In Northern Europe there is an amazingly beautiful country - Ireland. Dublin is the capital of the republic. The city is located on the confluence of the river. Lofii 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, in addition, it plays the role of the center of the political, economic and cultural life of the state.
History of origin of the name
It is believed that the word "Dublin" appeared as a result of the merger of two Irish words - "dubh" and "linn", which translate as "backwater" and "black". However, some researchers question this version, suggesting that the name of the capital was formed from the Scandinavian phrase "djup lind" - "deep backwater". However, to most historians and linguists, the first option seems more plausible.
How do modern Irish people call their city in their native language? Baile Atha Cliath. In translation, this means "a settlement at the ford." This long name is often replaced by the abbreviation BAC. The modern city uses a mixed English-the Irish version of the name is on a par with the native Irish.
Historical information
Is Ireland an ancient country? Dublin, for example, in 140 BC was already a fully formed Celtic settlement with a monastery. Later, it became the stronghold of the Scandinavian kingdom on the island. In 902, the Vikings were expelled from Dublin along with the natives, but the recalcitrant Scandinavians returned to their inhabited lands in 917. In 1014, the Battle of Clontarf took place, during which the Celts, led by their king Brian Boru, defeated the Viking troops. The defeated side pursued a peaceful policy of agreements and alliances, thanks to which the Vikings ruled over their lands for the next three centuries.
Middle Ages
In 1169, Ireland was invaded by the troops of Henry II Plantagenet. Dublin, as a result of the victory of the conquerors, became a stronghold of English power. Thanks to the recognition of the Pope, Henry II became the Lord of Ireland and proclaimed the above settlement royal. This happened in 1171. Then the Anglo-Norman conquerors began to actively absorb the features of the local culture, to study Irish customs and language. Since then, a close, if not always simple, relationship between the Irish and the British began.
Colonization
The Tudor dynasty sought to ensure that all of Ireland obeyed it. Dublin as the main city of the island was of particular interest.
In 1592, thanks to the effortsQueen Elizabeth I, Trinity College was founded in the capital. It was a Protestant educational institution for the Irish nobility. The richest clans of Dublin refused to educate their children there. Instead, the we althy offspring of the local nobility were sent to Catholic educational institutions on the continent.
Subsequently, the British authorities made a number of changes in order to impose their demands on the Catholic majority. For this reason, the so-called new Englishmen formed the backbone of the country's administration. This state of affairs continued until the nineteenth century.
In the 1640s, thousands of Protestants moved to Dublin. The capital was on the verge of rebellion. Unrest was avoided, but the Catholics remained in the minority.
Physical features
Modern Dublin is divided into two approximately equal halves - south and north - 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 the severe waterlogging in the western segment and at the mouth. For several centuries, this problem was solved thanks to the backfilling of the swamps and the serious strengthening of the embankments. The current trend is for the Liffey to rise.
Climatic characteristics
Does Dublin have a favorable climate? The capital is characterized by slight temperature fluctuations, mild winters and cool summers. The warmest months are June and July. Rainfall in Dublin is about half thatthan in Western Ireland, and the same as in London. Most often it rains in August and December. The driest weather is usually in April. The average annual rainfall is at the level of 762 mm. This is less than, for example, in New York, Sydney or Dallas.
The geographical map of Dublin allows you to see that the city is located at a high latitude. For this reason, in the capital in summer it can be light up to nineteen hours a day, and in winter - only up to nine.
The city is one of the safest in terms of natural disasters. He is not afraid of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. Strong and gusty winds sometimes rush into Dublin, but other cities in Ireland suffer from them much more.
Specialists have identified small temperature differences between the center and the outskirts of the capital. So, in the heart of the city it is two or three degrees warmer. It is coldest in December, January and February. Snow can fall between November and April, but it usually melts after four to five days. Thunderstorms are rare, usually in summer.
Power system
The city is governed by the Dublin City Council. This is a representative body. Elections for its members are held every five years. Representatives of both society and political parties can apply for a seat in the Council. It is the largest municipal government in all of Ireland. The council is engaged in amending bills, controls the city budget. In addition, the area of his attention is the quality of roads,water supply, he althcare. 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 a significant increase in the well-being of the people of the Republic of Ireland. Dublin (photos of this beautiful city are presented in the article) is no exception in this regard. Now it occupies the sixteenth place in the ranking of the most expensive cities in the world. At the same time, wages here are also among the highest.
The main industry of the city for several centuries has been brewing. The widely known foamy drink Guinness has been brewed in Dublin since 1759. Currently, there are many production associations specializing in the production of pharmaceutical products in the capital. In addition, the most famous information technology companies also have their offices in Dublin and the suburbs. Such giants include Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Amazon and Yahoo!. Hewlett Packard and Intel have large factories in Kidler County, fifteen kilometers west of the capital.
Recently, the position of banking has been increasingly strengthening in the Dublin economy. Thus, branches of Commerzbank and Citibank are successfully operating in the city.
During the economic boom, construction intensified, and today this area is considered the main source of jobs. However, in 2007 Dubliners faced the problem of unemployment due to the fact that the offeroutstripped demand in the labor market. Today, the seedy industrial areas of the city are being actively developed, more and more buildings of different directions are appearing there. Among the plans for the near future is the construction of a subway.
There are four institutions of higher education in the city. The most famous of them is the University of Dublin, which is also the oldest.
Sphere of culture
Dublin is home to many talented people. The whole world knows about the famous natives of this city. Among them are Samuel Beckett, J. B. Shaw and William Butler Yeats, Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde, and Bram Stoker. However, Dublin is most famous for the work of James Joyce. He is one of the founders of modernism in literary works. A portrait of the writer can be seen even on a fifty-pound note. Joyce's writings are filled with entertaining details from the lives of his contemporaries living in Dublin.
The State Museum of Heraldry has been opened in the capital. It was founded over a hundred years ago - in 1908, and is one of the oldest museums of this kind on the planet. No less interesting to visit is the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Dublin. City Attractions
St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest of its kind in Ireland. At one time, its rector was the famous John Swift, who became famous thanks to his work called Gulliver's Travels.
Dublin Castle is currently the location ofisland government. It was erected by order of King John the Landless in order to protect against Norman raids. The castle is open to tourists unless it hosts important government meetings.
The Dublin Needle is the architectural dominant of the city. This monument is visible from almost all points of the capital. The design of the Needle is simple: a gradually tapering steel spire rises 121 meters high.
The territory of the Dublin Botanical Garden is truly impressive: over twenty-five hectares grow more than twenty thousand of the most diverse representatives of flora from all over the planet. This place is respectfully called the green heart of the city of Dublin.
The sights of the capital do not end there. Dubliners invariably call the Garden of Memories a favorite place for walking. A memorial has been erected here in memory of those who gave their lives for the well-being and independence of the island. Despite its unfortunate origin, this place is filled with life-affirming natural splendor.
In the local zoo you can admire both common local animals and rare representatives of the fauna. It is noteworthy that the employees of this institution do their best to support the imitation of the most natural habitat of their wards.
Methods of transportation
The metropolitan transport network is represented by high-speed trains and buses. The ticket price varies depending on the duration of the trip and ranges from 1.65-4.3 euros. Tickets are available for sale, valid both on trains and on buses. howAs a rule, the work of public transport starts at six in the morning and ends at half past eleven at night. On holidays, this period may be extended by decision of the local administration.
Communication
The city's communication system meets all the most stringent standards and criteria. In many telephone booths in the capital, along with coins, you can pay with a bank card. However, calls to special phone cards are much cheaper and can be purchased at large stores, all newsstands and gas stations.
Mobile communication throughout the island operates according to the GSM standard. Thanks to this, roaming services are available to most foreign guests. An alternative option is to purchase an Irish SIM card. The most popular local operators are O2 and Vodafone.
You can access the World Wide Web at any major post office or Internet cafe.
State symbol
The flag of Ireland (photo can be seen below) is a panel consisting of three stripes. They are painted in the following colors: white - in the center, green - at the shaft edge, orange - at the free edge. At the same time, the first color symbolizes peaceful relations between confessions, the second - Catholics, the third - Protestants. For the first time this flag acted as a national symbol in 1916. Then he was raised above the capital's post office during the celebration of Easter.
Dublin Time
Every year the country is making the transition tosummer time. The hands move forward one hour. Thus, there is a deviation from Greenwich Mean Time by sixty minutes. In 2014, the transition took place on March 30, and on October 26, Dubliners will move their clocks back an hour.
Conclusion
The capital of such a beautiful European country as Ireland was described above in detail. The island's map, flag, and attractions are shown above in the pictures. We hope that the virtual tour has helped you form an idea about this city.
