Ireland
The Republic of Ireland is an independent country in the British Isles, off the coast of Wales.
Etymology
The name of the nation derives from the Old Irish word Ériu, the ultimate meaning of which is obscure but perhaps means "fertile." According to the traditions of the Milesian Gaelic race, when their ancestors arrived in the land, they encountered three goddesses of the Tuath dé Danann known as Ériu, Banba and Fodla, who extracted a promise from the Gaels that the country would be named after them. The contemporary form of Éiru in Gaeilge is Éire, and from the 12th century, the word was translated as "Ireland" in the Anglo-Saxon language by the Norman conquerors. The Romans had earlier referred to the land as Hibernia (which is still sometimes used as a romantic reference), which is from the same root as Ériu. The main contemporary state is commonly named Ireland, but is legally the Republic of Ireland (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann).
History
In the early 20th century, Ireland became the successor-state to the Irish Free State. Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe and had high emigration. The protectionist economy was opened in the late 1950s and Ireland joined the European Community (now the European Union) in 1973. An economic crisis led Ireland to start large-scale economic reforms in the late 1980s. Ireland reduced taxation and regulation dramatically compared to other EU countries.
Today, the Index of Economic Freedom ranks Ireland the world's third most free country. This liberalization has transformed Ireland into one of the fastest growing, richest, most developed and peaceful countries on earth, having the fifth highest gross domestic product per capita and the eighth highest gross domestic product per capita considering purchasing power parity, and having the fifth highest Human Development Index rank. The country also boasts the highest quality of life in the world, ranking first in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Quality-of-life index. Ireland was ranked fourth on the Global Peace Index. Ireland also has high rankings for its education system, political freedom and civil rights, press freedom and economic freedom; it was also ranked fourth from the bottom on the Failed States Index, being one of the few "sustainable" states in the world. Ireland has emerged as an attractive destination and foreign immigrants who now make up approximately 10% of the population. Ireland's population is the fastest growing in Europe with an annual growth rate of 2.5%.
Ireland is a member of the EU, the OECD, and the UN. Ireland was neutral in World War II, holding its neutrality even when its airspace was violated by both sides and bombs fell on Ireland. Soldiers who left Ireland's army to fight in WWII were branded deserters until 2013. Ireland's policy of neutrality means it is not a member of NATO, although it does contribute to peacekeeping missions sanctioned by the UN. In keeping with not supporting Jewish aggression like in WWII, they recognized Palestine as an independent state in October 2014. In 2024, the Republic of Ireland joined NATO's Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) in order to increase its capabilities at countering potential threats to undersea infrastructure.
