Ireland

Ireland is an island in the <a href="/facts/North_Atlantic_Ocean/EI4uChIb">North Atlantic Ocean</a>, in <a href="/facts/Northwestern_Europe/d8zrdArn">Northwestern Europe</a>. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the <a href="/facts/Republic_of_Ireland/k8JzXVze">Republic of Ireland</a> (officially <a href="/facts/Names_of_the_Irish_state/4tPmxLez">named Ireland</a> – a sovereign state covering five-sixths of the island) and <a href="/facts/Northern_Ireland/Jmr0NRyl">Northern Ireland</a> (part of the <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">United Kingdom</a> – covering the remaining sixth). It is separated from <a href="/facts/Great_Britain/TNgGQRPj">Great Britain</a> to its east by the <a href="/facts/North_Channel_(Great_Britain_and_Ireland)/GbXR54ks">North Channel</a>, the <a href="/facts/Irish_Sea/m2SqNwvx">Irish Sea</a>, and <a href="/facts/St_George%2527s_Channel/n96ExPIe">St George's Channel</a>. Ireland is the <a href="/facts/List_of_islands_of_the_British_Isles/1fvm9PpU">second-largest island</a> of the <a href="/facts/British_Isles/4fBquvMU">British Isles</a>, the <a href="/facts/List_of_European_islands_by_area/4EACkUBh">third-largest</a> in Europe, and the <a href="/facts/List_of_islands_by_area/UxgRkKGB">twentieth-largest</a> in the world. As of 2022, the <a href="/facts/Irish_population_analysis/foER6vam">population of the entire island</a> is just over 7 million, with 5.1 million in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland, ranking it the <a href="/facts/List_of_European_islands_by_population/Mpfftw78">second-most populous island in Europe</a> after Great Britain.
The <a href="/facts/Geography_of_Ireland/JTCPYkkJ">geography of Ireland</a> comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with <a href="/facts/Rivers_of_Ireland/UHygtvIL">several navigable rivers</a> extending inland. Its lush vegetation is a product of its mild but changeable climate which is free of extremes in temperature. Much of Ireland was woodland until the end of the <a href="/facts/Middle_Ages/RqzEKB9v">Middle Ages</a>. Today, woodland makes up about 10% of the island, compared with a European average of over 33%, with most of it being non-native conifer plantations. The <a href="/facts/Irish_climate/hWn8BfUg">Irish climate</a> is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and thus very moderate, and winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, although summers are cooler than those in continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant.
<a href="/facts/Gaelic_Ireland/xfPXQ3da">Gaelic Ireland</a> had emerged by the 1st century AD. The island was <a href="/facts/Christianised/ofJwq42c">Christianised</a> from the 5th century onwards. During this period Ireland was divided amongst petty kings, who in turn served under the kings of the <a href="/facts/Provinces_of_Ireland/QFmhUC1W">traditional provinces</a> (Cúige; lit. 'fifth') vying for dominance and the title of <a href="/facts/High_King_of_Ireland/l0oMzPIQ">High King of Ireland</a>. Between the late 8th and early 11th centuries, <a href="/facts/Viking/d0WFeQ6f">Viking</a> raids and settlement took place culminating in the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Clontarf/lSg1pB3H">Battle of Clontarf</a> on 23 April 1014 which resulted in the ending of Viking power in Ireland. Following the 12th-century <a href="/facts/Anglo-Norman_invasion_of_Ireland/KkmhjCqw">Anglo-Norman invasion</a>, <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_England/1VqdIuFc">England</a> claimed sovereignty. However, English rule did not extend over the whole island until the 16th–17th century <a href="/facts/Tudor_conquest_of_Ireland/dq4YPRLA">Tudor conquest</a>, which led to <a href="/facts/Plantations_of_Ireland/GNfho4ux">colonisation by settlers from Britain</a>. In the 1690s, a system of <a href="/facts/Protestant_Ascendancy/7VwMcNYx">Protestant English rule</a> was designed to materially disadvantage the <a href="/facts/Catholic/rJ4F4gqH">Catholic</a> majority and Protestant <a href="/facts/Dissenter/m1e4b0pd">dissenters</a>, and was extended during the 18th century. With the <a href="/facts/Acts_of_Union_1800/hlo5qNHK">Acts of Union</a> in 1801, Ireland became <a href="/facts/Countries_of_the_United_Kingdom/4tMbqgXp">a part of</a> the <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland/yw0GUkge">United Kingdom</a>. A <a href="/facts/Irish_War_of_Independence/mSVqcAEp">war of independence</a> in the early 20th century was followed by the <a href="/facts/Partition_of_Ireland/G7F9k0Ig">partition of the island</a>, leading to the creation of the <a href="/facts/Irish_Free_State/rjjaevUC">Irish Free State</a>, which became increasingly sovereign over the following decades until it declared a republic in 1948 (Republic of Ireland Act, 1948) and Northern Ireland, which remained a part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland saw much <a href="/facts/The_Troubles/CvxR8ReG">civil unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s</a>. This subsided following the <a href="/facts/Good_Friday_Agreement/NGphY7YR">Good Friday Agreement</a> in 1998. In 1973, both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, with Northern Ireland as part of it, joined the <a href="/facts/European_Economic_Community/tx2V9KAQ">European Economic Community</a>. Following a referendum vote in 2016, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland included, left the <a href="/facts/European_Union/6GYcR8qM">European Union</a> (EU) in 2020. Northern Ireland was granted a limited special status and allowed to operate within the EU single market for goods without being in the European Union.
<a href="/facts/Irish_culture/zts8G0uQ">Irish culture</a> has had a significant influence on other cultures, especially in the field of <a href="/facts/Irish_literature/v11VkcGE">literature</a>. Alongside mainstream <a href="/facts/Western_culture/rPbgAhzI">Western culture</a>, a strong indigenous culture exists, as expressed through <a href="/facts/Gaelic_games/n96X1tmd">Gaelic games</a>, <a href="/facts/Irish_music/4chhs3Rb">Irish music</a>, <a href="/facts/Irish_language/Kw97s2l4">Irish language</a>, and <a href="/facts/Irish_dance/S7TNdKDs">Irish dance</a>. The island's culture shares many features with that of Great Britain, including the English language, and sports such as <a href="/facts/Association_football/yttjeD0D">association football</a>, <a href="/facts/Rugby_union/AJSbnB89">rugby</a>, <a href="/facts/Horse_racing/LugamWR3">horse racing</a>, <a href="/facts/Golf/k8jn7q42">golf</a>, and <a href="/facts/Boxing/BrY1zmP4">boxing</a>.

Ireland open-in-new

Ireland