Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Carrauntoohill 1,041 m
Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, barite,
copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver
Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 71%
forest and woodland: 5%
other: 10%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from
agricultural runoff
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Climate Change, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation
Geographic note: strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 60 miles of Dublin
People ———
Population: 3,566,833 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 424,558; female 402,062)
15-64 years: 65% (male 1,175,383; female 1,157,960)
65 years and over: 12% (male 173,150; female 233,720) (July 1996
est.)