Birds Ireland > Facts about Ireland

Location
The island of Ireland lies in the North Atlantic Ocean, off Western Europe, west of Great Britain.
Click for map of location of principal towns & cities
Click for small road map (91k)
Click for large road map (180k)

Area
Total: 70,280 sq km.
Land: 68,890 sq km.
Water: 1,390 sq km.

Comparative size: Slightly larger than West Virginia.
Land boundaries: total: 360 km.
Border countries: UK (Northern Ireland), 360 km.

Coastline
1,448 km.
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nautical miles.
Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles.

Climate
Temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid.
Click for map of average annual Sunshine
Click for map of average Rainfall

Terrain
Mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; high sea cliffs on west coast.

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean - 0 metres.
Highest point: Carrauntoohil - 1,041 metres.

Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver.

Land use
Arable land: 13%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 68%
Forests and woodland: 5%
Other: 14%
Click for map of woodland

Environment
Current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff.

International agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Tropical Timber 94.