Ireland

The Republic of Ireland greatly occupies most the island of Ireland, off the coast of England and Wales. Dublin is its capital and the birthplace of writers like Oscar Wilde, and home of Guinness beer. Dubbed the “Emerald Isle: for its lush landscape, the country is dotted with castles like medieval Cahir Castle. Ireland’s total population is 4.595 million as recorded in 2013, having the GDP of 232.1 billion USD and with the Gross National Income of 180.4 billion PPP USD. The economy of Ireland is a modern knowledge economy, which focused on services and high-tech industries and dependent on trade, industry, and investment. Regarding GDP per capita, Ireland is ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in the OECD and the EU27 at the 5th in the OECD-28 rankings as of 2008. As 2005, a study by The Economist found Ireland to have the best quality of life in the world. 1995 to 2007 is the period of very high economic growth, with a record of posting the highest growth rates in Europe, led many to call the country Celtic Tiger.