Republic of Ireland: Difference between revisions

[The '''Republic of Ireland'''] is a [[country]] in north-western [[Europe]] consisting of 26 of the 32 [[w:Counties of Ireland|counties]] of the island of [[w:Ireland|Ireland]]. The capital and largest city is [[w:Dublin|Dublin]], on the eastern side of the island. Around 2.1 million of the country's population of 5.13&nbsp;million people reside in the [[Greater Dublin Area]].<ref>[https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/pme/populationandmigrationestimatesapril2018/ "Population and Migration Estimates, April 2018"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126090913/https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/pme/populationandmigrationestimatesapril2018/ |date=26 January 2021 }}, Central Statistics Office, released 28 August 2018</ref> The [[sovereign state]] shares its only land border with [[Northern Ireland]], which is [[w:Countries of the United Kingdom|part]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. It is otherwise surrounded by the [[Atlantic Ocean]], with the [[w:Celtic Sea|Celtic Sea]] to the south, [[w:St George's Channel|St George's Channel]] to the south-east, and the [[w:Irish Sea|Irish Sea]] to the east. It is a [[Unitary state|unitary]], [[parliamentary republic]].<ref>{{citation|title=Constitutional Law of 15 EU Member States|author1=L. Prakke|author2=C. A. J. M. Kortmann|author3=J. C. E. van den Brandhof|publisher=Kluwer|location=Deventer|page=429|quote=Since 1937 Ireland has been a parliamentary republic, in which ministers appointed by the president depend on the confidence of parliament|year=2004|isbn=9013012558}}</ref> The legislature, the {{lang|ga|[[w:Oireachtas|Oireachtas]]|italic=no}}, consists of a [[lower house]], {{lang|ga|[[w:Dáil Éireann|Dáil Éireann]]|italic=no}}; an [[upper house]], {{lang|ga|[[w:Seanad Éireann|Seanad Éireann]]|italic=no}}; and an elected [ [[w:President of Ireland|President of Ireland]] ] ({{lang|ga|Uachtarán}}) who serves as the largely ceremonial [[head of state]], but with some important powers and duties. The [[head of government]] is the {{lang|ga|[[w:Taoiseach|Taoiseach]]|italic=no}} (Prime Minister, literally "Chief"), who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President; the Taoiseach in turn appoints other government ministers.