Ireland is
an island in the North Atlantic.
Politically,
Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland),
which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of
the United Kingdom, in the northeast of the island. In 2011 the population of
Ireland was about 6.4 million, ranking it the second-most populous island in
Europe after Great Britain. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of
Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. The territory is
vast 84,116 square kilometers and is characterized by mountain ranges are not
particularly high.
The biggest
and most populated city is Dublin , followed by Belfast and Cork . Other
important towns are Limerick , Galway , Derry , Waterford .
The flag is
the tricolor.
Ireland's
patron saint is St. Patrick's Day and is celebrated on March 17
