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Geography of Ireland

Ireland occupies the third-largest European island and is set in the northwestern part of Europe, surrounded by many smaller islands and islets. East of Ireland through the Irish Sea, the country is connected to Great Britain. Ireland is dvided into two political states: Ireland, which has five-sixths of the territory and is an individual state with its capital being the city of Dublin, and Northern Ireland which occupies one-sixth of the country's territory with it capital being Belfast, and is part of the United Kingdom.

The population of the island is over six million, with 4.34 million living in the Republic of Ireland and 1.75 million living in Northern Ireland. The area of Ireland covers 84,412 square kilometers and thanks to its mild climate and frequent soft rainfall, the country was called the Emerald Isle. Ireland has low plains in the central part of the country surrounded by coastal mountains. Its highest peak is in County Kerry, and is named Carrauntoohil, while its longest river is the River Shannon, which crosses the country. Ireland has a mild climate with a changeable character. The warmest air temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3 degrees Celsius, while the coldest one was minus 19.1 degrees Celsius, both recorded in the 1880s. During the late autumn and winter months, there can be Atlantic storms with destructive winds and high rainfall, plus snow and hail.

Ireland became an island after the end of the last glacial period, and thus its flora and fauna aren't as rich as those in Britain and the rest of Europe. However, it has open woodlands and mixed forests, as well as many coastal habitats. The forests actually cover 10% of the island's territory. Remnants of the native forests can be found in some parts of the country, but mostly in Killarney National Park. Thanks to the mild climate, there are palm trees and many species of wild flowers here, as well as vast territories of pasture. The mammal species include the red fox, Irish hare, hedgehog and badger.

Also, dolphins, whales, sharks and turtles can be spotted here. Ireland has no snakes. Regardless of the constitutional division of Ireland, the island acts as one entity in a number of areas, including religion. This is valid also for the trade unions and some sports organizations, as well as the tourism sphere. The holiday that unifies all and is celebrated throughout the island on March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. Today, as part of the European Union and a country enjoying growing prosperity, Ireland attracts many immigrants, especially from Poland and the other countries in Central Europe. The official language in Ireland is Irish, which is very similar to English.