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Ireland,
General Information
Area: 70,182 sq km (27,097 sq miles).
Population: 4,048,800 (2004).
Population Density: 56.7 per sq km.
Capital: Dublin. Population: 1,144,400 (2004).
Geography: The Republic of Ireland lies in the north Atlantic Ocean and is separated from Britain by the Irish Sea to the east. The northeastern part of the island (Northern Ireland) is part of the United Kingdom. The country has a central plain surrounded by a rim of mountains and hills offering some of the most varied and unspoilt scenery in Europe – quiet sandy beaches, semi-tropical bays warmed by the Gulf Stream, and rugged cliffs make up the 5600km (3500 miles) of coastline.
Government: Republic. Head of State: President Mary McAleese since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Bertie Ahern since 1997.
Language: Irish (Gaelic) is the official language, spoken as a first language by about 55,000 people (mostly in the west). The majority speak English. Official documents are printed in both languages.
Religion: Roman Catholic 77 per cent, the remainder being Protestant, with Jewish and Islamic minorities.
Time: GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before the last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Three-pin plugs are in use.
Communications:
Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 353 followed by the area code, omitting the initial zero. Outgoing international code: 00.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900 networks cover the whole country. GSM 900/1800 networks operated by O2 Communications (Ireland) Ltd, Meteor (website: www.meteor.ie) and Vodafone (website: www.vodafone.ie). Handsets can be hired.
Fax: Facilities are widely available.
Internet: Public access is available free in libraries. Internet cafes exist in nearly every town. ISPs include Ireland On-Line (website: http://home.iol.ie).
Post: Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730/1800, Sat 0900-1300. Sub-post offices close at 1300 one day a week. The Central Post Office is in O’Connell Street, Dublin.
Press: There are several daily newspapers published in Dublin including Evening Herald, the Irish Independent and The Irish Times; and two in Cork (Evening Echo and Irish Examiner). British dailies and Sunday papers are available.
Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
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