Where in the World is Ireland

The sovereign nation of Ireland—officially the Republic of Ireland—is home to some 5 million residents, spanning 27,132 square miles of diverse scenic beauty, while Northern Ireland’s nearly 1.9 million residents and 5,456 square mile land mass is a possession of the United Kingdom. Spanning approximately 300 miles from north to south and 170 miles from east to west, Ireland is divided into four provinces, including the rolling hills and fertile plains of Leinster in the east and the central lowland surrounding the River Shannon—Ireland’s longest river—Munster to the south, with its scenic cliffs and Ring of Kerry, Connacht to the west, known for its bogland, rugged mountains and picturesque lakes, and Ulster to the north, which is home to both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Scenic Beauty

With over 3,000 miles of stunning coastline offering views of cliffs, coves and sandy beaches, the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare welcomes a million and a half visitors annually to its 700-foot-tall panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding Irish coastline, while the Giant’s Causeway in far Northern Ireland draws a million visitors annually to its unique hexagonal basalt columns formed by volcanic activity. Ireland’s mild and equable climate is bathed by the relatively warm ocean waters of the North Atlantic Drift, giving the island a temperate maritime gentleness, replete with mild winters and cool summers, while its average annual rainfall of 48 inches gives most of the country a lustrous green appearance. With a population of a little more than a million residents, Dublin comprises the largest city in Ireland, followed by Belfast’s population of 345,000.

An Agriculture Gem

After that, city populations fall off dramatically, including Ireland’s fourth largest city of Cork at 190,000 residents, followed by Dun Laoghaire at 185,000. With approximately 64% of Ireland’s land mass committed to farming, the two nation’s leading agricultural products include milk, barley, beef, wheat, potatoes, pork, poultry, truffles and mutton, while the nation’s leading natural resources include peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, limestone, dolomite and natural gas, making the island of Ireland, a land of welcoming people, rich history and diverse scenic splendor.