Ireland

            
            
            
             Country facts: Land area:.
             Capital: Dublin Total: 70,280 sq km.
             Location: Western Europe Land: 68,890 sq km.
             Border country is Great Britain Water: 1,390 sq km.
             Coastline is 1,448 km Arable land: 19.49%.
             Population 3,924,140 (July 2003 est.) Permanent crops: 0.04%.
             Other: 80.47%.
             Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, and silver.
             Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid.
             Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast.
             Environmental issues: water pollution from agricultural runoff.
             Elevation: lowest point; Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point; Carrauntoohil 1,041 m.
             Visit Ireland:.
             Few places on the planet are as crammed with history as Ireland. Everywhere you look there are castles, houses and monuments, some even older than the Pyramids. Ireland's climate is influenced by the relatively warm waters of the Gulf Stream and by the current southwestern winds from the Atlantic. This combination results in a calm climate with temperatures fairly consistent across the whole country. For a relatively small island Ireland offers an extraordinarily wide variety of countryside and coastline. An ecologically clean environment also makes for pure air, clear water and unspoiled stretches of countryside. The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary democracy with two houses of parliament, an elected President who is head of state, and a prime minister (Taoiseach) who is head of government.