Ireland
Article
May 17, 2022
Ireland (Irish Éire, English Ireland, also Irish Poblacht na hÉireann and English Republic of Ireland, Republic of Ireland) is a country in northwestern Europe, occupying about five-sixths of the island of the same name. Ireland borders the northern part of the United Kingdom - Northern Ireland. Its shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Irish Sea in the east, the Strait of St. George in the southeast and the Celtic Sea in the south. Ireland is a unitary parliamentary republic headed by a president. The capital is Dublin (Irish Baile Átha Cliath). Independent Ireland is the result of many years of struggle for independence from the United Kingdom. On December 29, 1937, the Republic of Ireland became the successor to the Irish Free State, which was founded on December 6, 1922. Although Ireland's gross domestic product per capita is in the top ten worldwide, depending on sources, Ireland used to be one of the poorest countries in Western Europe and had a high emigration rate. The economy of protectionism was introduced in the 1950s, and Ireland joined the European Community (now the European Union) in 1973. In the 1980s, the economic crisis led Ireland to embark on major economic reforms. Subsequent liberal economic policies (including significant tax cuts compared to other EU countries) led to overall economic prosperity in 1995-2007. Thanks to this, the period earned the nickname Celtic Tiger. However, following the global financial crisis, this period of rapid economic growth was cut short in 2008. Ireland ranks third in the Human Development Index (2018). The state boasts a very high quality of life - it ranked 1st in the 2005 quality of life index - and ranked sixth in the World Peace Index (2012). Ireland is also highly rated for its education system, political freedom and human rights, freedom of the press and economic freedom. In 2012, Ireland was ranked 170th (eighth behind) in the Collapsing States Index. Ireland is a member of the European Union and the United Nations and a founding member of the OECD and the Council of Europe. Ireland's neutral policy means that it is not a member of NATO, even though it is involved in UN peacekeeping operations.