I.

Introduction

Republic of Ireland (in Irish, Éire), republic comprising about five sixths of the land area of the island of Ireland, lying in the Atlantic Ocean, about 80 km (50 mi) west of the island of Great Britain, and separated from it by the Irish Sea. The country consists of the provinces of Leinster, Munster, and Connaught (Connacht), and part of the province of Ulster, comprising 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The remaining six counties of Ulster, in the north-eastern part of the island, form Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The republic has a total area of 70,273 sq km (27,133 sq mi). The capital of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin.

Often called the “Emerald Isle” because of the vivid greenness of the countryside, Ireland is a land of mountains, lakes, and rolling farmland, as well as a country with an ancient history and rich literary, oral, and theatrical traditions. The island of Ireland was ruled by England and then Great Britain for more than 600 years and was an integral part of the United Kingdom after 1801. The republic formally gained its independence in 1922, after a long, and at times violent, struggle. Since then, the country has overcome centuries of economic neglect, building new industries, modernizing agriculture, and creating a modern economy.