Ireland

Ireland covers five-sixths of the island of Ireland, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea, and Irish Sea. Rugged cliffs, sandy strands, and peninsulas such as Dingle and Antrim frame the coastline, while inland bogs, drumlins, and karst landscapes surround the River Shannon, the country's longest waterway. Weather shaped by the Gulf Stream keeps winters mild and summers cool, supporting dairy farms, barley fields, and rebounding native forests.

The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary democracy with a president serving as head of state and a taoiseach (prime minister) leading the government responsible to the Oireachtas, composed of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. Local authorities manage housing, transport, and cultural centers, while the Irish language receives constitutional protection alongside English. Shared institutions and agreements with Northern Ireland support cross-border services within the framework of the Good Friday Agreement.

History spans Neolithic passage tombs at Newgrange, Celtic kingdoms, Viking port towns, and medieval monasteries that preserved manuscripts and scholarship. Centuries of English rule culminated in the Easter Rising of 1916 and the subsequent war of independence, after which most of Ireland became a Free State in 1922 and later a republic in 1949. Emigration shaped global Irish communities, while the late 20th century saw economic transformation, peace negotiations, and membership in the European Union supporting modernization.

Ireland's economy mixes agriculture and agri-tech with pharmaceuticals, medical devices, financial services, and a vibrant technology sector where multinational firms operate European headquarters. Indigenous start-ups specialize in fintech, gaming, and climate analytics, while renewable energy initiatives harness Atlantic winds and explore tidal turbines. Universities collaborate with research centers on data science, creative media, and agronomy, and the government promotes balanced regional development through innovation hubs from Cork to Galway.

Culture thrives in traditional music sessions, Gaelic football, hurling matches, and festivals celebrating literature, film, and St. Patrick's Day. Writers such as James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, and contemporary poets influence global literature, while museums explore emigration stories aboard tall ships. Culinary scenes combine soda bread, seafood chowders, and modern farm-to-table menus. Ireland participates in the European Union, United Nations peacekeeping, and shared island initiatives that support reconciliation, climate action, and diaspora engagement.