Ireland
FAST FACTS
OFFICIAL NAME: Ireland
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional Democracy
CAPITAL: Dublin
POPULATION: 4,832,765
MONEY: Euro
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Irish/English
AREA: 26,592 square miles (68,890 square kilometers)
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Wicklow Mountains
MAJOR RIVERS: Shannon, Liffey, Boyne, Moy, Barrow

Ireland’s flag

Ireland’s map

GEOGRAPHY
Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of Europe. It is the continent’s second largest island (after Great Britain). The Republic of Ireland occupies 80 percent of this landmass, while a large chunk of land in the north is part of the United Kingdom.

NATURE
The Irish have a great affection for nature and rural life. The country’s first coins even featured pictures of animals. Low levels of development and pollution in Ireland have left most of the nation’s open spaces relatively undisturbed.
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Ireland is a nation of storytellers. The tradition dates back to Celtic bards, who would record and recite the country’s history. Many famed writers come from Ireland, including four winners of the Nobel Prize for literature. The Irish also excel in music and sports.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY
The government of Ireland consists of an elected parliament, which makes the laws, and a president, who is head of state. The head of the government is the Taoiseach (pronounced tee-shuck), which means “chief.” The Taoiseach is the leader of the political party with the most parliament members.