Ireland

Ireland - Location, scenery and population

Ireland, the green island, located in the northwest of Europe and to the west of Great Britain. Without Northern Ireland it has an extension of 70,000 km² and a population of around 4 million. Celtic origins of the past remain in Irish culture combined with cultures of settlers from European countries, Africa and Asia.

The island is divided into two political regions. On one hand, Northern Ireland in the north-east which is part of the United Kingdom and on the other hand the Independent Republic of Ireland that occupies the majority of the island's territory and that is divided into 29 counties, having some of them a special autonomy with separate administrations.

Characteristic for Ireland's scenery are the green fields, predominantly of soft relief and high cliffs on the coastal area of the island. An uncountable number of lakes and rivers throughout the island completes the basics of Ireland's scenery.

Irish people complain about the weather as it is usually raining throughout the year, specially in the west part of the country. The coldest areas are in the interior of the country. It is a mild and changeable climate with abundant rainfall, without extremes of temperature. Winters are generally mild and summers quite warm which is mainly due to that the island lies in the Atlantic Ocean and is warmed by the Gulf Stream.