Balance of Power
Ireland
What is the size of the country's area?
The size of the country's area is 70, 273 square kilometers. It is the 120th largest country in the world. The size of the country is important to the power of a nation because it determines the amount of resources that the country has. In turn, the amount of resources determines the power of the country because when you have more resources you have more power and control over other countries.
What is the population of the country?
The population of Ireland is 4,832,765. The size of a country is important to the power of itself because if you have a large population, then that means you usually can have a big army and more power over other countries.
How well educated and united is its population?
Well, Ireland has 99% of both males and females that are literate, meaning 99% of people over 15 can read and write. This is good because it means that a ton of the population went to school. Also, the school life expectancy is 19 for both males and females. This means that the age that people are expected to continue in school is 19. This is important to a country's power because if you have a country that has a lot of well-educated people in it, then the chances of your country doing successful things are high. When a country does successful things and is successful, then they are powerful.
How large and well-equipped are its armed forces?
They currently have about 9,500 active personnel, but they also have about 5,200 reserve personnel. They are well-equipped, but not overly active and involved. They currently have some troops in Lebanon and Syria right now. This is important to the nation's power because if you don't have a strong, well-equipped army, then you don't have power over anybody. A country could easily come and overthrow you.
What are the country's physical features?
Ireland's main physical features include low central plains that are surrounded by a ring of coastal mountains. The western coastline has many peninsulas, islands, and bays. One of the main rivers is River Shannon, which is the longest river in Ireland. In Ireland there are also many mountain ranges and cliffs. Ireland is also surrounded by the ocean, which provides many resources. The physical features are important to a country's power because they can provide resources for the country. And with more resources come more power.
How productive is the country's economy?
Ireland has a GDP (per capita- PPP) of $41,300. This is 182 in comparison to the world, which is good, but not when compared to the United States which is $52, 800 and is ranked 13th out of the world. It is important fora country to have a productive economy in order to have power because if a country's economy is not productive, they will not be successful. They will not be successful at importing and exporting things, or trading things, all of which do not get them any power.