Ireland

island · Europe · geography · culture

Second-largest island. Ireland is the second-largest island in the British Isles and the third-largest island in all of Europe. Only Great Britain is bigger in the British Isles.

Ocean all around. Ireland is separated from Great Britain by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. These waters have protected Ireland and made it special for thousands of years.

Over 7 million people. About 7 million people live on the island of Ireland, making it the second-most populated island in Europe. That's more people than live in many countries.

Two countries, one island. The island is divided between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Republic is independent, while Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.

Twentieth-largest worldwide. While Ireland is huge in Europe, it ranks twentieth among all islands in the entire world. There are some truly giant islands out there.