[ Adams || Castleblayney || County Monaghan || Ireland || Home ] Ireland Adams Family History Background: A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for the 26 southern counties; the six northern counties (Ulster) remained part of Great Britain. In 1948 Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, approved in 1998, has not yet been implemented. Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 8 00 W Map references: Europe Area: total: 70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia Land boundaries: total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km Coastline: 1,448 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m 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% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: NA sq km Natural hazards: NA Environment - current issues: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff Environment - 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 Geography - note: strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 97 km of Dublin.