NATURAL RESOURCES

The primary natural resources of Ireland include natural gas, petroleum, peat, copper, lead, dolomite, barite, limestone, gypsum, silver and some zinc. Key industries based on these and other natural resources include fishing, foresting, mining, livestock, and other forms of agriculture and fish farming. Peat has been Ireland's staple fuel for centuries and still provides about 12% of the nation's energy needs. Bord na Mna (translating from the Irish to mean "Peat Board") extracts more than 4 million tonnes of peat annually [citation needed]. Ireland's experience with state-sponsored renewable energy projects stretches back to 1925, and the Ardnacrusha project. Other new and renewable energy projects include other hydroelectric,solar, and wind power initiatives. One of the country's first wind farms was created in 1992 at the Bellacorick in County Mayo. However other individual wind turbine projects were previously (and have since been) progressed.

CLIMATE OF IRELAND
The climate of Ireland can be summed up as being mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. It is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or Cfb on the Kppen climate classification system, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe. [1] The country receives generally warm summers and mild winters, and is considerably warmer than other areas on its latitude. This is due to the fact it lies in the Atlantic Ocean, and as a result is warmed by the North Atlantic Current all year. Met ireann is the meteorological service of the Republic of Ireland, and the Met Office is that of Northern Ireland. The influence of the North Atlantic Current also ensures the coastline of Ireland remains ice-free throughout the winterunlike for example the Sea of Okhotsk and the Labrador Sea which are at a similar latitude. The climate in Ireland does not experience extreme weather, with tornadoes and similar weather features being rare.

Temperature
Ireland, as a whole, experiences a lack of temperature extremes compared to other areas of similar latitudes. Summers are generally warm and winters are mild. There is a regional variation, with inland areas being cooler in winter and warmer in summer than their coastal counterparts. The warmest areas are found along the south-west coast. Valentia Island, County Kerry has the highest annual mean temperature, at 10.4 C (50.7 F).[2] The coldest areas are found inland. Clones, County Monaghan and Mullingar, County Westmeath both have the lowest annual mean temperature, at 8.8 C (47.8 F).[3][4] The highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3 C (91.9 F) at Kilkenny Castle, County Kilkenny on 26 June 1887. The lowest temperature was 19.1 C (2.4 F) at Markree Castle,County Sligo on 16 January 1881.[5] Extreme heat and cold are both rare throughout the country. Summer temperatures exceed 30 C (86 F) usually once or twice every decade (2006, 2005, 2003, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1983, 1976 and 1975 are recent examples), though commonly reach the high 20s C (low 80s F) most summers, while severe freezes occur only occasionally in winter, with temperatures below 10 C (14 F)being very uncommon, and temperatures below freezing uncommon in many coastal areas. Mean daily winter temperatures vary from 4.0 C (39.2 F) to 7.6 C (45.7 F), and mean daily summer temperatures vary from 12.3 C (54.1 F) to 15.7 C (60.3 F).

[hide]Climate data for Ireland Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

18.5

18.1 (64.6)

23.6 (74.5)

25.8 (78.4)

28.4 (83.1)

33.3 (91.9)

32.3 (90.1)

31.5 (88.7)

29.1 (84.4)

25.2 (77.4)

20.0 (68.0)

18.1 (64.6)

33.3 (91.9)

Record high C (F)

(65.3)

19.1

17.8 (0.0)

17.2 (1.0)

8.5 (16.7)

6.5 (20.3)

3.3 (26.1)

1.1 (30.0)

2.7 (27.1)

3.2 (26.2)

8.3 (17.1)

11.5 (11.3)

18.7 (1.7)

19.1 (2.4)

Record low C (F)

(2.4)

Source: Met ireann / Met Office

DEMOGRAPHY OF IRELAND

Ireland, throughout most of its history, had a small population size, comparable to that of other regions of similar area in Europe. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, along with the rest of Europe, Ireland experienced a major population boom as a result of the Agricultural and Industrialrevolutions. Its population densities remained comparable to that of Britain and the other countries ofEurope. However this changed dramatically with the Great Famine of the mid-19th century, which led to mass starvation and consequent mass emigration. This famine was by far the most significant turning point in the demographics of the country: during the hundred years that followed, Ireland's population continued a slow decline, with the result that the Republic of Ireland today has a significantly smaller population than other European country of comparable size. In the mid-20th century, the Republic's population start to grow once more, although emigration was still common. However, in the 1990s, the demographics of the country began to change as a result of the Celtic Tiger Irish economic boom. Immigration began to far outweigh emigration. Many former Irish emigrants returned home, and Ireland became an attractive destination for immigrants, mainly from Central Europe, but also from Africa, Asia and elsewhere. With the 2008 onset of the Irish economic and banking crisis, however, the country's economy suffered, and since then Ireland has once again been experiencing net emigration. [1] However, Ireland's population is the youngest of any country in the European Union [citation needed] and its population size is predicted to grow for many decades into the future, bucking the trend of declining population predicted for most European countries. A report published in 2008 predicted that the country's population would reach 6.7 million by 2060.[2] Ireland has been experiencing a baby boom, with increasing birth rates and overall fertility rates. [3] Despite this the total fertility rate is still below replacement. [4] This increase is primarily fueled by non-Irish immigration - in 2009, a quarter of all children born in Ireland were born to mothers who had immigrated from other countries. [5] Gaelic culture and language forms an important part of the Irish national identity. The Irish Travellers are a native minority group. In 2008, Ireland had the highest birth rate (18.1 per 1,000), lowest death rate (6.1 per 1,000) and highest net-migration rate (14.1 per 1,000) in the entire European Union and the largest population growth rate (4.4%) in the 27-member bloc as a result.[6] Ireland is home to people from all over the globe, especially in Dublin. These countries include Poland, United Kingdom, China, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, Lithuania, Latvia and Russia.