Long-form name: Republic of Ireland

Type: republic

Capital: Dublin

Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK)

Constitution: 29 December 1937; Constitution adopted 1937

Legal system: based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: St. Patrick's Day, 17 March

Branches: elected president; bicameral parliament (Seanad, Dail) reflecting proportional and vocational representation; judiciary appointed by president on advice of government

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--President Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY (since 3 December 1976); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as prime minister)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: Dail (lower house) elected every five years (last election 15 June 1989); president elected for seven-year term (last election March 1987)

Political parties and leaders: Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey; Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Alan Dukes; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers' Party, Proinsias DeRossa; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley; Prime Minister Haughey heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats

Voting strength: (1989 election) Dail--Fianna Fail, 80 seats (44.1%); Fine Gael, 51 seats (27.1); Progressive Democrats, 14 seats (11.8%), Labor Party, 12 seats (6.4%); Workers' Party, 4 seats (3.8%); independents, 4 seats; Democratic Socialist Party, 1 seat; Sinn Fein no seat (1.9%)

Communists: under 500

Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3939; there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Margaret M. O. HECKLER; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone �353� (1) 688777

Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which is shorter and has the colors reversed--orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red

NOTE: The information regarding Ireland on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Ireland Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Ireland Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.