Ireland

– island located in the Atlantic ocean

– separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea

– on the northwest of continental Europe

– occupies about five-sixths of Island of Ireland

– shares only land borders with Northern Ireland

– washed by Pacific ocean to the west, by Irish Sea to the east and by Celtic Sea to the south-east

Surface

– central plain surrounded by mountains

– Carrauntoohil – highest peak (1038 m)

– lowlands in the east

– wild and beautiful seacoast (Cliffs of Moher) – cliffs, hills, mountains

– mountains – mostly in south

Climate

– oceanic climate (little difference between winter and summer)

– mild with frequent rains

– similar to UK weather

– is influenced by the Golf stream

– the moist air from the Atlantic Ocean meets the dry continental air and causes rains

Water bodies

– Shannon – longest river, from north to south, forms many lakes, connects to Atlantic Ocean

– Celtic Sea (south), Irish Sea (east)

– river develops into 3 lakes – Lough Allen, Lough Ree, and Lough Derg

– Lough Derg – largest lake

Natural resources

– peat – has been a key fuel for centuries, still provides about 12% of energy

– main energy source – natural gas

– minerals – gold, silver, calcite

Economy

– currency: Euro

– relies on investments from foreign corporations – Intel, Microsoft, attractive because of low tax rates and educated population

– during 90´s – dramatic rise in customers spending – Celtic tiger

– one of the highest GDP per capita from the EU members

Agriculture

– rich and fertile soil, suitable for farming and cattle raising

– fishing (rivers)

– employs more people than is usual in developed countries

– over half of agriculture products is exported

– products – barley, potatoes

– cattle and sheep breeding

– mostly in central Ireland

Industry

– hydro-electric industry (river Shannon)

– IT, hardware, software services – top industry, a lot of big companies invest their money here, educated workforce, IBM, PayPal, Intel

Services

– tourism – fast growing industry, big profits

– about 6% of GDP

– most of the tourists come from the USA

Population, languages

– 4,5 million people

– most inhabitants live in towns (south, east)

– very religious – 84% of people would characterize themselves as Roman Catholic

– official language: Irish Gaelic, English

– Gaelic culture is an important part of Irish identity

– highest birth rate a lowest death rate in EU

– high immigration – 12% of citizens are born elsewhere, mostly from Poland, UK

– according to the constitution Irish is a national language, English is dominant, most of the signs are bilingual, Irish is compulsory at schools

Cities

Dublin

– capital city

– east coast

– founded as Viking settlement

– many parks – St. Stephens Green – largest park in the middle of the city

– O´Connell Street – reminders of Irelands Civil War

– St. Patrick´s Cathedral – largest church in Ireland

– Temple Bar area – the best pubs in Dublin

– big companies have their European headquarters here – Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Yahoo

Cork

– located in south-west region

– built on river Lee

– city center is located on island, created by channels

– it is said that people from Cork have a very original accent

Galway

– in the west of Ireland

– known as Ireland cultural heart

– has been experiencing economic growth lately

Places of interest

Dublin

Guiness Storehouse – museum of the Irish most famous beer, Dublin

Cliffs of Moher – west coast, rise 120 m above the Atlantic Ocean, 320 million years old

Whisky Distilleries – Jameson, Tullamore Dew, Bushmills

Ring of Kerry – southwestern Ireland, tourist trail, longest and oldest walking road, can see many glaciers on the way

Guinness beer