The economy of Ireland is modern and trade-dependent with growth averaging a robust 10% in 1995–2000. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 29% of the labour force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland’s robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. The annual rate of inflation stands at 5.1% as of 2007, up from recent rates of between 3% and 4%.

Ireland is an island lying to the west of Britain and it is separated from Britain by the Irish Sea. The island is divided into two national jurisdictions: The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The official name of the Republic is Poblacht Na h’Éireann, or short Éire.

The capital of the Republic is Dublin, Northern Ireland has Belfast.

The island’s area is 84,421 sq km. Ireland is divided into 32 counties (The Republic of Ireland consists of 26 counties, Northern Ireland of 6).

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www.wikipedia.org

Dutch Audio

The Netherlands is generally considered as Europe’s most national country. Among the things that characterize the country, one can find windmills, wooden shoes and tulips.

When Dutch people meet each other for the first time, they usually don’t wait to be introduced. Instead, they extend their hand for a handshake, make eye contact, say their name, and listen for the name of the other person. However, on social occasions, people who already know each other also shake hands if they have not seen one another for a while. When good friends or relatives meet, they will often exchange three kisses on the cheeks.

The Netherlands had a lot of famous and successful people. First, we mention Dutch painters who are known all over the world. Vincent Van Gogh and Rembrandt van Rijn are the most considerable. You probably know some of their artworks (Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee painted by Rembrandt or Still life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers created by Van Gogh). In the Dutch Golden age in 17th century we can find notable architects, such as Jacob van Campen. His best known works are The Royal Palace in Amsterdam and The Paleis Noordeinde.

The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a

ECONOMY

Currency

As a founding member of the Euro, the Netherlands replaced (for accounting purposes) its former currency, the "Gulden" Guilder, on January 1, 1999, along with the other adopters of the single European currency. Actual Euro coins and banknotes followed on January 1, 2002. One Euro is equivalent to 2.20371 Dutch guilders.

The ’’’Netherlands’’’ is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. The Netherlands is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy, located in Western Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east.