| Geography |
| Location |
| Place |
| Human-Environment Interaction |
| Movement |
| Region |
| Ireland is located in Western Europe. It occupies 5/6 of the island of Ireland. It is in the North Atlantic ocean. It is west of Great Britain. The Irish Sea and St. George's Channel separate Ireland form Great Britain. The coordinates for the island are 53 N, 8 W. |
| Political features- Ireland is run by a republic. The president is elected directly by the people. To run for president, the candidate must be a citizen over the age of 35 years. One presidential term lasts seven years. A president can not serve over two terms. There have been eight different presidents throughout Ireland's history, the current president is Mary McAleese. Economic features- Ireland's economy is dependent on trade. The economy benefits from consumer spending, construction, and business investment, but Ireland's growth depends mainly upon exports. Recently, the Irish government has introduced a series of programs intended to curb inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. In January 1999 Ireland united with 10 other European nations to begin promoting the use of the euro as a continental currency. Physical- Ireland is located in the Western hemisphere. |
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| More than two-thirds of the land in Ireland is occupied by farms. Farmland is used as pastures. Ireland grows enough food to feed its people and also to use it as an export. Ireland's coasts are excellent fishing areas. The fish and shellfish caught include cod, haddock, herring, lobsters, mackerel, plaice, prawns, rays, salmon, and whitting. The chief natural resources in Ireland are soil and pastures of its lowlands. Ireland uses peat as a fuel to generate electricity and for heating and cooking. Ireland also uses natural gas from off the southern coast. Forests use to cover much of Ireland, but most of the trees were cut down for lumber or to clear farmland. The government has been planting more than 75,000 acres of trees to rebuild the forests since 1922. |
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| The first people to come to Ireland came in 10,000 BC. The came by crossing a landbridge form Scotland. In 2000 BC metalworkers and prosepectors arrived in Ireland. After arriving, metal deposits were found. In 600 BC the Celts began to arrive from central Europe. The Celts belonged to the Indo-European culture, and after arriving began to dominiate Europe. Soon, the Celtic culture of the La Tene civilization reached Ireland. In 100 BC the Gaels arrived. St. Patrick arrived to Ireland in 432 AD. St. Patrick was able to convert the Gaelic Kings to Christianity. And in 550 Irish monks re-Christianized Ireland. Ireland was attacked in 800 by Vicking Norsemen on Lambay Island, which is located off of Dublin. In 1650 Catholic landowners were exiled to Connaught. Currently, Ireland trades with the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. |
| Ireland is known as Emerald Isle, because of its beautiful green countryside. Rolling farmlands cover much of the central part of Ireland, and mountains are located near the coast. Ireland has three main surface features which are: lowlands, coasts, and mountains. Lowlands cover most of central Ireland . In the west coast of Ireland, many inlets and bays cut into Ireland. For this reason, there is no place in the country that is more than 70 miles away from the sea. The are two large bays on the west coast. They is the Galway Bay and and the mouth of the River Shannon. Most of the mountains in Ireland are located near the coast and border the lowlands. The chief mountain ranges are are the Donegal Mountains, the Mounatins of Mayo, the Mounatins of Connemara, the Mountains of Kerry, and the Wicklow Mountains. Ireland has a wet, mild climate. Temperatures in the winter average 41 degrees F. In the summer the temperature is around 59 degrees F. The people in Ireland are usually considered to be exceptionally warm-hearted and friendly. They are known for hospitality, close family ties, and skill as writers and storytellers. |
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| Song playing: Paint it Black by U2 |
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