Ireland

Ireland or the Republic of Ireland (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann, English: Republic of Ireland) is a country in northwestern Europe. It covers approximately five-sixths of the island of Ireland, west of Great Britain. Its capital and largest city is Dublin, and about 40% of the population of 4.9 million live in these cities and their suburbs. Its only land border is with Northern Ireland, a member of the United Kingdom, to the north-east. Ireland is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Irish Sea to the east, St George's Channel to the south-east and the Celtic Sea to the south. The country has a unitary structure[8] and is governed by a parliamentary democracy. Legislative power is in the hands of the Oireachtas (Parliament), which consists of the lower house, Dáil Éireann (Irish Assembly), and the upper house, Seanad Éireann (Irish Senate). The duties of the president are symbolic, but it has some important powers and duties. The Prime Minister (Taoiseach) is elected by the House and appointed by the president.

In 1922, under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, it was established as a dominion of the British Commonwealth of Nations under the name of the Irish Free State. With the new constitution adopted in 1937, the country's name was changed to "Ireland" and the office of president was established, adopting a republican administration. The republic was officially declared with the Republic of Ireland Act of 1948. It joined the United Nations in 1955 and the European Communities, the predecessor of the European Union, in 1973. Ireland, which did not establish official relations with Northern Ireland until the 1980s, cooperated with Northern Ireland to resolve the Northern Ireland Problem from 1985 onwards. In accordance with the Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998, a North/South Ministerial Council was established with the participation of the Irish government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Ireland, one of the financial centers of Europe, is ranked 3rd in PPP basis and 3rd in nominal basis in GDP per capita as of 2023, thanks to some international companies that have settled in the country due to its tax policy.

It is difficult to say that this data reflects the Irish economy, which is why the Central Bank of Ireland has switched to modified gross national income (GNI*) since 2017. After joining the European Communities, the government has pursued liberal economic policies, resulting in record growth between 1995 and 2007. This period, which ended with the 2008 economic crisis, has led to Ireland being called the Celtic Tiger.