Ireland, Dublin. Flag of Ireland - photo. Dublin - attractions
In Northern Europe, there is an amazingbeauty country - Ireland. Dublin is the capital of the republic. The city is located on the site of the confluence of the river. Lofiya in Dublin Bay, which is located in the Irish Sea. Its area is one hundred and fifteen square kilometers. The city of Dublin is the main port of the country, besides, it plays the role of the center of political, economic and cultural life of the state.
History of origin of the name
It is believed that the word "Dublin" appeared inthe result of the merger of two Irish words - "dubh" and "linn", which translate as "creek" and "black". However, some researchers question this version, suggesting that the name of the capital was formed from the Scandinavian phrase "djup lind" - "deep creek". However, the majority of historians and linguists think the first variant more plausible.
How do modern Irish people call their cityin native language? Baile Átha Cliath. In translation, this means "settlement at the ford". This long name is often replaced with the abbreviation YOU. In the modern city, a mixed Anglo-Irish version of the name is used along with the native Irish.
Historical background
Is it an ancient country - Ireland? Dublin, for example, in 140 BC was already a fully formed Celtic settlement with a monastery. Later, he became the mainstay of the Scandinavian kingdom on the island. In 902, the Vikings were expelled from Dublin together with the indigenous inhabitants, but the rebellious Scandinavians returned to the inhabited lands in 917. In 1014 the Battle of Clontarfe took place, during which the Celts, under the leadership of their King Brian Bohr, defeated the Vikings. The defeated party adhered to the peaceful policy of agreements and alliances, thanks to which the Vikings ruled on their lands for the next three centuries.
Middle Ages
In 1169, the invasion of the troops of HenryII Plantagenet Ireland. Dublin as a result of the victory of the conquerors became the mainstay of the British authorities. Thanks to the recognition of the Pope, Henry II became the Lord of Ireland and proclaimed the aforementioned inhabited place royal. This happened in 1171. Then the Anglo-Norman conquerors began to actively absorb the peculiarities of local culture, learn Irish customs and language. Since then, and close, though not always a simple relationship between the Irish and the British.
Colonization
The Tudor dynasty aspired to the submission of the whole of Ireland. Dublin as the main city of the island was of special interest.
In 1592, thanks to the efforts of the QueenElizabeth the First, the college "Trinity" was founded in the capital. He was a Protestant school for the Irish nobility. The richest clans of Dublin refused to teach their children there. Instead, wealthy scions of the local nobility were sent to Catholic schools on the continent.
Subsequently, the British authorities produced a number oftransformations in order to impose their demands on the Catholic majority. For this reason, the so-called new Englishmen formed the backbone in the administration of the country. This state of affairs was observed until the nineteenth century.
In the 1640s, thousands of Protestants moved to Dublin. The capital was on the verge of an uprising. The unrest was avoided, but Catholics remained in the minority.
Physico-geographical features
Modern Dublin is divided into two approximatelyEqual half - southern and northern - by the river Liffey. It flows from west to east and flows into the Irish Sea. The river has long been perceived as an obstacle due to strong swampiness on the western stretch and in the estuary. For several centuries this problem was solved thanks to the filling of marshes and the serious strengthening of the embankments. At present, there is a tendency to increase the water level of Liffey.
Climatic characteristics
Is it a favorable climate for Dublin? The capital is characterized by insignificant temperature changes, mild winters and cool summers. It is warmer in June and July. The amount of rainfall in Dublin is about half that in West Ireland, and is the same as in London. Most often the rains come in August and December. The driest weather is, as a rule, in April. The average annual rainfall is 762 mm. This is less than, for example, in New York, Sydney or Dallas.
The geographical map of Dublin makes it possible to see,that the city is at a high latitude. For this reason, in the capital in the summer, it can be light to nineteen hours a day, and in the winter - only up to nine.
The city is one of the safest in terms ofnatural disasters. He is not afraid of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. In Dublin, strong and gusty winds sometimes break in, but other cities in Ireland suffer much more from them.
Specialists have identified small temperaturedifferences between the center and the outskirts of the capital. So, in the heart of the city two or three degrees warmer. The coldest of all in December, January and February. In the period from November to April, snow may fall, but it usually melts after four to five days. Thunderstorms are rare, usually in summer.
System of power
The city is run by DublinCity Council. It is a representative body. Elections of its members are held every five years. Representatives of both the society and political parties can apply to the Council. It is the largest municipal authority in the whole of Ireland. The Council is engaged in making amendments to the draft laws, and controls the city budget. In addition, in the area of his attention - the quality of roads, water, health. The key figure of this body is the City Manager. The central apparatus is located in a building on the southern embankment of the river. Liffey near the center of the capital.
Economy, infrastructure
The new millennium brought with it an essentialthe welfare of the inhabitants of the Republic of Ireland. Dublin (photo of this beautiful city presented in the article) in this regard was no exception. Now he takes the sixteenth place in the ranking of the most expensive cities in the world. At the same time, salaries here are also among the highest.
The main branch of the city for alreadyseveral centuries is brewing. The widely known foam drink Guinness has been brewed in Dublin since 1759. Currently, the capital has a number of production associations that specialize in the production of pharmaceutical products. In addition, well-known companies engaged in information technology, too, have their offices in Dublin and the suburbs. Among such giants are Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Amazon and Yahoo !. Firms Hewlett Packard and Intel own large factories in the county of Kidler, located fifteen kilometers west of the capital.
Recently in the economy of Dublin, the position of banking has been increasingly strengthened. Thus, the branches of Commerzbank and Citibank function successfully in the city.
During the economic boom,construction, and today this sphere is considered the main source of jobs. Nevertheless, in 2007, Dubliners faced the problem of unemployment due to the fact that the supply was outstripping demand in the labor market. Today, industrialized areas of the city are actively developing, and more and more constructions of different directions are appearing there. Among the plans for the near future - the construction of the subway.
There are four institutions of higher education in the city. The most famous of them is Dublin University, it is also the oldest.
The sphere of culture
Dublin is the birthplace of many talented people. The whole world knows about the famous natives of this city. Among them are Samuel Beckett, JB Shaw and William Butler Yeats, Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde, as well as Bram Stoker. However, most of all Dublin became famous thanks to the work of James Joyce. He is one of the founders of modernism in literary works. You can even see a writer on a fifty-pound note. Joyce's works are filled with entertaining details from the lives of his contemporaries living in Dublin.
The State Museum of Heraldry was opened in the capital. It was founded more than a hundred years ago - in 1908, and is one of the oldest museums on the planet of similar themes. No less interesting for visiting is the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Dublin. The city's attractions
St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest ofsimilar structures in Ireland. At one time his rector was the famous John Swift, famous for his work called "Gulliver's Travels."
Dublin Castle is currentlythe location of the government of the island. He was built on the orders of King John the Landless to protect against the raids of the Normans. The castle is open to tourists if it does not hold important government meetings.
The Dublin Needle is an architecturalthe dominant of the city. This monument can be seen from almost all points of the capital. The design of the "Needle" is the simplest: a 121-meter-tall climbing steel spire is gradually tapering.
The territory of the Dublin Botanical Gardenis truly impressive: twenty twenty thousand different representatives of the flora from all over the world grow on twenty-five hectares. This place is respectfully called the green heart of the city of Dublin.
The sights of the capital are notend. A favorite place for walking, Dublinians invariably call the Garden of Memories. There is a memorial in memory of those who gave their lives for the well-being and independence of the island. Despite the deplorable reason for the occurrence, this place is filled with life-affirming natural splendor.
In the local zoo you can admire bothwidespread local animals, and rare representatives of fauna. It is noteworthy that the staff of this institution fully supports the imitation of the most natural habitat for their wards.
Ways of movement
Metropolitan transport network is representedhigh-speed trains and buses. The price of the ticket varies depending on the duration of the trip and ranges between 1.65-4.3 euros. On sale there are tickets, valid both in trains and in buses. As a rule, the work of public transport starts at six in the morning and ends at half past eleven. On holidays, this period can be extended by the decision of the local administration.
Connectivity
The communication system of the city meets allthe most stringent standards and criteria. In a number of metropolitan telephone machines, along with coins, you can pay by bank card. However, calls on special phone cards are much cheaper, they can be purchased at large stores, at all newsstands and at gas stations.
Mobile communication in the whole islandfunctions according to the GSM standard. Thanks to this, roaming services are available to most foreign guests. An alternative is to purchase an Irish SIM card. The most popular local operators are O2 and Vodafone.
You can go to the World Wide Web in any major branch of communication or in an Internet cafe.
State Symbol
Flag of Ireland (photo can be seen below)is a cloth consisting of three strips. They are painted in the following colors: white - in the center, green - at the pole edge, orange - at the free edge. At the same time, the first color symbolizes peaceful relations between confessions, the second one - Catholics, the third - Protestants. For the first time this flag acted as a national symbol in 1916. Then he was raised over the metropolitan post office during the celebration of Easter.
Dublin time
Every year the country switches to summertime. The arrows are shifted one hour forward. Thus, there is a deviation from the time for Greenwich for sixty minutes. In 2014, the transition occurred on March 30, and on October 26 Dublin residents will transfer the hands of their watch an hour ago.
Conclusion
The capital of such aa beautiful European country like Ireland. Map of the island, flag and attractions are displayed above in the pictures. We hope that the virtual journey helped you to form an idea about this city.