Ireland - Tourism and Travel

The Republic of Ireland, in northern Europe, makes up about of four fifths of the island of Ireland.

The country has an area of 27,136 square miles (70,282 square kilometers).

Ireland is mostly a lowland country, with lakes, peat bogs and wide valleys, but there are isolated mountain ranges near the rugged and heavily indented west cost.

Mountains in counties Mayo, Donegal and Kerry are separated by wide bays, including Clew Bay, which is located in County Mayo.

The Shannon River is the longest river in Ireland.

Ireland has a mild climate, which is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift current.

There is a high level of precipitation. Rainfall is highest in the western part of the country.

4,515,000 people live in Ireland, almost three fifths in urban areas.

Dublin, the capital, and Cork are the largest cities.

99% of the people are ethnic Irish.

The official languages are English and Irish Gaelic.

88% of the people are Roman Catholic and 1% are Anglican.

Agriculture mostly consists of mixed arable beef and dairy farming.

Important industries are pharmaceuticals, food processing, brewing, textiles, engineering and electronics.

There are growing tourism and service industries.

Ireland is a member of the European Union and uses the euro as its official currency.

It has been self-governing since 1921 and has a parliamentary system of government.