties. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD. It pursues a policy of neutrality through non-alignment and is consequently not a member of NATO, although it does participate inPartnership for Peace.

Ireland extends over an area of approximately five-sixths (70,273 km² or 27,133 sq mi) of the island of Ireland (84,421 km² or 32,595 sq mi), with Northern Ireland constituting the remainder. The island is bounded to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by the North Channel. To the east, the Irish Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to the southwest.

The western landscape mostly consists of rugged cliffs, hills and mountains. The central lowlands are extensively covered with glacial deposits of clay and sand, as well as significant areas of bogland and several lakes. The highest point is Carrauntoohil (1,038 m or 3,406 ft), located in the Macgillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in the southwest. The River Shannon, which traverses the central lowlands, is the longest river in Ireland at 386 km in length. The west coast is more rugged than the east, with numerous islands, peninsulas, headlands and bays.

Preceding the arrival of the first settlers in Ireland approximately 9,000 years ago, the landscape was extensively covered by forests of oak, ash, elm, hazel, yew, and other native trees.The growth of blanket bog and the extensive clearing of woodland to facilitate farming are believed to be the main causes of deforestation during the subsequent centuries. Today, approximately 12% of Ireland is forested, of which a significant majority is composed of mainly non-native coniferous plantations for commercial use. Ideal soil conditions, high rainfall and a mild climate give Ireland the highest growth rates for forests in Europe.Hedgerows, which are traditionally used to define land boundaries, are an important substitute for woodland habitat, providing refuge for native wild flora and a wide range of insect, bird and mammal species.

Agriculture accounts for approximately 64% of the total land area.  This has resulted in limited land to preserve natural habitats, in particular for larger wild mammals with greater territorial requirements. The long history of agricultural production coupled with modern agricultural methods, such as pesticide and fertiliser use, has placed pressure on biodiversity.