Ireland (Eire)
Capital: Dublin
Major Languages: Gaelic and English
Population: 3,969,558
Area: 27,135 sq mi (70,280 sq. km)
Type of Government: republic
Agricultural Products: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets,
wheat, livestock, dairy goods
Leading Export: machinery
Ireland lies in the Atlantic Ocean, separated from Great
Britain by St. George's Channel. Ireland occupies most of
the island, which is half the size of Arkansas, with the exception
of six northern counties. The Gulf Stream strongly affects
the climate of Ireland. This current carries warm waters from
the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic coast of Europe. Because
of the current, ocean waters heat up in summer and cool down
in winter more slowly than the land. Ocean winds also bring
in plenty of rains.
Religious conflicts tore Ireland apart.
The island's southern, mostly Catholic counties won their
independence from Great Britain in 1921. They later formed
a republic. The northern counties remained under British rule.
Here about 60 percent of the population descended from the
British Protestant settlers who colonized Ireland hundreds
of years ago. These Protestants feared that they would be
outvoted in a largely Catholic nation. However, Catholics
in Northern Ireland wanted to join with their southern neighbor,
a hope that still burns strong.
