Ireland is an island state located in the northwestern part of Europe in the waters of the north Atlantic Ocean. Unlike Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, Ireland is an independent republic.
General information
Capital: Dublin.
Area: 70.2 thousand km².
Population: 4,937,786 (as of 2020)
Coastline: 1,488 km.
It is surrounded by the waters of the Irish Sea, the St. George and the North Straits and the Atlantic Ocean.
Largest cities: Dublin (1.4 million people) and Cork (190,384 people).
Read more about cities of Ireland
Geography of Ireland
Ireland is renowned for its water resources, namely bays, lakes and rivers. The country’s largest bays are Galway, Shannon, Dingle, Donegal and Loch Foyle. The most important river is the Shannon. We can distinguish Lee, Blackwater, Shur, Nor, Ern, Bann from other large rivers. The world-famous Lough Ney lakes are also located here, as well as smaller lakes — Lough Derg, Lough Mask, Killarney. There are many swamps in the central part of the country.
Ireland has an extensive coastline, most of which is rocky. There are many rocky islands near the country as well.
Coastline aside, Ireland is dominated by plains. The main one is the vast Central Lowland. There are also low mountains in Ireland, such as Carantuill (1,041 metres). And the largest plateau is located in the east of the country, called Antrim.
Ireland is rich in meadows. The forest occupies about 12 per cent of the island’s territory.
Climate of Ireland
Ireland is renowned for its mild, temperate oceanic climate. It is quite humid, and the winds here are mostly westerly and warm, giving Ireland mild winters and cool summers. The country is covered with greenery the whole year, for which it is sometimes called the Emerald Isle.
The warmest month of the year is July, with an average air temperature of 18-20 degrees. The coldest month is January when the temperature drops to 7-9 degrees.
Ireland will be especially enjoyed by lovers of water and greenery. You will not likely be very hot or very cold here, making life on the island even more enjoyable. And most importantly, the locals love nature and protect it in every possible way, so the beautiful landscapes, like the clean air, will delight you for a very, very long time.
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